Harper's Round Table, July 23, 1895 Part 8

Some amateurs, in developing, have three trays of developer. The first tray contains normal developer, the second tray contains developer prepared for over-exposed plates, and the third for under-exposed plates.

If a plate is found to be under or over exposed, it is washed and removed to the tray containing the proper solution. This is a very good plan if one has a quant.i.ty of plates to develop which have been exposed at different times and under different circ.u.mstances, as it saves preparing fresh developer after development has been started.

SIR KNIGHT FRANK KANE asks what is meant by a flat negative. A flat or thin negative is one which has been over-exposed, and not sufficiently developed to give the necessary density, so that the light pa.s.ses through all parts quickly, and gives a flat picture, wanting in contrast. The next number of the ROUND TABLE will give methods for strengthening or redeveloping thin negatives.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE RAINBOW TABLE.]

A RAINBOW TEA.

BY MARY J. SAFFORD.

Suggestions for pretty effects at church fairs are always in order, and one which I attended recently was so attractive in its arrangements, and so well carried out in every detail, that a description may be of service to those who are planning a sale.

Even the tickets were in harmony with the remainder of the decoration.

They bore diagonally across the centre, the upper left-hand and the lower right-hand corners, a rainbow, while the lettering ran:

RAINBOW TEA.

IN AID OF

_The_............................................

_At_.............................................

Admission, 25 cents.

Entering the room one saw directly opposite to the door the seven tables, each representing one of the colors of the rainbow. All were the same length and width, covered with the pretty, inexpensive crepe cloth, and bordered with a frill of crepe-paper the same shade. From the end of each table ran a width of the crepe cloth, through whose centre was a strip of satin ribbon the same shade about four inches wide. These extended to a small square table and fastened on the top. This table was placed midway between the red and the violet one, which stood on the same line, perhaps six feet apart, the other five tables being set between in the order of the colors of the rainbow, the green at right angles with the red and the violet, and the remainder slanting. The effect of the semicircle was extremely pretty, and it also afforded room for attendants and buyers to gather around the lower ends of the respective tables.

The central ornament of each was a banquet-lamp, corresponding in color with the table on which it stood; that on the red one had a red porcelain vase in an iron stand, with a red shade; the green lamp had a green pillar and green shade; the yellow table bore a bra.s.s lamp, etc.

The red, orange, and violet tables contained a bewildering variety of articles for sale, and it was an interesting study to note the ingenuity with which the respective colors had been introduced into the fancy-work, painted china, etc., displayed to tempt purchasers.

On the orange table, for instance, were small gilded straw baskets, filled with delicious home-made mola.s.ses candies, tiny emery-cases covered with brown velvet, and surrounded by petals cut from deep yellow cloth, perfectly representing the daisylike flower known as "black-eyed Susan," sunflower penwipers, handkerchief-cases, made by folding an embroidered handkerchief over a square of yellow perfumed silk, the four corners meeting in the centre, laundry-bags, embroidered with yellow silk, sachet-cases with yellow b.u.t.tercups strewn over them, teacups decorated with gold, etc.

The red table bore similar testimony to the cleverness of those who had supplied its wants, while the violet one was a marvel of daintiness and suggestion of spring-time loveliness. The banquet-lamp had a silver stand and shade of violet silk and white lace; near it was a sofa cus.h.i.+on of sheer white linen lawn embroidered with violets, and surrounded by a wide insertion of lace, finished with a ruffle edged with lace. Beside this was a little bag, of white silk, with a pattern of lilac sweet-pease, in the bottom of which a needle-book was inserted, and not far off lay a table-centre embroidered with violets.

The yellow table was tempting, with a large gla.s.s bowl filled with lemonade, served with a variety of yellow cakes. The green one dispensed ice-cream. The blue, besides tea, sold pretty blue-and-white china cups and saucers, tied together with blue ribbon; and the indigo one was sought by lovers of chocolate.

The attendants at each table wore its colors. And another pretty feature of the occasion was a large pine-tree, standing in one corner of the hall, from whose branches hung oranges made of yellow paper, each one containing some prize for the purchaser.

QUEER MONEY.

Here is an amusing account of a traveller who went many years ago to Mexico, and found the natives using a strange kind of currency. Says he:

"In one of the small towns I bought some limes, and gave the girl one dollar in payment. By way of change, she returned me forty-nine pieces of soap the size of a small biscuit. I looked at her in astonishment, and she returned my look with equal surprise, when a police officer, who had witnessed the incident, hastened to inform me that for small sums soap was legal tender in many portions of the country.

