The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1859-06-10
What a Blind Man Can Accom- piish.

What a Blind Man Can Accomplish.
The Springfield Republican give
the following account of the triumph
of blind genius now living in Lud
low, Massachusetts, but who ha
spent a portion Of his life in Ohio:
He is a young man, twenty lou
years Of age, who has been blint
since he was two years old, aud VIII,
does not remember that he ever saw
The circumstances which attended
the loss OF his vision are almost tot
horrible for belief, yet we have nc
reason to doubt them as they have
been related to US. His widowed
mother married drunkard, and thi,
step.father conceiving a spite agains
the child, undertook, when intoSi
Gated, to put his eyes out. Going
further in his diabolical purpose, h,
was about to thrust a red hot pokel
down his throat, when the frightened
and desperate mother interfered and
prevented it. The child was ther
thrown down cellar, where he lay
all night, taking a cold which 80 fal
aggravated the succeeding inaam.
nation Of the eyes, that the sclerotic
coat OF each was hurt. OF all this,
he has no memory, and blessed
thing it is for him. At nine years
Of age, he lost his mother, and in
that loss became perfectly friendless.
From that day to this. he has mainly
taken care OF himself, and now, al.
though cheated by rascally agents.
and laboring under every possible
disadvantage, has money at interest.
Now let us see what this man has
done. He is a mechanic, and knows
every part OF a steam engine as we'll
as il lie could see He is an en-
gineer, and has not only had charge
of stationary engines, but has run as
an engineer on the Mad River Rail-
road in Ohio. OF course he ran
with a look ont, and between this
look. out and himself hc had arranged
a series of authorizations OF language,
so that he could learn from him the
position Of any Object on the track
instantaneously. He was Engineer,
let it be remembered, OF passenger
train! What is moro remarkable
than all is + at he has made beau
.tiul little steam engine with his own
hands, so small that he can carry
the whole of it in his pocket, and
get up steam at pleasure. This might
well be considered accomplishment
enough for one blind man, bpt this
ia but a beginning.
He has great genius for music,
aud posecssrs u vuiCc which, tn uauy
characteristics. ia. without doubt, the
most wonderful voice in the world
On Tuesday evening of the present
week he was invited to a private
house in this city, to give an exhib
ition OF his musical abilities, and a
iew musical men and women were
invited in to hear him, all OF whom
will bear testimony to their aston
.ishment and delight We suppose
that all musical people will shrug
their shoulders with incredulity when
we tell them that his voice has the
compass OF five octaves, yet such ia
the fact that he demonstrated to this
company. OF course, the lowest
notes arc gntteral, and the highest
falsetto; but the falsetto notes are
pleasant and good, and the gutterals
true tones. and ne musical as such
tones can be. We are not sufficient.
'ly versed in masioal t.r,ns To toll
wha. his lowest note is, but it ia the
lowest note in the piano, arranged
upon the usual scale-or trill. G.,
C, as he calls it. His chest tore.
are excellent, and although Carl
Formes may have more power, his
quality is no better, while in his
lower notes he goes down "out Of
sight Of Carl Formes altogether. -
We can give no idea OF this voice by
any comparison, for we have never
heard a voice with which to compare
it.
OF course, with such a voice as
this, the owner is tempted to try
tricks. The moet interesting OF thest
was the application Of it to sever
purposes. He began by singing, il
a delicate soprano, the first lines o
cot in the silly night" then, as h,
proceeded, he slid into the alto, ther
into the tenor, then into the base
and then into the "double base" al
octave below. This finished tn
tune, when he rose, and, turniUg hi
, back to the audience, executed SOM
most excellent ieats Of ventriloquism
and wound off by initiating an ol,
i fashioned spinning wheel 80 perfect
ly that the assembly was thrown in
i to roars of laughter. lie usual
. accompanies himself with a melo
deon, to which he has added sweI
y Of his own invention that produce
all the effects of the swell in the OF
- gan. One of the most delightful {
his performances was a solo on til
i cornet, he playing it with one hant
5 and accompanying himself on tn
d piano with the other. Upon this in
strumeut, and in this way, he play
, ed q few airs with great sweetnes
}, and taste, and executed some yer
s difficult variations.
3 This instrument itself has bee
the subject Of his improving hant
but in what respect we do not know
is Added to all this, he plays the quits
and other instruments, and is a leat
La. nd Toa aha. of hanla IL aaa.