The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (February 1898)

The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. CARELESSNESS OF DEALERS. To Mr, J. Hay Taylor, Editor. Deak Sir,—I was very glad to see the letter by Carradog in your last number of the Macic LantTERN Journat, for [ am of the opinion that carelessness is easily curable, and a alight touch up in this direction does good to dealers and others, en the principle that it is only one’s best friends who will point out one's faults. We all make mistakes at times, and why then should 8 dealer in lantern apparatus be considered infallible ; at the same time it is de:irable that the making of mistakes should be reduced to a minimum, and such can be easily remedied. For instance, in the case cited by your correspondent, it appeared that a cyclinder of gas and a key for same were ordered. It is presumable that in the rash of business a key was simply taken from the drawer, or other receptacle for euch, and at once attached to the neck of the cylinder, this perhaps would be all right if wear was not taken into consideration ; it would have been the work only of a moment for the assistant to have tried the key on the valve, and this I may say is very necessary. I have eeen hired cylinder keys used for many purposes for which they were never intended, such as a hammer. & wrench, etc., and with such rough treatment it is not to be supposed that the key will last long for the purpose for which it was originally intended, so I would suggest that even returned keys should be looked to by the dealer on their return, ere they are placed into stock. A share of blame rests with the correspondent spoken of also, for no good operator would take everything for granted; everything should be seen to be adapted to its surroundings, and the misfit of the key should have been found out long before the time of commencing the exhibition and the next best tool immediately obtained. Had Carradog been anything of a mechanic he could ; have inserted a narrow strip of brass or other metal in the key soas to make it better fit the spindle. I have no desire to hint that the correspondent alluded to was not a capable operator, but I will say that I know many persons who consider themselves capable operators, who usually make a hash of their exhibitions, and thia in spite of the apparatus being thoroughly reliable ; yet when the slightest trouble arises they at once look round to which part of the apparatus they can fasten the blame. Yours truly, A LANTERN OPERATOR. ETHER SATURATORS. To Mr, J. Hay Taylor, Editor. Dear Srr,—I had hoped that some more able exponent than myself would have taken up the cause of the saturator with reference to the letters in recent issues of your journal, I have no interest direct or indirect in anything to which I may refer, and am only an amateur lanternist, manipulating in our own town for various societies connected with the parish church, one of which owns the lantern used. Part of last season, and the whole of the present up-to-date, I have used the single : or large portion of a Lawson bi-unial saturator, and since October 1st have given 17 exhibitions, the pictures varying from 10 feet to 18 feet: distance from screen 20 feet to 60 feet, according to capacity of different rooms, and in every case the light bas been pronounced splendid and perfectly quiet-—so much so that a friend ' 7. T. Wing, R. H. Clark, and Graystone Bird. who witnessed an exhibition a few days ago, and who is interested in lantern work in the south, expressed his intention of advocating this system inpreference to the mixed jet (not blow-througb) which they now use. As the quantity of ether burnt varies slightly on different occasions, I have found the following idea most valuable :—Having determined by experiment when the saturator was quite full and would light evenly, I weighed it as charged, and on each succeeding occasion place the same weight (gross) on the scate; then pour in gently till balanced. This is a much more accurate system than measuring, although if preferred a measure may be used to pour from and the quantity known, but the weight must rule. If this is done, I do not see how apy misfortune can occur. With regard to Mr. Downe-Shaw's experience, the saturator might light up when level, but if at all overcharged, when tilted to focus, the surplus might flow back, and thus cause the light to vary. I append my name and address, so that the above may be verified if desired, and apologise for thus troubling ou. ‘ I am, dear Sir, Yours truly, 164, Catherine Street, JOHN HOLMES. Doncaster, ' January 15th, 1898, COMPLIMENTS AND COMPLAINTS FROM AUSTRALIA. To Mr. J. Hay Taylor, Editor. Dear S1r,—For several years I have been a subscriber to, and careful reader of your excellent magazine. I have found it most helpful in my work as honorary conductor of our lantern mission. It has brought ms fully ' ‘up-to-date’' in reference to all new developments, and made me feel myself in touch with fellow workers in the old country and elsewhere. I have also found your advertising columns very interesting and useful. Many of your advertisers are represented in my outfit, which, in addition to limelight apparatus and other things obtained locally, includes one of Hughes’ Pamphengos lanterns, Thorne & Hoddle’s Acetylene generator, and slides from Newton & Co., W. Tyler, Chatham Pexton, A. Underhill, All these have supplied me with goods excellent in quality and moderate in price. On two occasions, however, I have ' sent home money for slides with less happy results. ; About four years ago I sent a P.O. order for 10s. toa : Mr. ———— for some samples of film slides. After afew : months, finding the slides were not forthcoming, I sent aletter of enqniry, but have never received any an<wer vet, in the early part of the prevent year (1897) I sent a P.O. order for 24:. 3d. to a Mr. —— of ——_——., with an order for 12 slides at 1s. 6d. and two at 2s. each (the odd 2s. 3d. to cover postage). Findiog that the slides were not forthcoming I wrote (August 10th) a letter of enquiry. This should have been delivered in ———— about September 15th, but, although mails up to about October 22nd have now ceen delivered in Melbourne, I have received no reply. So, I suppose, I have to add the loss of this 24s. 3d. to the other 10s. that I sent. It seems a strange coincidence that these two mishaps should be in reference to orders to this one place, although to different persons. I cannot help wondering whether my losses are the result of neglect, or of dishonesty, or of some strange mischance. The fact, however, that in neither case have I received any reply