"I examined my change, and found that each cake was stamped with the name of a town and of a manufacture authorized by the government. The cakes of soap were worth three farthings each. Afterwards, in my travel, I frequently received similar change. Many of the cakes showed signs of having been in the wash-tub; but that I discovered was not at all uncommon. Provided the stamp was not obliterated, the soap did not lose any value as currency. Occasionally a man would borrow a cake of a friend, wash his hands, and return it with thanks. I made use of my pieces more than once in my bath, and subsequently spent them."

[Ill.u.s.tration: INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORT]

In looking over the programmes of the different scholastic athletic a.s.sociations, I find that the Connecticut High-School A.A. is about the only one which has the same list of events as that approved by the I.C.A.A.A. It also uses the same system of scoring--5, 2, and 1--whereas most of the other interscholastic a.s.sociations award three points to the winner of second place. This, however, is a different question, and one that I hope to treat of later. One thing at a time; and if we can get the card straightened out by next spring I shall be satisfied. If I can persuade all the executive committees to adopt the list of events in use by the colleges I shall consider that this Department has done some good, and has accomplished at least one valuable thing in its own sphere of usefulness. I am optimistic enough to believe that a year from now every a.s.sociation will have adopted the uniform schedule.

The Connecticut a.s.sociation at one time had the standing high and broad jumps as well as the running high kick on their card; but when Yale offered a silver cup for compet.i.tion among the schools in 1891, one of the conditions attached to the gift was that the programme must be made to correspond with the inter-collegiate schedule. To the New Haven college, therefore, is largely due the credit for the Connecticut H.-S.A.A.'s present emanc.i.p.ation from acrobatics. The events on their card, like those of the I.C.A.A.A., comprise the 100 and 220-yard dashes; the quarter, the half, and the mile runs; the mile walk; the 120-yard hurdle race over 3 ft. 6 in. hurdles, and the 220-yard hurdle race over 2 ft. 6 in. hurdles; the 2-mile bicycle race; the pole vault; the running high and broad jumps; the shot and hammer, both of sixteen pounds.

It is only natural that a university or college a.s.sociation which takes an active interest in the sports of its preparatory schools should wish to have the athletes who are making ready to enter its ranks familiar with the events on the inter-collegiate card. We all know very well that, no matter how great the college-man's interest may be in sport, as such, he is not going to waste his time and money and energy in training and encouraging young men who do not expect to go to college, or who practise high kicking and standing jumps, or other feats of which he takes no notice. He very justly argues that there are enough young athletes in the country, who want to do what he does, for him to give all his attention to them. Therefore if school a.s.sociations want the colleges to take a lively interest in their efforts, to send them trainers, and to offer them cups, I would advise them to work along the lines that college athletes have found most suitable for their purposes, and to let other matters alone. No one to whom I have spoken of this matter so far has disagreed with me. If any readers of this Department have any arguments for the other side, I am sure we shall all be glad to hear them.

IOWA STATE HIGH-SCHOOL ATHLETIC a.s.sOCIATION GAMES, MUSCATINE, MAY 25, 1895.

Event. Winner--5 points. Performance.

50-yard dash Horsburgh, T. 5-3/5 sec.

100-yard dash Holbrook, T. 11 "

120-yard hurdle Holbrook, T. 20-1/3 "

Mile run Morland, T. 5 m. 18 "

Half-mile bicycle Cole, C. 1 " 16 "

Half-mile run Demorest, M. 2 " 19 "

Half-mile walk Brunn, M. 4 " 12 "

220-yard hurdle Holbrook, T. 28-4/5 "

440-yard dash Demorest, M. 55-2/5 "

220-yard dash Holbrook, T. 24-4/5 "

Standing high kick Flournoy, C. 7 ft. 6 in.

Running high jump Flournoy, C. 5 " 3 "

Running hop, step, and jump Booth, I. C. 39 " 3 "

Baseball throw Halinan, C. 314 "

Putting 12-lb. shot Keister, C. 38 " 3 "

Standing broad jump Flournoy, C. 9 " 9-3/4 "

Pole-vault Flournoy, C. 9 " 3 "

Event. 2d--3 points. 3d--1 point.

50-yard dash Bannister, C. Holbrook, T.

100-yard dash Booth, I. C. Dean, M.

120-yard hurdle Horsburgh, T.

Mile run C. Hanley, M. J. Hanley, M.

Half-mile bicycle Riggs, I. C. Mahin, M.

Half-mile run Swisher, I. C. Morland, T.