Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-12
What the Blind Can Do.

IL his father passionate fondness TOR Natur
lc History He applied himself with such d.
:, votion to the study OF his favorite science
II tasking his eyes by lamp-light, and even
n the dim moonlight, that, at the age of 15, h
was taken to Paris to learn from the mos
J skiliul oculist whether his weakened visio
I could ever be restored. Remedies were at
+, vised. but the gradual darkening of the sigh
u continued until total blindness closed i
5 upon the youth. lie had previously plighte
c his troth with an amiable girl, Marie Aime
t Lulin. the daughter of a SyndIc of the Can
n ton of Geneva and, when this terrible cal
. amitv overlook him, her father wished to an
, nul the engagement. But the faithful Mari
clung to her lover. and, when she had at
tained her majority, married him without tn
consent of her parents, who afterwards for
gave her
While in possessinn of his sight, Hube
had been engaged in studying the habits o
; bees and after its loss, he resolved to con
, tinue his observations He trained his Ser
: want Francis Bernan, to act as his assistant
and. with the help of his devoted wife, went
ON successfully with the beloved pursuit
Under the direction of his master Bernan
investigated every circumstance connected
with the history of the bee, accurately noting
incidents and reporting the details of his oh.
seryation. BY this mans agency, veritably
looking through his borrowed eyes, Huber
made multitude of discoveries relating to
the structure and economy of this interest
ing insect, probably all that
has been learned before or since on the sub
ject.
Another remarkable instance of high
achievement under the disability Of blind
ness is afforded in the life of Nicholas Saun-
derson, who in I'LL was appointed Lucasian
| Professor of Mathematics III the University
OF Cambridge. and flied the position with
distinguished honor. In Prof, Saunderson's S
case, blindness was produced by an attack of
smallpox, in 1883, when he was but a year
old lie received classical education, and,
| eyincing strong prediction for Mathe-
matcs, was instructed in the different
branches by means OF ingenious mechanical
contrivances. WheL only -, he gave with
| great applause n course of lectures at Chrst's
College, Cambridge, in the Newtonian phil
osophy- giving especial prominence to New
| tons theory Of optics. He was allowed
chamber at the college and free use of the
library and, four years later, by the recon-
menda.ion of Newton, was installed in the
Chair of Mathematics. In l72S he was
created Doctor of Laws by George H., and in
1876 was admitted Fellow of the Royal
Society HIS death occurred in 1888 and
in the following year appeared 4 valuable
treatise by him on Algebra, and another on
FluXious.
\ scion of the illustrious Bacon family,
DR.. Nicholas Bacon, attained emnence In
the practice of Law. although deprived of the
advantage of sight. His eyes were put out
by an arrow from crossbow while he was a
child OF 3 years, but this ailliction did not
mean to him the extinction or obscurity of
his liie-carcer. He had been intended for
the legal profession. and, after his blindness,
he pursued his studies, says straightfor-
ward writer. 'just as though nothing had
happened, = the single exception being that
books y, IL read To him instead of his reading
them himself" He stood high in his classes
at school AID college, and in due time gradu-
aIej in the Law Department of the Univer-
sity of Brussels. lie practiced as an adyo-
cate in the Council of Brabant, and was ex-
c.it;onnlly successful in establishing the
causes of his clients DIR. Nicholas was a con-
temporary of Sir Nicholas Bacon, tlourishing
in the Sixteenth Century.
\ ,,unl case that may be cited of dis
tinction gained at the bar by one blind from
childhood is that of Sir John Fielding the
half-brother of the novelist. Henry Fielding,
and his successor in l75i as Justice of Mid |
dlesex so efficient was this skillul and up |
right practitioner in the duties OF his posi- |
tion that in 17Gl he was appointed Chief |
Magistrate of the Kingdom and accorded the |
honor OF Knighthocd His acuteness and |
sagacity in detecting and punishing crime |
were so extraordinary that he was called |
''Ilind Fielding. the Thief-Catcher,f and, in
all difficult cases presented III the Metropolis, |
was consulted by his brolher-Justices. Sir
John WAS an active philanthropist, and in
lIjS founded the Female Orphan Asylum,
Westminster Road, Lambeth. lie had un-
common gifts as q conversationist, and WIS an
able and voluminous author. lis death in
~ / L., =.
he adorned, and to the society in which he
moved.
