Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-08-19
Blind but Energetic.
POOR NEW ENGLAND Doy BECOMES RICH FAR,

POOR NEW ENGLAND DoY BECOMES A RICH FARM
En-.
A correspondent writes from Salem. Knox
county, H., an interesting account Of success
full blind farmer, which we condense in tho fol-
lowing paragraphs
Perhaps may tell story not devoid OF in
terest to the general reader, and which may fur
niah some incentive to the young man who was
not born with gold spoon in his mouth, and
may suggest to him that, in possession Of health
and yigor and all his faculties, he ought not to
repine or despair Of success. A few decades
ago my subject was born Of Quaker parentage in
the Champain Valley, with but little heritage
other than good name.
Like most Of the New. England boys, he set
to work, and then sowing lot Of wild oats with
tls tame ones, but every year winnowiDg the
harvest little closer. and slowly but steadily
garnering the genuine article. But Just az he
was getting ready to accomplish something he
was suddenly stricken blind. But the Yankee
boy would not give up. The question Of .-
cense" or mo license" was then before the peo-
pie OF New England. The proposition was to be-
voted upon, and meetings we're held in every
town and almost every fchool district to interest
the voters and bring them out to the polls
Our subject saw, or thought he saw, an open.
ing in the cloud He knew he could talk, for he
had talked longer than he could remember. He
had read OF Brnces spider, and how Colonel
Miller took the British battery, and he resolved
to try. A boy drove his concord" III he thread
cd the valleys and climbed the mountains of the
Puritan land for two or three years. The blind
lecturer was y success. 1t paid. Silver was
about. In time tho excitement died away in the
East, or rather drifted West. His services were
sought for in New York, Ohio and Indiana, and
finally on to the Mississippi, and he plodde,l
westward with the current
Before leaving, however, he married an intelli-
gent aud estimsble girl. presume he got tired
of talking with that hey, and then the girl had
grown up right near his fathers house he knew
just how she looked and he liked her and she
liked him, and they had been engaged from
childhood and she was q conscientious girl. So
they got married, and both Of them have been
glad OF it ever since. The blind lecturer and his
wife came West, and through the State mentions
ed he lectured and throughout many OF the
Western States. His wife drove the carriage
every mile from Vermont to the Mississippi
river.
A few wears later in 1S49, our young man,
whom We will call Mervin II. Pease, purchased
land in this township, and built thereon dwell.
He has fenced, and has under his personal
supervision, over 600 acres Of the best quality
OF land, and all but some pasture IL under /
high state Of cultivation. Practically there ID
not an acre that cannot DO plowed. Near the
buildings are fine groves OF maple and box
elder, which have been raised from the seed
where they stand. Adjacent il an orchard Of
about 1000 apple trees which were planted
eighteen Or twenty years ago.
or stock Mr.. Pease has 30 horses, 100 head OF
cattle and 45O hogs. To feed these and other
human and humble animals lie has growing 26O
acres Of corn, which must shell out 10000 BUSH
els; SO acres Of oats; Is Of wheat potatoes,
vegetables, etc. On his farm are timber, rum
ming water and coal. He has all tho necessary
convenlences for the economical management
of his business All the utensils which are re-
qnired are supplied. Dir. Pesse superintends
all his business in person, buys and sells what
ever is to be bought or sold. 1t has not trans
PRED that he has never been badly cheated.
The loss Of sight makes the other senses
acute. His ears serve good purpose. About
the close OF the war he had . few Thousand BUSH
els Of barley on hand. Being in the tele-
graph Office one day, he heard message from
Chicago clicking through, and his trained car
told him 1t was q good time to sell. 80 he
stepped into grainbroker's over the way, and
sold him the barley for 50 10 per bushel. The
next day the papers came along and showed .
decline Of rs cents on the bushel. The purcha-
ser was sore, and wanted Pease to give him q
chance once more, 80 he could make up the loss.
This Pesse agreed to do, and soon after sold him
large lot Of hogs for 80 so per hundred, which
the broker worked of at = loss Of 81 on each
hundred Mounds