The Greeley tribune., 1910-12-15
SURPRISING ORDERS THAT
THE CAMERA MEN GET

THE CAMERA MEN GET
| AS a relief to the fearful monotony
of portrait taking. the ordinary pro-
fessional photographer gets some re-
markable commissions, says Cas-
sells Saturday Journal. A camera
man was recently sent for to photo
graph dog, and consequently went
equipped with some fast plates. But
the animal kept still. having died
about an hour previously. The re-
suit, however, was lifelike picture,
as the owner had arranged the dog
in one of its favorite attitudes.
Another photographer was asked
to come instanter to certain resi-
dence. On reaching there he was re-
uuested to conceal himself, with his
camera, behind a hedge opposite the
entrance, and to snap" a man (who
was described to him) just as he en-
tered the gate. and to take care that
the name of the house on the posts
should be visible on the resulting
print. He was strictly warned not
to show himself on any considera-
ton Carrying out these injunctions
faithfully. he was well paid for his
trouble: but he does not yet know
for what purpose it was wanted.
Singular was an order given to a
third member Of the trade. A sue
cessful business man instructed him
to photograph the humble house In
which he was born, the school where
he was taught the three RS. the
church hard by, etc, as we'll as to
obtain and copy photographs Of some
of his early playmates. whose names
he gave. Much of the work pre-
sented no special difficulties; but
the photographer had great trouble
in obtaining the old prints-the
originals of most OF which were dead
while the occupier of the custom
er's birthplace would not allow him
the only position from which the
dwelling was photographable. The
patron, however, overcame this last
ostacle by buying the house.
The same man once took" two
brothers shaking hands over their
fathers grave, and made an enlarge
ment. which, he was told, was to be
sent to their mother in Canada.
On another occasion he was sent
for by a gentleman whom he knew
pretty we'll. On reaching his house
he found him made up as Lear, a
theatrical costumer who was present
having transformed him. After he
had photographed the customer in
his own garden, that gentleman or
dered six prints to be posted to a
certain address in another town, and
paid for them. About half an hour
later news reached the photographer
that the new Lear had committed
suicide.
There is curious side, too, to the
apparently prosaic work of photo
graphing documents. One day a Gus
toner ordered of we'll known
photographer copy of a cheque
which seemed to differ in no way
from most of its kind. There came
out in the print, however, a figure
and some letters which were invisi-
BILE in the original to the naked eye.
AS nothing definite is known why
the cheque was copied, the photo
grauher conjectures that his Gus
toner was somebody not indisposed
to try his chance at forgery.
Equally mysterious job was CIV
en- to camera man by lady-the
photographing of more than 200 let
tiers of very ardent nature. He
had the prints ready by the appoint
ed time, and the lady, after examin-
ing them, bought the negatives, and
then superintended the reducing
of every one with a hammer, and
this SO effectually that no further
print could be taken from it.
or course. the photographer did
not ask questions, nor did the GUS
toner volunteer any information
But he assumes that the love letters
were addressed to her, that she
agreed to give them up (perhaps for
consideration), and that she had
them copied SO as to retain a hold
upon the writer. Such things, alas,
do happen.