Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-05-25
STORY ABOUT EARS.

Romnncs-The Wonderful Ears or an In
dian Boy.
The Lafayette Gnd.) Courier has
this curious story: A strange
and wonderful phenomenon has been
brought to our Office In the
person Of little Willie Lester, whose
father is weIl-to-do farmer on the Wea
Plains. Willie il only about ten yeara
old, unusually bright and intelligent
for his age, and has always been re-
markable in his neighborhocd for his
wonderful ears. His right one is per-
fectly immense, being, we should Judge,
as large as palm-leaf fan, while the
other is no bigger than the ear Of an
ordinary sized wax doll. Until quite
recently nothing unusual had ever been
noticed in his hearing, but lately he
has developed wonderful powers in that
direction. With his small ear he cani
hear the faintest buzzing Of the small
est bugs and insects, and can even de-
tect sounds uttered by the minutest
animalcul@ so small that they are NOT
even visible to the naked eye. "A fly
running along a window-pane, a cater
pillar crawling across sheet Of paper,
makes sufficient noise to attract his at.
tention, 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 cork in
il at all times. The right and large
ear is quite the reverse OF its little COM
panion in both its powers and proper
ties. To it those minute and near
sounds 50 plainly discernible to the
other are lost, but distant neises are
readily heard. Although residing fif-
teen and a quarter miles from any rail-
road-Lafayette being the nearest
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
thsn usual that morning, and when the
explosion occurred he sprang from the
hnI wuskh n e-sr1+o~m1 rn~nnx~. nwI
holding his ear with both hands, stood
for some time trembling in the middle
of the room. On clear days he has oft
en- heard Sheriff Taylor summoning
witnesses from the court house window.
He distinctly heard the noise Of tho
mob at Kokomo on Monday night,
which was very clear night. Although
unable to make out what they werd
doing, yet he heard the shouts "Rope's
down r. "Time's upl" and heard poor
Long sing ''See That Ny Grave is
Kept Green" the tune of which Willie
at once recognized, and In low, sweet
voice sang the accompaniment, it being
quite familiar to him. He can hear the
coming Of storm long before there
are any signs Of it in the air. and even
long before the weather bureau gives
notice OF its approach. At the sugges-
ton OF neighbor, Mr.. Lester had q
wire-gauze lid with tin rim made to
!
fit over WiIlie'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 ear
has the effect Of reducing his hearing
to normal condition. Willie il hand
some, fair-faced, golden-haired little
man, exceedingly shy and timid, and
any notice taken Of him seems to be
quite painful to the little fellow.