Any questions in regard to photograph matters will be willingly answered by the Editor of this column, and we should be glad to hear from any of our club who can make helpful suggestions.
In paper No. 2 directions were given for making violet tones in prints by sensitizing prepared photographic paper with nitrate of uranium, and developing the image with a chloride-of-gold solution. The French have a process of making violet tints much softer in tone than these, and which resemble delicate engravings. It is some trouble to prepare the paper, and a beginner would perhaps not be successful the first time trying, but the prints are so beautiful that it is worth while to learn how to make them.
Take a sheet of best photographic paper—Rives is very good—and coat it with the following solution: Hydrochlorate of ammonia, 1 oz.; rock candy, 1 oz.; distilled water, 20 oz. Dissolve the candy in the water, which may be slightly warmed if necessary, then add the chlorate of ammonia. Dip a piece of blue litmus paper in this solution, and if it turns it red add a few drops of ammonia water till it does not turn the litmus paper. Put the solution into a large flat tray, and float the paper on it for five minutes; drain, and hang up to dry. After the paper is dry, sensitize it with a solution made of 1½ oz. of nitrate of silver and 10 oz. of distilled water. Float the salted paper on this bath for five minutes, and then dry. As soon as the paper is dried it is ready for printing. This is a printing-out paper, and the prints should be made as deep as for aristo or albumen paper.
Place the prints in a dish of soft water, to which has been added a few drops of ammonia water. Leave them in only a minute, and wash at once in several changes of clear water. The toning solution is made with Sel d'Or, 7½ grs., distilled water, 15 oz., hydrochloric acid (pure), 1 dr. As soon as the prints have washed sufficiently place them one at a time face up in this solution, and tone till the prints have a deep purple tone in the shadows and a creamy white in the high lights. Wash well, and place in a fixing bath composed of 3 oz. of hypo and 16 oz. of water. Leave in this bath for half an hour, till the purple tones have faded somewhat; wash well in running water, and place them in a dish of clean water, and leave them for twenty-four hours. On taking them from the water they must be coated with albumen in order to avoid the dull appearance which the print would have if dried in the usual way.
Have a solution of equal parts of albumen and water, and as soon as the prints are taken from the water blot off the moisture with a piece of fine white blotting-paper, and brush the surface of the print with the mixture of albumen and water, using a flat camel's-hair brush. Pin them to dry on a flat board placed in an upright position. The reason why prints which are not squeegeed on to glass or a ferrotype plate should be dried in a horizontal or upright position is because, if they are dried flat, drops of moisture are apt to settle on the face of the print, and either cause distortion—that is, the print does not dry evenly—or the water leaves spots on the face of the print.
Any one who has seen some of the imported French prints in violet tones knows how exquisite they are, and while the process is some trouble, and the paper needs careful handling, after one has prepared two or three kinds of sensitive paper by more simple methods he will find this comparatively easy, and will be delighted with the result.
Sir Knight Ray Mead, Winona, Wisconsin, asks for a good formula for a developer to use with films. The following will be found to give excellent negatives: Solution No. 1. Water, 10 oz.; sulphite of soda, 2 oz.; eikonogen, 165 grs.; hydroquinon, 80 grs. Add enough water to make the solution up to 16 oz. Solution No. 2. Water, 10 oz.; carbonate of potassium, 1 oz.; sodium carbonate, 1 oz.; and enough more water to make the solution up to 16 oz. For developing take 1 oz. of No. 1, 1 oz. of No. 2, and 4 oz. of water.
It recently occurred to Tiffany & Co., the New York jewelers, to ornament a bicycle elaborately with gold, silver, and precious stones, believing that some wealthy customer would esteem so handsome a mount. They preferred to pay $100 each for
For their purpose to using any other make of wheel. There must be no question of quality in a bicycle selected for such ornamentation. Therefore they chose Columbias
Beautiful Art Catalogue of Columbia and Hartford Bicycles is free if you call upon any Columbia agent; by mail from us for two 2-cent stamps.
Branch Stores and Agencies in almost every city and town. If Columbias are not properly represented in your vicinity let us know.
800 mixed Victoria, Cape of G. H., India, Japan, etc., with fine Stamp Album, only 10c. New 80-p. Price-list free. Agents wanted at 50% commission. STANDARD STAMP CO., 4 Nicholson Place, St. Louis, Mo. Old U.S. and Confederate Stamps bought.
to agents selling stamps from my 50% approval sheets. Send at once for circular and price-list giving full information.
