Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-11-30
THE FOUR CHECKS FOR SPAIN,
Why the Photographic Copies of
the S2O.OOO,OOO Were Never
Published.
Rochester Democrat.)

(hochester Dea0crdt.)
Miss Francis Benjamin Johnston,
OF Washington, ID. c., is typical
illustration of what the energetic, up
to-date, wide-awake American young
woman can do, when she "makes nm
her mind"
If space permitted, many columns
might be written of the unusual and
interesting experiences of this Ameri.
can woman. Each is story in
itself. For instance, her trip across
the ocean to photograph Admiral
Dewey on his triumphal voyage home,
the hero and the idol of nation; her
Photographic reproduction of the
historic scene of the signing of the
protocol during the Spanish war; her
actual presence in the room at the
signing of the treaty of peace with
Spain, when she posed the high
officials who performed this historic
act and snapped her camera on them.
Perhaps the most interesting was
her reproduction of the four drafts
of S., 900, 900 each, which this govern
ment paid to Spain for the Philip
pines. Miss Johnston had petitioned
the Treasury officials to permit her
to photograph these drafts so soon as
they should be finished, but she
heard nothing more from the depart
ment until she learned by accident
that the drafts were finished and in
the hands of the State Department.
Then she lost no time, but arrived
upon the scene as Secretary Hay was
transferring the drafts to Ambassa.
dor Oambon. She told her commits
sion to M. Oambou. He and Secre-
tary Hay good-naturedly assented,
but she found she could not do the
work we'll there, so she went with
M. Cambon to the French Embassy,
aud here she was allowed to pin the
valuable slips, representing SIS, ,OOO,-
600 each, where she could get the
best light upon them, with the result
that she secured perfect reproduc-
tions.
Then she went home highly elaied,
and Immediately began to develop
her plates. They were simply per-
feet. Finally, she stopped for
luncheon. Altogether, it was not
twenty minutes after reaching her
studio before the door bell rang at
home, and her caller proved to be an
agent of the secret service. He was
personally known to Miss Johnston,
so, with as much courtesy as possible,
under the circumstances, he demand
ed the plates and any prints that she
may have made of the famous S.
100000 drafts. She was aghast.
The agent was polite, but firm, and
incidentally told her that she had
committed States prison offence.
His chief did not wish to annoy her
or cause any trouble, but he de-
manded the plates to prevent them
being published. She was filling an
order for Harper's at the time, and
had they used her prints the entire
edition would have been seized.
Miss Johnston laughed as she told
this story, and the sensation it made
when it leaked out in Washington,
as such things will, to think the
French Ambassador and Secretary
Hay were mixed up in it, and as in
nocently as herself.
Speaking of her work, she SAYS
the field for women in this line is
practically unlimited. Many women
trained to artistic careers are going
into the Photographic business, treat
ing it as means of true expression
and from personal standpoint,
rather than along conventional lines.