The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-07-27

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round. HIS features werc constantly
agitated by some apparently joyful
thought or inspiration. Sometimes he
would rub his hands together with TIN
mistakable ccstacy. No one can gaze
at him for two or three minutes with
out being perfectly convinced that he
is incapable of doing this or any part
of it, for effect. The cleverest actor in
the world would fail to initiate his
strange gestures and the workings Of
his face. He sang at the request of
Mr.. Howard, the agent of Mr.. Bethune
pa verse from Crock me to sleep, moth.
er," and also one from the "Star Span
gled Banncr," but relapsed immediate
ly into his fantastic genu- Elections. AS
he sang his chin quivered with excite
ment, and occasionally a thrill seemed
to ripple over him from head to foot.
He sang with great feeling, but we
observed that in the stanza from "Rock
me to Sleep" he introduced many ca
dences of his own, which were all good,
some of them oven beautiful His
voice is almost low enough for a bass.
This strange creature was born near
Columbus, Georgia, in June, 1919, of
slave parents belonging to Mr.. Be-
thune. Before he was four years old, it
was observed that he was thrown into
apparent ecstacies by the striking of u
large clock in the planters house, and
hisnotion of time was so correct, that
invariably, q few minutes before the
clock struck, he was always to be
found lear at hand, with a look of ex
pectant beatitude on his face. When
he was FIVE years old, Mr.. Terhuno
presented his daughters with piano
From the moment Tom heard a chord
struck, he seemed literally bewitchcd.
To please him, one day he was placed
at the instrument and by some nys-
terious inspiration he struck fragments
Of harmony the moment his fingers
rested on the, keys. His little body,
clad in coarse single garment, trem-
blcd violently with passionate excite
ment He received no tuition what
ever, and now knows nothing ofmusic
as science. His ear.is his only guide,
and is preturnaturally acute. ...
His parents are ull-blooded Afri-
cans, and have t,eenty other children,
about whom nothing remarkable has
ever been discovered. His mother is
said to be very sensitive woman, and
his father a pattern of honesty, but
there is nothing in their appearance or
history to account for the strange mu-
steal gifts of this boy. Aside from
music he is almost an idiot. He is in
capable of protracted conversation or
any species of reasoning. He has an
aversion for females, and dislikes 10
hear them at the piano. When intro
duccd to a gentleman, his first ques-
ton is, care you stranger?" to which
as might be supposed, he general re-
ceivos an affirmative reply. His health
has always been good, and his form
now is muscular and well developed
for boy Of sixteen, The violent
gymnastics he INDUCES in, no doubt,
have contributed to make him so. lie
is very tractible and obodicnt. Occa-
sionally he has been known to wander
off, in one Of his remarkable concep.
tions in the concert room, but these in
stances are rare. He appears gener-
ally to appreciate tho Importance OF
stcadying himself while giving pub
lie entertainment.
Blind Tom was never in the free
States before he reached New Albany
!. last week, except one brief visit to
New York City He was exhibited at
Covington, Kentucky, the day Sumter
was fired on, under the auspices OF a
Mr.. Oliver, who had engaged him from
Mr.. Tcrhunc. We remember that o.
! iver came into our Office the day after
the fall of Sumter, and called for his
bills, with a considerable display of
! temper. When asked why he did not
; continue his concerts rs he had an
nouncCd, "Uo was wanted down
] South" he said, and he left Coving-
ton in high dudgeon with all Yankee
dom. During the war Tom was cx,
hibited few times in sections of
Georgia and Alabama, and once in
2 Charleston.
Tabbs Gross, the applicant for the
| guardianship of the boy, is resident
: Of this city, and is also remarkable
s African Of the full. .blooded persuasion.
r lie was born in Maryland, and was
:, brought to Mason county, Kentucky
n where he bought himself. Soon after
4 acquiring his freedom, he purchased
4 a cast-asidc panorama of "Uncle Tom S
}, Cabin" which he took 70 London and
G exhibited. AccumulatiDg a handsome
j.. amount of money in this way, he re-
l. turned to this city, and has been re-
= marked for his enterprise and shrewd-
ness. About two years ago he con
n ceived the idea of buying Blind Tom
# and his parents, and bringing them
c North, with the object of giving con.
certs. With great difficulty he made
h his way through the lines of both ar.
4 mics, and Macon, where he had an in.
o terview with Mr.. Bethunc, Toms
!, owner Mr.. Bethune asked twenty
}, thousand dollars in gold, for half
Q interest in the boy, for five years, q
q sum which Gross was not prepared tc
Y give, and accordingly he was returned
!, North by way of West Virginia .-
o Since the surrender Of Lees army, ht
t made another trip to Georgia, with the
# same object in view, He succeeded in
n settling the preliminaries with MIR
r Terhune, and arranging the terms o
tho contract but, on arriving at Lou