100 all dif. Venezuela, Bolivia, etc., only 10c.; 200 all dif. Hayti, Hawaii, etc., only 50c. Ag'ts w't'd at 50% com. List FREE! C. A. Stegmann, 5941 Cote Brilliante Ave., St. Louis, Mo
LOOK HERE, BOYS! 50 stamps and hinges, 15c.; 100, 25c. Cheaper packets if you want. Sheets on approval. List sent free. Send Postal Card.
105 Stamps, Java, etc., hinges, cats., album, 5c. Agents at 50% get free 8 stamps and album. Bargain cats. free; 3 bbls. of stamps free. A. BULLARD &. CO., 97 Pembroke St., Boston, Mass.
310 foreign Bolivia, etc., 10c.; 100 different China, etc., 10c. Finest approval sheet, at 50%. Agents wanted. Large price-list, free. Shaw Stamp Co., Jackson, Mich.
125 dif. Gold Coast, Costa Rica, etc., 25c.; 40 U. S., 25c. Liberal com. to agents. Large bargain list free. F. W. Miller, 904 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo.
STAMPS! 100 all dif. Barbados, etc. Only 10c. Ag'ts w't'd at 50% com. List free. L. DOVER & CO., 1469 Hodiamont, St. Louis, Mo.
Stamps! App'l Sheets, 33-1/3 and 40% dis.; ref. req'd.
Thoroughly, revised, classified, and indexed, will be sent by mail to any address on receipt of ten cents.
We have already announced the prizes for the best song settings to Mrs. Sangster's charming verses, "Our Little Echo." Here are awards for the Hymn Competition, "For Sowing and Reaping." We give the first-prize composition and the additional verses. The winner of the first prize of $5 is Mr. E. S. Hosmer, of Bristol, Conn., and of the second, Mr. W. H. Squires, of Philadelphia, both Round Table Patrons. Those whose compositions deserve special praise are: Christine R. Benedict, Harvey Reese, Blanche Elizabeth Wade, H. Hamilton Craig, Thacher H. Guild, Alice C. Banning, Helen H. Sohst, Harry R. Patty. Additional verses of "A Thanksgiving Song."
For parents who care for us day after day,
For sisters and brothers, for work and for play,
For dear little babies so helpless and fair,
O Father, we send Thee our praise and our prayer.
For teachers who guide us so patiently on,
For frolics with mates when our lessons are done,
For shelter and clothing, for every day's food,
We bless Thee, our Father, the giver of good.
For peace and for plenty, for freedom, for rest,
For joy in the land from the east to the west,
For the dear starry flag, with its red, white, and blue,
We thank Thee from hearts that are honest and true.
For waking and sleeping, for blessings to be,
We children would offer our praises to Thee;
For God is our Father, and bends from above
To keep the round world in the smile of His love.
The most successful story contest the Table has ever had closed some weeks ago. Competition was restricted to those who had not passed their eighteenth birthday, and the limit of length, first announced at 1500 words, was raised to 2500. The prizes, three of $25 each, were increased by the addition of five $5 prizes. The success of the contest lies in the fact that the stories received were a great deal better than we ever received before, while the slightly changed conditions, without working injustice to any one, made the competition both easier and more liberal.
Conscientious judges read every word of every story submitted. Some stories of unusual merit were read half a dozen times. The number of well-written, probable, and interesting stories was most creditably large, and the making of awards correspondingly difficult. The three highest prizes are equal in value, but we place at the top, in point of excellence, "A Story of Strife," by Sir Knight F. M. McNaughton, aged sixteen, who lives in Quebec, Canada. Next, in rank we put "How Hector Saved the Train," by Sir Knight S. O. Rittenhouse, aged sixteen, of Lynn, Mass., and the third to "The Duke of Alva's Humiliation," by Sir Knight George C. Hirst, aged seventeen, of Philadelphia. Each is sent $25 in money.
Proofs of these stories have just been mailed to nearly three hundred persons, all under eighteen, who are to try to illustrate them. We want one illustration, and offer $10 for the best. Artists select their own subject after reading the stories. We allow them three stories in order to give them the best possible chance. We shall print the prize story that we happen to receive the best illustration for, and perhaps the other two. This Illustration Contest ends March 21th, but entries for it have now closed.
The five $5 prizes we award to the following, their excellence in the opinion of the judges standing in the order named—the best first, etc.:
"Quailin," by Lady Olive Arnold Dame, aged thirteen, of Medford, Mass.; "A Tale of the Football Field," by Sir Knight Lucien Memminger, aged sixteen, of Charleston, S. C.; "Putnam's Wolf," by Sir Knight Charles Frederick Hoffman, aged fifteen, of New York City; "A Wild-Goose Chase," by Sir Knight Harry T. Trowber, aged sixteen, of South Haven, Mich.; and "A Profitable Adventure," by Sir Knight Marion R. Gilbert, of Harrisburg, Pa.
