Year: 1878

Dan Battles lived in Wexford. He was
sixteen, tall, awkward, queer, thin, lank,
large head, blue eyes, hardly ever talked
to any one, but did great deal Of think
ing, and now knew how to print, bleed a
horse, cultivate silk worms, manage a
telegraph instrument, grow pears, play
checkers with his eyes shut, and every
thing else nearly. He finally got prct-
ty good camera, and went to work. up in
his mothers garret, to learn photography
And he did learn il, but it took some time
and moro money Ito buy chemicals) than
his mother, who was poor, wanted to
spare, and she kept urging him to go to
work at something that would be prohta-
BILE, and quit playing. But Dan said if
he could only get the shading or tone no
wanted in his pictures he could mako
money fast enough, and no still kept on
trying. From the garret window he
would take photographs Of mon in the
streets, in all attitudes, and at all hours of
the day, but he could not get tho "tone ="
he wanted.


One day he came down from his garret
and asked his mother for a little more
money to get acids with, but she could
not spare it and told Dan he must go out
and earn it for himself.


Dan went out and wandered moodily
through tho streets for awhile, and by
chance wandered into the court house
when famous trial was going on. A man
was being tried for passing n forged check
ut the bank. Tho teller ofthe bank swore
that this was the man, and that he had
presented tho check about one O'Clock on
a certain day. The prisoner declared he
was alone in a friends office on that day,
and never saw tho check or know of its
existence till he was arrested. But ho
could not prove this, and he would
be convicted unless he could. The trial
was ended. and every one felt convinced
that the prisoner was guilty, when away
back by the door Dan stood up and said
Dut uull boll WHtIt no WIS,


Every ono was astonshod, and when
they saw awkward Dan sheepishly stand
ing there whirling his cap in his hand,
they laughed loud and long. But the
Judge knew Dan, and had him brought
forward. He whispered to Dan, and then
Dan whispered back, and then the Judge
smiled and nodded his head, and Dan
started out. He was gone only few
minutes and came back with n large piecO
Of stiff, white paper in his hand, which he
handed to the Judge. The Judge looked
at it and thon told the clork to administer
the oath to Dan, rs he had important
testimony to give.


Dams testimony was, that on tho day
when the teller said the check was pre-
sented by this man, he, Dan, was in the
garret taking pictures, and among others
was the picture Of tho prisoner standing
in a window. 1t was the picture Of this
man, surely, and Dan could swear to tho
day. Butan importan. question was yet
TO be settled. At what time Of the day
was the picture takon ? Tho picture sot-
tied this question, too, for the clock on
st. Luko's church was photographed, and
the hands pointed at ono O'Clock. This
setted :he whole matter, and the man
was discharged. lie came right over to
Dan and said;


"You have saved mo, and now you
shall have anything you want. How can
| show my gratitude ?"


You may be sure Dan had plenty of
money to carry on his experiments alter
this, and he finally discovered what he
wanted, and makes the best pictures In
the country. He still keeps tho old cam
era, for he says, at made my fortune"