Worcester daily spy., 1859-10-15

REV. WIN. HENRY MILBURS author of Rifle
Axe, and Saddle Bags, and Ten Years of
Preachership from an autobiography, was born
In Philadelphia in 1923, consequently is now
80 years Of age. At the age of 5, while play
ing with some other boys, a lad of about his
own age threw piece Of glass or oyster shell
which entered his left eye and laid open the
ball just below the pupil, causing the most in
tense agony and pain, followed by days and
weeks Of silence, wherever he lay, with BAN
daged eyes upon his little couch, in chamber
without light. AT last the doctor said the
wound had healed and all that was needed to
restore the sight was the removal of the scar
with caustic. The caustic was applied and
the light went out Of it forever inflammation
set in and extended to the other, and then fol-
lowed two years more of close confinement
After recovering from this last stroke it was
only to find the left eye gone altogether, and
after the rayages of inflammation the right
retained the smallest possible transparent spot
not much larger than pins point in the corner
of the pupil through which the light might
entur.
In his Ten Years of Preacher Life, he saws,
10 make the fraction Of an eye available it
was necessary to use shade above the eve,
and place the middle finger of the right hand
beneath 1t; thus forming a sort Of artificial
pupil, allowing only the due quantity of light
to enter. BY this means l was enabled little
for fifteen Or twenty years, in strong daylight,
holding the book close to the eye, and bring,
ing every letter to the precise spot on which
the sight was fixed"
In 1887, the elder Milburn with his family
emigrated to Jacksonville Morgan county,
Illinois. After four or five years patient stu
dy, William entered the Illinois College
Two years hard study SO impaired his health
that the physicians ordered him to leave col
lege, give up his books, mount horse, and
take as much exercise as possible. He accord
lngly left college and entered the ministry as
an ltlnerant After preaching two or three
years, he was appointed an agent by the Him
ols conference to come east and collect funds
Tor female seminary. Accepting the appoint
ment he proceeded to Cincinnati, from thence
up the Ohio river to Wheeling, on the steamer
Hibernia. Among the passengers on the boat
were several congressman, members of both
houses on their way to Washington. To use
his own language he says, 81 cannot say how
much was shocked nor how indignant l be-
came at discovering that not few of these re-
presentations of the sovereign people of the
United States, swore outrageously, played
cards day and night, and drank villainous
whisky to excess" Sunday morning arriv-
ed, we were eighty miles below Wheeling and
there was no place to land where we could
spend the Sabbath"
"A committee waited on me to know if
would preach to them, never did say yes
more gladly, for never in my life had been
so anxious to speak my mind" AT the close
OF the services a purse Of nearly one hundred
dollars was presented to him by these same
members of Congress, with a request that his
name might be proposed as the next chaplain
of Congress. After due reflection he consent
ed that it might be used. He was soon after
elected, and entered upon his duties at the age
OF Y years, the youngest chaplain that ever
served in the Congress of the United States
MIR. Milburn's health failing after he left Wash
lngton his physician advised him to go south,
which he did and settled in Mobile. After
preaching there several years he sailed for
Europe after visiting many cities in the con-
tlnent he returned and settled in Brooklyn,
N. T., where he resides at the present time.
Mr.. Milburn has wide reputation as an ex-
tempore speaker While in Europe he won
many friends; and in this country, he has
friends and admirers everywhere **