Stories deserving, in our opinion, special commendation are: "A Last Chance," by Lady Frances S. C. James, of Mich.; "The Old Water-mill," by Lady Dell Whitney, of Wisconsin; "Three Chums and a Buffalo," by Sir Knight Egbert B. Heyser, of Missouri; "A Day's Fishing," by Sir Knight Preston K. Smalley, of Michigan; "Saving the Papers," by Sir Knight Rupert S. Holland, of Pennsylvania; "Balloon Voyage Round the World," by Sir Knight William Swanson, of Canada; and "The Little Cripple," by Sir Knight Edwin H. Andrews, of California.
The prizes, with our congratulations, have been forwarded, and the manuscripts of all stories returned to writers.
Here are answers to Sir John R. Moreland's new-ideas puzzle. They are in two parts, 1, the numbers, and 2, the arithmetic:
1. A. D. 1572. 2, Raphael. 3, A. D. 70. 4, A. D. 1156. 5, Toucan (2). 6, Lincoln and Garfield. 7, A. D. 1015. 8, A. D. 1670. 9, Spina, a monk of Pisa. 10, Paulding, Van Wart, Williams. 11, "Jesus wept," "Rejoice evermore." 12, Drebel, a Dutchman. 13, King of Bourges. 14, 146. 15, 56. 16, "Citizen King." 17, John Hancock. 18, Francis Marion. 19, Stubb. 20, Deborah Simpson. 21, Paul Blouet. 22, Devil River. 23, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. 24, B. C. 31. 25, "Sailor King."
1572x7=11,004+70=11,074-1156=9918x2=19,836÷2=9918-1015=8903+1670=10,573+5=10,578÷3=3526+4=3530+6= 3536-13=3523-146=3377+56=8433-11=3422+11=3433-13=3420÷5=684-14=670+10=680-5=675-21=654-31=623-10= 613—that is, 6.13=the sixth day of the week (Friday), and the 13th of the month—the proverbial unlucky figure.
Henry W. Ticknor, R. T. K., Clanton, Ala., makes the following kind offer: "As I live 'way down South in the land of cotton,' I will send to any one who sends me five cents to pay postage some cotton seeds and instructions how to plant and tend them. Should any members respond who live outside the United States and Canada, they should send at least fifteen cents for postage."
Several members who have recently asked to have their names published as wanting correspondents are reminded that we cannot print such requests, since unscrupulous persons not infrequently use such addresses. We would be glad to grant you the favor were it possible to do so, and avoid this annoying consequence. Reader: The Table rarely prints poems on this page, and prefers not to criticise young "poets" publicly. Jos. L. Dwyer, 103 Porter Street, Detroit, Mich., wants to receive sample copies of amateur papers.
I wonder if you would like to try the game of "The Five W's, or Biographical Jumbles?" Provide each player with a pencil and a slip of paper (a half sheet of commercial note is a good size), then request each one to write at the top of the paper the first W, the name of some well-known historical character; fold the paper over to conceal the name, and pass it to his right-hand neighbor. Then each player writes on the folded sheet the second W, when did he live, and folding it again, passes it on as before. The third W, written in the same way, tells where he lived and died; the fourth, what he did; the fifth, why he did it; and the sixth and last folding gives the results or consequences of his life.
The paper must be folded at each writing, and no player must know what the others have written till the results are given, when each player in turn unfolds his paper and reads it aloud. Of course there are all sorts of incongruities and lots of fun over them, besides a grand chance to furbish up forgotten history, in straightening out the tangles, and setting matters right. Should the sheet of paper at first supplied prove insufficient, another may be easily attached with a convenient pin without unfolding. Of course, the more items of interest brought in the better. A prize may be given to the one who corrects the most mistakes, a tally being kept for the purpose.
A game of Geographical Jumbles may be played in the same way, by making an arrangement like this:
1. What—Name of country, city, river, mountain, etc.
2. Who—Inhabitants, celebrated people, etc.
3. Where—Situation.
4. When—Founded, antiquity, etc.
5. Why—Importance, productions, climate, historical associations
Try these games and you will like them.
H. E. Banning.
Newport, R. I.
This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor Stamp Department.
The number of intelligent inquiries I receive each week is so large that all of them cannot be answered in the narrow limits of this column. Inquirers sending a stamped and addressed envelope will be answered direct. Inquiries without prepaid and addressed envelopes will have to wait their turn.
