picture newspaper," is all set down in the first book.
The perils of taking views in a great city, at fires, elevated railroad accidents, burning vessels, of divers at work, in making educational films—all this is told.
Eventually, while making scenes at a thrilling balloon ascension, Joe and Blake discovered the reckless autoist and gave chase in a car. They caught him, too, and got the reward, with which they purchased some moving picture cameras, and went into business on their own account. They made films to order, and were often employed by Mr. Hadley or by Mr. Ringold, head of the Film Theatrical Company.
This company consisted of a number of actors and actresses who were engaged to enact various sorts of plays and dramas before the camera.
Among them was Henry Robertson, who did "juvenile leads"; Harris Levinberg, the "villain"; Miss Nellie Shay, the leading lady, and Miss Birdie Lee, who did girls' parts. Last, but not least, was Christopher Cutler Piper—known variously as "C. C." or "Gloomy." He preferred to be called just C. C., not liking his two first names, but he was so often looking on the dark side of life, and predicting direful happenings that never came to pass, that he was often dubbed "Gloomy."