The Red Cloud chief., 1881-03-03

OS the night Of the fth d January .
policeman Was called TO rcaz tenement
at No~ts Roosevelt street where a man
w1s reporsd 10 be dyiag In aesti;usioa-
fe found 1emes Collins. . blind Bag,
gar. speeches and all bat inscoibIe'
from ~ant and exposure. s~hiseuag'
under u hop Of filthy rag.. in aroom'
without hse or food 4 wrinkIsN old
woman. who covered beside him, wxs
nearly stone deaf -. well as blind The
sole means Of communicates with the
life about them which the coupie tc-
scssed was creature about ~ miserable
n themselves. a womzn. bcnf. n1ygsrd
and halt wiited- As the old man va.
sppsrenty dyuaG a. ambulance Hss
t~eiegrspAed 6s SAd b. ss scos Ar~x-
alSto-aAS-GAARahsxA Street. UasplA.
where he lay three days before he
showed any sEn- OF recovcrn In due
season he Mas transferred to The Charity
Hospital on Blackwefrs island. where
he lies n presai. slowly railying. lis
age Was asorztaised by the police to BE-
about siaty-hye year. The wcma
whom he called his wife was left in the
den in Roosevelt street. lint hsr wants
have since been supplied by charity. Z
Some remarks which were made in
the neighborhood. and also BY the Old
man when he begsn To q aroused
q curious inquir,, which has now led tn
The revelation Of facts in his history
which are well vouchcd for. IL j. SAIL
that James Collins. then vigorous snd
ciear-sighted. came Ia this country ircm
ireland nifty year, ago or more and
fou nd n home in the South. where he
made his way by intelligent industry.
Having accumulated \ little espiiai. &c
engaged in the construction Of the Hal
timore 4 Ohio Road rs n o~ontractos
for bridges and stone work. lie accu-
mulated n fortune rapidly. and con-
tracted for the work 81 whole sections
Of the road in the south ami West
Michael Riordan, a liquor dealer in
Roosevelt Street, who in those days was
working in Western Virginia, remem
bers Nj. Collins well As a handsome.
tall man. ~gailopiny about TO his gangs
of workmen on n Tine horse and es-
teemed in all the State as = wealthy
and prosperous Mr.. Collins
wife and two grown sons then lived In
Baltimore in handsome style. A. the
railrVad wa extended westward.
Collins followed, and the scene OF his
labors changed from Virginia To Penn
sylvania, Ohio and adjoining States.
In the height Of his prosperity the civil
war broke ont. Collins sympaihies
were with the South, where his home
n His SON joined the rebel army
and were both killed in battle. Their
mother soon died, and James Collins
was nearly ruined by the war in for
tune. Attempting 10 re-esiablish him.
self, he accepted r contract for the
erection of some monumental stone
work ut White Sulphur Springs. Viz
ginia. While engaged in superintend-
ing the work n premature explosion or
similar accident threw u quantity Of
granite chips into his face and injured
his eyes to such an extent that he had
to abandon active work and seek sur
gieal aid in Philadelphia After years
of suffering, during which he spent al
most all Of the little he owned. in vain
efforts to obtain relief he became hope
lessly blind. Thus a wreck physically
and mentally he drifted 10 this city,
and here sank into poverty and wretch
edness. He fell in with u band Of pro-
fessional beggars, and became the hus-
band of the blind and deaf old woman
with whom he was found.-N. ]. Eren-
ing Post.