The upper left-hand pane of 100-stamp sheet No. 170 contains both varieties of triangles (II. and III.). The first discovery was made in San Francisco, and dealers have been buying these sheets all over the country at $3 each. Several collectors managed to find a number of sheets in New York city, which they bought at face, and sold at fifty per cent. profit.
D. H. S.—I would advise you to ask your postmaster.
Mrs. Maud G. F.—The red stamps are the common 1851 issue. Millions were used every day for over five years. The blue ones are 1869 issue worth 25c. each. The Brattleboro, Vt., has the name of the town and initials of the postmaster. It is printed on buff paper in black ink.
Mrs. E. V. B.—The $1 Colombian can be purchased for $8.
P. F. Lisk.—I do not purchase stamps.
Robert Peltier, Lycee Janson de Sailly, Paris, France, wants to exchange French stamps for U.S. stamps and others.
W. T. Helm.—The "Postal Service" envelopes are not stamps; they are franks. The one described is worth 20c.
Elias Alter, New York City (gives no street address), and Burette Snyder, Cape Girardeau, Mo.—Wish to exchange stamps.
R. C. Megrue.—All the proof specimens of U. S. stamps are more or less valuable. The "Department" proofs are worth more than the proofs of the regular issues.
G. G. Stone.—The 1c. Columbians can still be bought at many post-offices, hence there is no premium. Treasury Department used set is worth about $8.
E. L. Davis.—There is no way to restore the color of a stamp except where the color has oxydized. In that case a chemical which can be bought of stamp-dealers for 25c. per bottle, will restore the original color. Put your stamps on hinges, and you can change easily as often as you want. Hinges cost 10 to 15 cents per 1000.
G. R. Moffitt.—Your stamp is from Montenegro, which has issued sets in 1874, 1880, 1893, and 1894.
F. S. Perkins.—It is a medal or token, not a coin. No value.
S. C. R. of K. B. K.—I cannot keep on repeating values of coins given in back numbers of the present volume. See the Round Table for December 17, 1895, and January 14, 1896. The rare pink is a 3c., not a 2c. stamp.
Sergeant.—See answer to S. C. R.
L. B. Hershey.—The 3c. 1869 unused is worth 25c.; used, 2c.—that is, dealers ask those prices. They buy much cheaper.
D. Barnum.—Your list of inquiries is too long for answer in this column. You have some very nice stamps, but there are no rarities in the list.
Mrs. W. H. H.—See Round Table of December 17, 1895, and January 14, 1896, for prices asked by dealers for U. S. coins. What dealers pay I do not know.
H. Merritt.—What you describe are not postage-stamps or stamped postage-envelopes. Before postage-stamps were used almost every postmaster had a hand stamp to mark "Paid," "Paid 5 cents," or "Paid 10 cents," etc., on letters for which he received postage in advance. Where not so marked the person to whom the letter was addressed had to pay the postage. I know very few collectors of these postmarks, as they have no money value.
G. M. Ross.—The prices quoted in this column are those asked by dealers, not what they pay. That, of course, I do not know.
A. Schmengler.—The 1861 3c. U.S. comes in hundreds of shades, from a pale washed-out color to a deep scarlet. Only one of these varieties has any value; that one is the "Pink," which is a brilliant color on a bluish background. It is very scarce. I have looked over tens of thousands of this stamp, and never found a copy of the true "Pink."
Philatus.
Some persons insist on having the costliest of everything. They do not buy Ivory Soap. Those who want the best do.
The Procter & Gamble Co., Cin'ti.
has earned more money for boys than all other presses in the market. Boys, don't idle away your time when you can buy a self-inking printing-press, type, and complete outfit for $5.00. Write for particulars, there is money in it for you.
Nos. 303, 404, 170, 604 E.F., 601 E.F.
And other styles to suit all hands.
The celebrated and effectual English Cure without internal medicine. Proprietors, W. Edward & Son, London, England.
sells recitations and PLAYS
23 Winter St., Boston
The FINEST SAMPLE BOOK of Gold Beveled Edge, Hidden Name, Silk Fringe, Envelope and Calling Cards offered for a 2 cent stamp. These are GENUINE CARDS, NOT TRASH. UNION CARD CO., COLUMBUS, OHIO.
Volume XVI. With 1096 Pages, and about 750 Illustrations. 4to, Cloth, Ornamental, $3.50.
There is nothing, we imagine, that the young reader would be likely to prize more.—N. Y. Sun.
A truly royal volume for the youthful reading appetite.—Boston Courier.
A Story for Girls. By Ellen Douglas Deland. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25.
