The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-04-20
A GOOD LISTENER.
The Wonderful Auriculars of Small In-
diana Boy.

diana Boy.
From the Lafayette Courier
A strange and wonderful phenomenon has
lust been brought to our Office, in the person
of little Willie Lester, whose father is we'll
to-do-farmer on the Wea plains. Willie is
only about ten years old, unusually bright
and intelligent of his age, and has always
been remarkable in his neighborhood for his
wonderful ears. His right one is perfectly
immense, being, we would judge, as large as
palm-lea fan, whilst the other is no bigger
than the ear of an ordinarysixed waxdoll.
Until quite recently nothing unusual had
ever been noticed in his hearing, but lately
he has developed wonderfully powers in that
direction. With his small ear he can hear the
faintest buzzng OF the smallest bugs and in
sects, and can even detect sounds uttered by
the mintuest animalCulr-so small that they
are not even visible to the naked eye. fly
running along window-pane, caterpillar
crawling across sheet of paper, make sulii
Gent 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 cork in it at
all times The right and large ear is quite the
reverse Gifts little companion in both its pow
ers and properties. To it these minute and
near SOUNDS SD pdilluiI} ulSCCIuaDle 10 tne
others are lost, but distant noises are readily
heard. Although residing fifteen and quar-
ter miles from any railroad-I.afavetteb being
the nearest point-yet Willie can distinctly
hear the trains and mills blowing their wills
ties. and can easily distinguish between the
engine bells and the city bells When the
Wabash round-house blew up some weeks
since Willie felt the shock as severely as
though he had been in the building itself
lie had been unwell for some days and was
sleeping later than usual that morning, and
when the explosion occurred he sprang from
the bed with frightened scream and holding
his ear with both hands stood for tile time
trembling in the middle of the room. On
clear days he has often heard Sheriff Taylor
summoning witnesses from the Courthouse
window. lie 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 up" and
heard poor Long sing 'See that My Grave is
Kept Green" the tune of which Willie at once
recognized and in a low, sweet voice sang the
accompaniment, it being quite familiar to him..
lie can hear the coming of a storm long be-
fore there are any signs of it in the air, and
even long before the weather bureau gives no.
tice of its approach AT a suggestion of a
neighbor, Mr.. Lester had wire guaze lid,
with tin rim, made to fit over Willie's ear
1t consists of two thicknesses of gauze, the out
er one being of larger mesh than the interven-
ing 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 is a handsome fair-faced, gold
en-haired little man exceedingly shy and tim
id, and any notice taken of him seems to be
quite painful to the little fellow. His father
and uncle, Mr.. Henry Torlburg, brought him
to town this morning and to the Courier Office
this noon. The physicians being apprised Of
the fact have just been testing his powers, and
are in a state ofwild excitement over this Won
derfu freak of nature. Further comment is
unnecessary and useless. The imagination
has nothing left to add-we cannot gild refn
ed gold or paint the sunbeam. To us the
truth is stranger than fiction. We can only
write the facts; our poor pen fails us further
than this.