146 



RECREATION. 



Many amateur photographers make the 

 mistake of buying and using inferior lenses, 

 as a matter of economy. Almost every day 

 photos are sent to me for publication 

 which cannot be reproduced by the 

 half tone process, because of being flat 

 and weak. Many of these are well com- 

 posed and are excellent subjects, and it is a 

 matter of serious regret that they cannot be 

 given to the public through Recreation. 

 No matter how cheap a camera you may 

 buy, or how much you must economize in 

 other ways, let your lens be the best you can 

 possibly afford. This is the basis of all suc- 

 cess or failure in photography. You can 

 not afford to buy a cheap lens, carry it per- 

 haps hundreds, or even thousands of miles, 

 make exposures on subjects which may 

 never come within your reach again, and 

 then have your pictures turn out flat. 



A photograph, in order to be fit for repro- 

 duction by the half tone process, must 

 be clear, sharp, of deep focus, and must 

 have strong contrasts between the lights 

 and shadows. These results cannot be ob- 

 tained with a cheap lens. 



The Western Union Telegraph Company 

 has mounted some of its messenger boys on 

 bicycles. Each of the main offices in New 

 York, from 14th to 125'th street, has been 

 supplied with two messenger boys on wheels. 

 These boys are said to be of a more intelli- 

 gent class than the ones heretofore employed 

 in the service. 



"This method of delivery has been ex- 

 tremely successful in the uptown districts, 

 where long runs are usual," said the mana- 

 ger of one of the offices. " On short runs 

 our bicyclists are impeded by getting on and 

 off their wheels, and by being obliged to put 

 them in a safe place while delivering mes- 

 sages. But on longer runs the saving of 

 time is considerable." 



This will surely improve the service, for a 

 boy on a wheel must move faster than most 

 of them do on foot, or he would fall off. 



POSSIBLE SMILES. 



About 500 subscriptions to Recrea- 

 tion expire with this issue. I hope all 

 these will be renewed, and not only this, but 

 that each man so renewing will send in at 

 least one subscription besides his own. 

 There are many sportsmen who do not 

 take Recreation and who would gladly 

 subscribe for it if it were shown to them. I 

 intend to enlarge the magazine rapidly, and 

 to make it much better than it has ever been. 

 Will you not help to make this possible ? 



I received the Forehand hammerless gun 

 Saturday and it is a beauty. I am more 

 than pleased with it, and feel well repaid for 

 the trouble I took in getting the 35 subscrip- 

 tions. S. Henry Steele, Haverhill, Mass. 



Bound volumes of Recreation, $2.50. 



THE MANUSCRIPT RETURNED. 



Poor little wanderer ! 



Fate was unkind to thee ! 

 Patient hope's squanderer ! 



Fame has been blind to thee ! 

 Back from rude editors, 



Lynx-eyed their scrutiny, 

 All thy discreditors; 



Thine not to mutiny. 



Rest in obscurity, 



Till, in futurity, 

 Laws may be passed 



Decreeing it jailable 



To write not available," 

 " Genius " to blast. 



Then, with no stint o' space, 



Thou'lt, at a sprinter's pace, 



Come from the printer's case 

 Published — at last ! 



E. C Walsh. 



That was a bright girl in the street-car the other 

 day who said to her companion, who was making the 

 usual female search for her purse : — " Let us divide 

 this, Ethel. You fumble and I'll pay."— New York 

 Herald. 



" Young man," the solemn stranger said, 



" What's going on inside?" 

 " A baseball game — eight innings played," 



The budding sport replied. 

 " Baseball upon the Sabbath day? 



O wicked, sinful land! 

 Er — in the ninth now, did you say? 



Young man, how do they stand?" 



— Claremont National Eagle. 



Mr. Newlywed— What makes you smile so cynically 

 this evening? 



Mrs. Newlywed — I was just thinking how you used 

 to hold my hand, by the hour, before we were married. 

 How stupid you were ! 



Stupid ! Not much. I held your dear little lily 

 white paw to keep you from pounding the piano. 



Des Moines Leader. 



They sat in the twilight and talked of the past. 



"Hiram," she was saying, "just 20 years ago to- 

 night I first became aware that you had kindled a 

 flame in my heart." 



" Yes, Anastasia." 



"That, Hiram," she mused reflectively, "was about 

 the last kindling I know of your having done." 



If you are not a millionaire, 

 But wish to own a racing stud, 



Just let your collar button fall, 

 And neath the bureau see it scud. 



" You are my deer," the young man wrote, 



" Whom soon I hope to see." 

 Her answer was a curt, cool note: 



" You can't make game of me." 



Mr. Homeman— Did you read that article about a 

 football player getting shot the other day ? 



Mrs. Homeman — No, John; goodness me, you don't 

 mean to say the game has come to that ! 



— Boston News. 



Mrs. Blues— Do you have to treat your cook as if 

 she were a member of your family? 



Mrs. Greys — Goodness, no! We have to be very 

 kind and polite to her. — Oakland {Cal.) Times. 



Here is a bit of composition by an eight-year-old 

 girl: " Boys are men that have not got as big as their 

 papas. Boys are a trouble. If I had my way the world 

 would be girls and the rest dolls. Man was made, and 

 on the seventh day he rested. Woman was made 

 then, and she has never rested since." 



The burning question of the day. — What is coal 

 going to sell at next monh? 



