The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-12-09
Ny First Contribution and What Came
Of it,

From the Missionary Record.
Moses Campbell, of WhitevilIe,
Hardenran county, IS cousin TO the F.
J. Campbell mentioned below.-Eli-
tor.
From my earliest recollection I was
in the habit of going once a year to
the camp meeting at Goshen, in Frank
lin county, Tenn. and remaining from
Friday to Tuesday. 1t was the Gus
tom Of my father on my starting to
the camp-meeting to give me twenty
five cents, and that was all the money
I had for whole year / WIS allowed
to spend it for cakes, or candy, or ust
whatever pleased,
at one of these camP-ineetfngs, when
l was very small boy, say nine years
old, preacher arose in the pulpit and
stated that Mrs. John Bell, the wife
of the man who WAS afterwards a can
didate for the Presidency of the United
States, and some other good women,
had estabhsIl,d Il an asylum for the
blind at Nashville, Tenn. and bad
one pupil For their second pupil
they proposed to take blind boy,
whose parents lived in cave in the
| Cumberland mountain, II few miles
from the camp-ground. a cOntribu-
ton was asked from the people TO en-
able the parents to buy the ttle UNI
fortunate boy clothes SO that he could
be sent TO the asylum.
As l was a very small boy anti had
never been asked to contribute to
anything, 1 supposed [ would not bl
asked this time But the collector
did come to me this time, standing nj
the outskirts of the congregation. ]
had spent six and. quarter cents. Il
was my first contribution to religion OF
charity; the first time l had ever been
asked to give.
This took place in 1910, or about
that time. I have watched the his
tory of that little blind boy and God:
dealings with him from that day tt
this.
Mrs. John Bell is dead and il
heaven. She did many good things
but none better nor more profitable
to mankind than when she found Thu
little blind boy III the Obscurity, and
I may say, poverty of the mountains
and took him to the asylum.
"Fun many a gem OF purest ray serene,
The deep unfuhomed caves of oceal
bear,
Full many flower is born to blush unseen
And waste its Eweetncss on the deser
air"
But not so with this little blind boy
He became eminent for musical talen
and as a teacher of the blind. / cal
not give details here. He arose from
one position of usefulness to another
until now he is in the city of LondO
at the head of q very large and pro,
t porous institution for the blind ha
I the favor of the mobiles and especial
7 of the Queen; and hazard nothing
think, when l say that he is doin
more for the education and improv,
| ment of the blind of this age than an
] man now on earth.
The last news l have of him is tn
! following clipped from Frank Leslie
) illustrated newspaper:
!, Mr.F.A. Campbell, the blind man VII
i recently nscended Mt Blanc, is not an EI
/ glishman, a. has been stated, but native
Tennessee. He lost his sight when abol
three years old, Was educated in the inst
tuition Of his native State, and for numb,
of years was at the head of the musical
r partment of the Perkins Institution for Il
Blind in South Boston. Eleven wears az
he went to Germany to perfect himself
=, music, where he renamed a couple of year
I On his wav home he stopped In England
- visit the schools for the blind in that cOu
s trv. lie found them much inferior TO OF
n own. lie was fortunate enough to nal
the acquaintance of influential people, vi
were interested in the higher education
this unfortunate class. These friends II
only listened to Air. CampbclP3 views, b
,e cordially aided him in opening 4 scho
according to his plans. This institution
the Royal Normal College ana Academy
! Music for the Blind-alinnl.gh so young
now permanently established AMI in a fou
Il ishing condition. 4 has the patronage
D the Queen a,.,i others OF the royal fami
4 and r'..ny of the nobility. The Duke
- Westminster is its president 1t has be
? under MIR. Campbeil's management frC
the first, and to him is due It's Temarkal
Success He is a man of wonderful enerl
and his summers feat, the ascent of \
~ Blanc, is characteristic Of the man.
school is at Upper Norwood, near Sydenhi
and the Crystal Palace, and it would W
:. repay any American Waiting London
III make it 4 visit.
And the following from the NJ
Or Y ork Independent:
le +. ]. Campbell, blind man, gives in I
,d ! London Times the following dcs, ripton
his ascent OF Mt. Blanc: my ascent of
le Blanc WAS not sudden, reckless und
th taking 1t was the result of a eXed p
2 pose, and only undertaken after a long a
Vi careful preparation. In order To carry
is my work on behalf of the blind, 10 v
81 Necessary to keep up my pluck, energy a
30 determination. Skating, swimming, rC
he ing, riding, have all contributed their sh
- 70 this end but last year | went to SwiIz
land to try mountain climbing. The
pertinent was highly succeEsful. This v
| went again, accompanied by my vi
~ son, and his IIighness Prince Alexan
- George of HeHse After four weeks C
nj tinuous work on the glaciers and vari
~ mountain ascents, l went~tO Glamour
and, without difficulty, achieved the ebj
ey of my summers excursion. In comp;
nm with my son, with Benoit as MY lead
, guide, l attacked Mt. Blame. At first
ne guides expected to drng me up; but l g
~ them their choice to leave me climb in
,,r 4sf, tho t1pdt4rfo L