Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-10-19
Caught by the Camera
4ll1(((3((((111l1 1111111111(1111111N
ESTER BRAKES detective cam

n ESl tlH OhAhh - uctcClFc Gain
"A era FIRST created the idea Of pho
Biography in my mind. Before
that I ha0n't the slightest inclination
toward the art whatever, but when
Lester purchased his neat little leather
covered box, and went around merely
pressing a button, and getting pictures
by mo other means, Immediately de-
ei6ed that l., too, must have camera.
Testers was not an expensive one.
Els father had found it In one Of the
photographic establishments In Phila-
alelphia. and, being of slightly scien-
&lfic turn of mind, had purchased il
and brought it home to Lester, who
satted up q corner Of the cellar as 8
dark room, and straightway launched
Aimself as an amateur photographer
Testers first attempts, revealed by
Che chemical development, were sur
prislngly good, and inspired a strong
Feeling Of envy in the breasts Of those
OF his comrades whose fathers were
bllnd to the oft-repeated advantages
and delights Of amateur picture taking
@ven more exasperating, he straight
way became the idol Of all the girls al
echoOi, whose zest in posing for him
wAs only equalled by the grotesQue
ness OF some Of their postures.
brOOded long and deep over this
unpleasant condition Of affairs, and
finally arrived at the conclusion thai
4 would have a camera at any cost.
Lester was kind enough to initiate
sne into the mysteries Of his dark room
and TO allow me to examine the inte
sloF~of his camera by ruby light. With
AAe knowledge thus gained, resolved
30 manufacture one myself 1t WOULDN'T
be as handsome as Testers perhaps,
Shought, but it might do just as good
work. So / made the attempt, using
che lenses from an old microscope
(which owned, but In vain. The In
8irument never reached the second
wtage OF its construction.
The contrast between Testers clean
smoothly recovered box, and what
knew mine would appear, even II
poald finally complete it was too great
and 1 abandoned 1t in despair.
Then tried another tack. My faith
Ger was exceedingly skeptical concern
Eag the desirability of amateur photog
Eaphy. and fatty refused to furnish the
necessary funds. 1t was October then
90 conceived a plan by which would
earn money during the fall by corr
AusEiRg among the nearby farmers, SC
chat when spring opened l would have
che price of the coveted camera.
No one could have worked harder
during the weeks through which the
season lasted than did 1. HusKers were
DIN demand that fall, and l secured
PyOrk wherever applied.
1t is just possible that If Lester had
grown tired Of his camera in the mean
while, and had ceased to use 1t, my
desire for one might likewise have gone
Ay the board. but the snap of his shut
aeT was heard everywhere and at al
aimes, and even at nightly fashligh
I'm the barns, where the frequen
Musktags were progressing.
When, after few weeks, the farm
ess ceased to require huskers, l strucl
mp bargain with our grocer, whereof.
I was 10 spend Saturdays running er
hands for him. The money from thi
helped out wonderfully. and, accord
Eng 10 my expectations, when Aprl
opened. snug little sum reposed a
che fruit Of my labors in one corner o
my top bureau drawer.
As soon as the weather moderate,
satghtly, Lester, who now posed as
photographic oracle, and myself, wen
10 che city one fine morning to buy tn
camera.
The neat little leather-covered DO.
was duly inspected and purchased, to
wether with the pamphlet Of instruC
Aaons that seemed so enticingly mys
4eriOus to my uniformed mind.
The camera was just like Lester'i
with the exception Of some minor I'm
Hroyements which had been effecte
since the time when he had purchase
mis-.
On the way home. Lester and drev
Mp n compact whereby was to hav
abe use of his dark room and chem
gals until 1 felt that l was fairly O
my Photographic legs. Then I wa
ae Ak up room of my own.
The camera had been sold loade
with plates, ready for use, and 1 los
no time in swapping several views her
and there as the fancy seized me.
Lester taught LIE to develop then
and when the most of them came u
under the chemicals clear and snar]
my delight was great.
And when made prints from then