A story for girls, charmingly written, and illustrated throughout with pictures dainty enough to please the most fastidious damsel.... The incidents are full of life, the characters are very natural, and the conversations well sustained, so that the story is full of intense interest from beginning to end.—Chicago Inter-Ocean.
Afloat with the Flag. By W. J. Henderson, Author of "Sea Yarns for Boys," etc. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25.
Mr. W. J. Henderson's latest sea-story for boys is one of the best we have seen.... The story has been read with eager interest by thousands of Round Table readers, and it will have an additional charm to them and others in its present book form.—Boston Advertiser.
Snow-Shoes and Sledges, a Sequel to "The Fur-Seal's Tooth." Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25.
Will hold the interest of its readers from beginning to end.—N. Y. Evening Post.
We confess to have read every word of the journal with as much interest as we once read "Robinson Crusoe" or the "Swiss Family Robinson."—Christian Intelligencer, N. Y.
The Fur-Seal's Tooth.—Raftmates.—Canoemates.—Campmates.—Dorymates. Each one volume. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1.25.
Wakulla.—The Flamingo Feather.—Derrick Sterling.—Chrystal, Jack & Co., and Delta Bixby. Illustrated. Square 116mo, Cloth, $1.00 each.
"Well, I declare," said the Moonfay Boy,
"There's old Killjoy,
The meanest fish that ever did swim;
He knows that I've no use for him.
He eats my bait
At a fearfal rate.
I've changed it twice
From flies to mice.
From mice to slags.
And potato-bugs,
And still he bites.
For the last ten nights
I've caught nothing else but old Killjoy,"
Said the Moonfay Boy.
"It ain't polite
To bite and bite,
And chew and chew,
On the bait of one who don't want you."
And old Killjoy
Grinned at the boy.
"Oh don't get mad,
Dear Moonfay lad,
You set the best table that ever I had,"
Said he.
"For don't you see
It agrees with me,
And to pay you back I'll invite to tea
All the sharks and the shad,
And the little poletad,
And the whale and the blue,
And the halibut too.
And when all's ready I'll wink at you,
And the catch you'll catch
Will have no match
On the land or sea!
Just count, old Moon-faced Fay, on me!"
And the Moonfay Boy went home that night
With a mess of fish that was out of sight.
For old Killjoy, be it understood,
Paid him back for his bait, as he'd said he would.
A letter came to light not long ago that was mailed in 1843. It was sent from a small town far out in the Northwest, and was written, evidently, by some hardy hunter to his family at home. In one of the paragraphs the writer describes an adventure he had had with a bear. It reads somewhat as follows:
"I had gone several miles up the rocky trail, and finally striking off at right angles, left the valley and scaled the mountain-side. In a short while this brought me on a narrow ledge, and I proceeded along, thinking to skirt around the mountain that way, and reach down the other side into what was called Bear Trail. I never saw bear around the spot, and attached but little importance to the significance of the name. As I proceeded, the ledge grew very narrow—in fact, so much so that I was almost compelled to hug the face of the cliff to prevent my tumbling over.
"Suddenly I was horrified to hear a scraping kind of noise ahead, and before I could make up my mind as to what it was, a large bear crawled around a bend of the ledge into view. It was no use retreating, for the bear had a surer footing than I, being by nature adapted to it; but whatever brought him so far out of the valley I could not guess. He eyed me and I eyed him, and then I did the queerest thing I imagine any man would do—that was to treat the bear as though he were a human being. We were both in a predicament, as it would have been impossible for the bear to turn, and useless for me to do so, for the moment I retreated he would be after me. So I made a motion to the bear, and lying down on my face, I beckoned to him to come on and pass over me.
"Of course I gave myself up for lost. The bear eyed me suspiciously, and then came slowly on. He reached me, and putting down his cold wet nose, sniffed at my hair. I was dead with fright, and felt as though I would faint any moment.
"My harmlessness seemed to satisfy him; in a gentle manner he crawled over me and passed on, never once placing his paws on my body, for had he done so I should have been crushed.
"If he had but pushed me the slightest bit I would have fallen over. In a few minutes I recovered somewhat from my fright, and proceeded along the ledge, which shortly widened and permitted me to make better headway to safety. The only reason I have to account for the bear's gentleness was that he had had plenty to eat, and the savage instincts were dulled by the sight of my helplessness."
Teacher (unable to conceal her anger and disgust). "Tommy Winks, you spell horribly."
Tommy. "H-o-r-r-i-b-l-y."
A man having pointedly ridiculed Tasso, he remained perfectly silent, much to the astonishment of the railer. A listener muttered loud enough to be heard that a man was a fool not to defend himself.
"You are mistaken," said Tasso; "a fool does not know enough to be silent."