The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-05-13
A Story About Ears.

A strange and wonderful phenomenon
has just been brought to our Office in the
person of little Willie Lester, whose faith
er Is a well-to-do farmer on the Wea
Plains. Willie is only about ten
years old, unusually bright and intelli-
gent for his age, and has always been
remarkable in his neighborhood for his
wonderful ears. His right one is per-
fectly immense, being. we should Judge.
as large as palm-leaf fan, whilst the
other is no bigger than the ear of an or
dinary-sized wax doll. Until quite re-
Gently nothing unusual had ever been
noticed in his hearing, but lately he has
developed wonderful powers in that di-
rection. With his small ear he can hear
the faintest buzzing of the smallest bugs
and insects, and can even detect sounds
uttered by the minuteSt animalcula-so
small that they are not. even visible to
the naked eye. A fly running along a
window-pane, a caterpillar crawling
across sheet of paper, make sufficient
noise to attract his attention, even when
his back is turned. The sense Of hearing
is so acute in this ear that it is absolutely
painful to him, and he is compelled to
wear a cork in it at all times. The
right and large ear is quite the reverse
of its little companion in both its
powers and properties. To it those
minute and near sounds so plainly dis
cernable to the other are lost, but distant
noises are readily heard. Although re-
siding fifteen and a quarter miles from
any Acknowledgements being the near
est point-yet Willie can distinctly hear
the trains and mills blowing their whis-
ties, and can easily distinguish between
the engine bells and the city bells.
When the Wabash roundhouse blew up
some weeks since Willie felt the shock
as severely as though he had been in the
building itself. He had been unwell for
some days and was sleeping later than
usual that morning, and when the ex-
plosion occurred he sprang from the bed
with frightened scream, and, holding
his ear with both hands, stood for some
time trembling in the middle of the room.
On clear days he has often heard Sheriff
Taylor summoning witnesses from the
court house window. He distinctly
heard the noise of the mob at Kokomo
Monday night, which was very clear
night. Although unable to make out
what they were doing, yet he heard the
shouts ''Rope's down!' times upr'
and he heard poor Long sing "See That
My Grave Is Kept Green, the tune of
which Willie at once recognized, and in
low, sweet voice sang the accompani-
ment, it being quite familiar to him. He
can hear the coming of storm long be-
fore there are any signs of it in the air,
and even long before the weather bureau
gives notice of its approach. At sug-
gestion of a neighbor, Mr.. Lester had a
wire gauze lid with tin rim made to fiji
over Willie's ear. 1t consists of two
thicknesses of gauze, the outer one be-
ing of larger mesh than the inner one
between the two there is an intervening
thickness of loose flannel to soften
sounds. Willie wears it continually,
and this with the cork in the small ca,
has the effect of reducing his hearing to
a normal condition. Willie is a hand.
some, fair-faced, golden-haired little
man, exceedingly shy and timid, anC
any notice taken of him seems to b.
quite painful to the little fellow dfdy
cite (I,sd.) Courier. VIZ.