Vt the same time that Sir John Fielding
was so capably occupying the place of Chief
Magistrate in London, Dir John Stanley was
corresponding repute in the pro-
fession of Music. The career of this noted
and composer extended from 11l3
to 1856. Blindness befell him by an accident
when he was two years old, and, with the
simple idea of furnishing the child with
he was put to the study of the
organ at seven. At eleven years of age his
proficiency admitted of his appointment as
organist at the Church OF All Hallovs, Bread
street and at thirteen he was elected organ
list Of st. Andrews, Holborn, over many
At tweLty-one he was chosen
by the benchers of the Honorable society of
the Inner Temple one of their organists,
and to the close of his life he retained the
position at the Temple Church and also at st.
Andrews. He was n skilful performer on
he flute and violin, and for ten successive
years conducted the oratorios given at Co.
vent Garden Theatre. He was likewise for
many years Master of the Kings Band.
In the midst of his own brilliant career Dr.
Stanley met and hecane deeply interested in
Joseph Strong, man nineteen years his
unior, and, like himself bereit of sight, Vet
bounding in energy and talent. Since the
lge of four Mr.. Strong had been disabled by
and the misfortune had not in any
legree been repaired by education. Still by
he inspiration OF genius. he had in his boy
hood begun the Manufacture of musical in
'truments. 4 violin, flute, harp, and haut-
boy were first constructed, and then his am
)ition extended to the building of an organ.
The enterrrising youth managed, when he
iad grown to be II. to get locked up one day
.lone in the Carlisle Cathedral lie then
ound his way to the organ, and began
thorough examination of Its entire structure. |
After learning 10y II sensitive touch the mr.
Of the interior, he filled the iu-
,trument with wind aud began to test tie
stops. Time had now passed on until mid
light, and the sounds the youth made in
pressing the keys aroused and startled the
leighborhood. Some pushed their way into 1
he cathedral, and there found the blind boy
|
ion of the mystery Of organ making. 1t is
,ratlfying to know that the Dean OF the
Iathedral allowed him thenceforth to visit
he organ whenever lie wished, and the youth
,oon completed miniature copy of the great
instrument. After building Lsuyerl organs, !
he manufactured weaver 5 loom, with varI- |
Ius other intricate and smoothly operating |
machines. Mr.. Strong was born near Car
isle IN 1882, and there spent an active and
Useful life, which lasted sINty-iiye years.
The world owes to Field Marshal Count de
Pazan the foundation Of the modern science
Of Fertilization and also the earliest sugges-
ion of the advantages of vertical firing.
This distinguished scholar and soldier had
ong performed brilliant service in the army
n France, when, at the age of3S, he became
olaly blind. Cut off from an active career
II tho field. he turned his attention to the
cience Of Warfare, and IN 1913 published n
Treatise on the Art OF Fertilization This
vas followed by "Ccometrical Thourems,'
nd by several important works OH Astrono- I
ny, which proved that his acquisitions III I
he department of Mathematics matched t
hose in the province Of Engineering. lie ,
ived to be 81, terminatInga singularly esti-
nable career in 1865.
But, in all the long list Of persons who 4
AVE. 10y the exercise of their remaining !
'owers, earned signal triumph over the
Misfortune of blindness, there Is no record :
n"re interesting than that OF Joseph Met
AT the English builder and contractor. In {
Ia, instance, loss OF sight cnsued upon an
tack of smallpox when the patient was six 4
ears old. The boy WAS active, self-relIant, [
nd courageous. and i'll his youth joined in I
he amuSememts and sports of his compau- ,
pns rs though sight wero not missing lie c
walked and rode horseback about the town ,
md country alone, went blrds-nestinE, swim I
niug, and even hunting. with the same free v
lom aud ENJOY ymcnt as dId other lads OF his Il
gc II" learned to play the violin. aud for a
time relied upon his use OF the instrument q
pr his support. lie became, also. an excel I
"nt performer upon the hautboy. After Lis u
marriage he adopted several different callings Il
IA succession. pursuing each with success, a
nd passing from one To another III accord "
nee with the deiuunl of circumstances T.