The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-05-04

inch of this fairy work there are no
fewer than 10000 particles. The mi
mute drops of water upon the window
draw together in freezing. and so pro-
duce picture of wonderful beauty.
bat there is nothing to show why they
should take the devices of ferns and
other verdure, except that there is
some mysterious power at work which
causes the frost to adapt itself to the
life of nature as seen in the fields; but
what this power is remains for some
scientist of the future to prove.
The frost pictures produced on a
window vary according to the degrees
of frost registered. If the weather is
very keen, the pattern will be coarse;
but curious point is that the action
of wind upon the dew which is freez-
ing upon the glass makes no difference
at all to the pattern. On the other
hand, if only few degrees of frost
are registered, the pattern traced will
be infinitely finer, and in the gener-
atty of cases more beautiful.
& Yet another curious point may be
noticed If the several panes of glass
in window are studied one by one.
The pattern on each of them is totally
different; on one the picture may be
made up of minute frost-ferns inter-
woven with each other in a manner
which would defy human skill to ini-
tate, while on the adjoining pane the
ferns may be larger, and show no in
clination whatever to take upon them
selves any definite pattern. Moreover,
it will be found that one pattern will
be duplicated all over a pane of glass,
and on the next pane a different pat
tern will be duplicated in the same
manner. And yet the two pictures
side'by side bear not the slightest sim
ilar;ty to each other.
The study of frost is as yet in fits
infancy, and the great savants VINO
have made wonderful discoveries in
chemistry and other branches of sci
ence have never turned their attention
to frost and its. wonderful work. Here
is an example of familiarity breeding
contempt, for these frost pictures are
so common during the winter months
lHdL Low pSOplc see any tuluS eAlFdOT-
dinary.in them.
There is1one man, however, who has
devoted many years to the study of
frost in all it's forms, and that is Mr.
James Leadbeater. of Rotterdam, by
whom this photograph was taken.
Every winter this gentleman patiently
waits for the frost, and then in the
special room he has fitted up for the
purpose photographs it in all it's beau
ty. and never. once has he obtained two
pictures in the least alike. His meth
Cd is to place blackboard about two
feet outside the window, and then
from the interior of the room he takes
his photograph, allowing an exposure
of couple of seconds, and the won
derful result he has obtained is here
depicted. There is no elaborate APP
paratus required, simply patience and
q little care, and any amateur photog-
rapher can secure equally beautiful
pictures If he follows the directions
given, and surely nature was never
photographed in a more beautiful
form. A further interest attaches to
these specimens of the Ice Kings
works, from the fact that they might
readily serve as models for many of
the most effective designs for wall
papers, artistic >embroideries and other
decorative work of the greatest beauty.
w. NEWMAN FLOWER.