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RECREATION. 



with. True, it would require some practice, 

 but the theory is all there and one need 

 only work it out a bit. Anyway, here's the 

 story : A man came to a studio to have 

 his portrait taken. The photographer's as- 

 sistant attended him. Two plates were ex- 

 posed and the assistant went into the dark 

 room to develop them. Presently he re- 

 turned and asked for another sitting, ex- 

 plaining that 2 spoiled plates had been acci- 

 dentally used. Two more exposures were 

 made and the assistant, after a few minutes 

 in the dark room, came out with a pale 

 face and hurriedly went in search of the 

 photographer. On his arrival he told the 

 sitter that there was a peculiar mark on 

 each of the photographs which his assistant 

 had taken, and asked him to sit again, when 

 he would operate himself. The sitting was 

 granted, but with no better success. The 

 photographer was in despair. He showed 

 the plates, each of which bore the same 

 blemish. It was a well defined skull and 

 cross bones on the forehead of the sitter. 

 The photographer said he was not a super- 

 stitious man, but that kind of thing fright- 

 ened him, and he would not attempt to take 

 another likeness of his patron. The ex- 

 planation given is that the young man was 

 a druggist and had been playing a joke 

 on the photographer. Bisulphate of quin- 

 ine is a chemical which is white to the 

 eye, but seen black by the camera. Any- 

 thing that is painted on the skin, .there- 

 fore, with the chemical will be ordinarily 

 invisible, but will come out prominently in 

 a photograph. — The Professional and Ama- 

 teur Photographer. 



FURTHER OPINIONS. 



I have read with great interest all of the 

 articles in regard to Mr. Balch's beaver 

 photo, and have been much interested to 

 see what the result of the investigation 

 would be. It would seem to me that after 

 carefully weighing all the evidence the 

 photos would be pronounced a fraud; per- 

 haps a clever one, but a fraud neverthe- 

 less. It does not ring true, nor does Mr. 

 Balch's explanation of the several disputed 

 points. I therefore vote emphatically no, 

 and have no fear I am doing an injury to 

 Mr. Balch. 



L. A. S., No. 3619- 



I hardly credit Mr. Balch's statement 

 about beaver coming out of their tote 

 road in the daytime. If not disturbed, 

 they will come out in the afternoon after 

 4 o'clock, swim about, or venture not 

 farther than 2 or 3 feet from shore; but in 

 30 years' experience I have never known 

 a beaver to leave the stream until after 

 dark. 



Vic Smith, Fishtrop P. C, Mont. 



SNAP SHOTS. 

 In toning, fixing and washing my prints 

 the gelatine frills. Is there a formula for 

 hardening the gelatine ? I use Royal paper 

 and tone and fix in separate baths. Is 

 there another brand of paper that is less 

 liable to frill in warm weather? 



Phil. Montz, Cameron, Mo. 



ANSWER. 



Your trouble is a somewhat common one 

 in hot weather. Use the following in your 

 first wash wa,ter: 



Formaldehyde 1 ounce 



Water 10 ounces 



For use, take one dram of the above to 

 each pint of wash water. It will harden 

 the gelatine and, in fact, make it perfectly 

 insoluble. Albuma paper made by the 

 New Jersey Aristotype Co., Rochester, N. 

 Y., is excellent in respect to insolubility, 

 and, as it is cheap, easy to work and re- 

 liable, you may like it. — Editor. 



Will pyro that has been in a liquid state 

 10 or 11 months, kept in an amber colored 

 bottle, tightly corked, be fit to use? Also 

 sal soda crystals kept in a fruit jar tightly 

 corked? 



A. G. Gosney, Savannah, 111. 



ANSWER. 



If the pyro solution becomes muddy 

 throw it away. If a clear color it can be 

 used. When kept so that the bottle is full 

 nearly or quite to the cork no deterioration 

 will ensue in the time you mention unless 

 the cork leaks. Sal soda will keep for 

 years in solution the way you have it. — 

 Editor. 



Can you inform me where I can buy a 

 developing paper called Argo and where it 

 is made? 



I. E. Brackett, Newport, Me. 



ANSWER 



Argo paper can probably be bought of 

 the Kelly Photo Stock Co., 115 Nassau 

 St., New York. It is made in Rochester, 

 by the Defender Paper Co. — Editor. 



Are you beginning to think what you can 

 give your friends for Christmas presents? 

 What could be more desirable than a yearly 

 subscription to Recreation? It is one of 

 the most practicable and useful presents 

 you could possibly give a man or boy who 

 is interested in nature study, fishing, hunt- 

 ing, or amateur photography. 



All boys instinctively love the woods. 

 Recreation teaches them to love and to 

 study the birds and the animals to be 

 found there. If you would have your son, 

 your brother, your husband, or your sweet- 

 heart interested in nature let him read 

 Recreation. It costs only $1 a year and 

 would make him happy 12 times a year. 



