Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-10-17

Il thought your skull was too thick
to appreciate it." Jim said
Where is this club?"
Meets once a week over the shop.
Want to come next meeting?"
When is it?"
Thursday night" Fred and Ernie
were taking practice swings now, but
Jim was looking at him with a faint
amusement in his eyes. Got any mas
terpieces. Charlie? If you have, bring
EN- along. Every two weeks we have
a new show. Awards are given in be-
ginners class, intermediate and old
timers. You can submit two prints and
your name will be kept a secret. Want
to bite?"
Charlie pretended to ponder it, but
inwardly he was smiling. and his mind
was made up. If that big slob of
Jim Hopper was a photographer, he
himself was Steichen.
Sure. III take a look"
The room above the Camera Shop
held a lot of chairs and a lot OF peo-
pie that Charlie didn't know The walls
were ranked solid with photographs
Charlie spotted his own two, printed
and hung, without his name, of course
by the Camera Shop. He had the
warm, SNUG conviction that tonight
would make history in a small way.
He was bored by the business meet
ing, talk of exchange shows and such.
Only when the meeting broke up and
ballots were passed out to vote on the
pictures did he feel anything, and then
all he wanted was to get it over in 4
hurry. He took his ballot, looked at
the prints, most OF which he privately
thought should never have been shown
voted on them, then hunted Jim and
Fred Maxim. who were talking shop
with other members. There was talk OF
degrees of Scheiner, emulsion speeds,
hypo formulas, short stop formulas.
fine grain developers and such, moi
one word of which Charlie understood.
His spirits were little dampened by
the technical talk until he reflected
that doubtless Napoleon couldn't quote
the price of corn paid by his quarter
master before Auterliz. Small time
stuff; no forest for the trees.
Soon the room quoted and winners
were read off in all three classes. There
was polite, but restrained, applause. I
Neither of Charles prints won the
beginners class. The tabulation of votes
per picture was posted on the wall, and |
Charlie saw that neither of his prints .
had even got vote
After that, the meeting broke up
and Jim suggested that Charlie and
Fred stop in for beer and sandwiches
at his place. Charlie was morose on
the ride to Jim's house, but when they
arrived, his ego was up on one knee
from prone position. +
1t wasn't until they were in the
and Jim was bringing out the
beer that the talk turned to the prints.
Mani Jim said then. Did you get
load OF some of those prints? How
about that little lovely of the two gar
oage cans?"
That" Charlie said with dignity,
was mine"
Jim and Fred looked at each other
and both grinned. Fred said, Cheer
up, Charlie. You got it out of your
system, anyway"
We'll, what was wrong with it?"
Charlie demanded holly. His temper
49, SN6AAS AiAii, Uul ~ was SlIII ullCeT
control
Look, fella'," Fred said paternally.
he tlted his chair back and continued
n kindly, cynical tone. There are
'wo schools of photography, the Egg
'eater school and Weeping Willow
school, and never the twain shall meet.
m the Weeping Willow type and SOS
Jim. You're not" He heaved a mock
'lgh. We'll, it was nice knowing you"
You BIRDS" Charlie said with GER
ain smugness. don't know what a
picture is"
You tell u.s. Jim said. He pulled
Up chair, divided the beer, and both
lie and Fred regarded Charlie with an
unused air Of expectancy.
We'll, it's-a-its like this. It's al