Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-07-03
/ THE BLIND MANS WALKS.


Ears IN Ilace oil Eyes
Many times we have been solicited bv
numerous friends and individuals to
tell how it is that we manage to find
our way about town so readily without
assistance, and many erroneous ideas
are entertained of us by most people.
ideas which do injustice to the blind as
q class. We cheerfully comply, and to
the best of our ability, and in accord
ance with our own experience, give the
desired information. First, it is mis-
take to suppose that we are ever gov
erned by instinct, as this gift belongs
only 10 the brute creation. The human
family is endowed with the power of
reason, anal DO not need it, nor can it
be acquired by the loss of sight or any
other faculty, We know of no student
or author or mental philosophy bold
enough to assert that instinct ever gov
erned reasonable being under any cir
cumstances, and our experience and the
experience of others similarly afflicted
bears us out in the statement. Then
what is it that enables us to leave our
home and come down town alone, a dis
lance of several blocks, and find most
any house or store at pleasure. Re
member that man is a reasonable crea-
ture, and that protracted application
OF reason will sometimes work wonders
even with persons who can see. 1t is
the keenest application of reason and
the constant use of Judgment, rendered
possible only by the strictest attention
to what we hear and feel, together with
the memory trained to retain the
minutest things with the utmost readi-
ness. This can only be acquired by the
most patient training, and strong de-
termination to make the best of q bad
and inevitable situation in spite of the
many bumps and mishaps which attend
the beginning. Thus, in leaving our
door we note the lay of the land, the
direction of the wind if there be any,
which, If not blowing a gale, will en-
able us TO keep the general direction.
BY careful practice we are able to feel
the peculiar condition of the atmos-
phere and note the difference in tho
sound of footstep ON the earth in the
vicinity OF building or any large body,
which is quite noticeable. With cane
along the edge of the sidewalk we find
every notch, projection or irregularity,
which the memory must retain. In
Walking along the street we can detect
different sound or feeling in the at
mosphere in front of every place of
business. This difference is probably
due to the fact that no two stores are
built alike. and do not contain the same
class of goods. Hence by forming a
mental picture of the city, and MAX
lnga mental calculation of the distance,
we are enabled, In some measure, to
overcome the difficulties that beset us,
and with but small mistake now and
then, manage to find our objective
points with comparative ease. There are
many people, however, who seem to en-
terrain doubt about our editorial work,
and noticeably among our exchanges.
In this, however, we do just as any
other editor, get our news by all the
devious means known to journalism,
and write with our own hand what can
not be clipped Reading exchanges is
the only part of our editorial work that
We cannot do but as the very best little
woman on earth does that for us (but
don't mention it to her, please), it is
done just as we'll
Many things occur, which, while
amusing to us, are q matter of wonder
to others. One year ago, while riding
on the Northwestern road between
Cedar Rapids and Cliston, when near
ing small station the whistle sounded,
and the peculiar reverberating, echoing
sound told lis as plainly as though we
had seen it, that we were passing a
large body of water, and when we in
quired how large it was, those with
whom we were conversing wonderingly
asked: How in the world do You
know there is body of water there
Cherokee lolCd) Enterprise.