Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-10-01
Oueer-Sighted Folks.

"You have no idea of the number OF
absurd things that happen in our busi-
ness" said salesman in the store of a
prominent optician. Net long ago a
well known Third street broker, whose
ideas of life go but little way beyond
margins and futures. walked briskly in
and said that he wanted pair of gold
Spectacles.' There were a number or
frames lying on the counter at the time
and in business like way he began
irving them on. Finally ne got a pair
that apparently suited him, and, after
inquiring the price, walked to the door
and looked out into the street.
"These are excellent" he said, II
can almost see the print on the paper
that gentlemen is reading on the plat
form of the car going down the street" p"
He threw down a s. note and was about
to rush from the store. He was rather
crestfallen when called him back and
asked whether he wanted glasses in the
frame or not.
There's an old fellow, a regular
habitue of the Mercantile Library, who
has his glasses changed on an average
twelve times a year. Oculists rarely
order changes In glasses inside of two
years. Every day at certain hour the
old gentleman comes down the street
and, stopping in front of the door, peers
back into the store at the test card, on
which are printed those large black let
ters. If he experiences any trouble in
discerning the characters he at once
has his glasses changed and goes away
contented. Not long since the mis-
chlevous store boy, learning that he
was on his way down here to make his
daily test of his optics, pasted piece of
tissue paper over the card, thus giving
the letters to a person standing at a
| distance a blurred appearance. Dismay
spread over the old mans face as he
| squinted at the card. After taking OFF
his glasses and wiping them vigorously
he carefully adjusted them aud made
another effort to decipher the character
| and falling to do SO satisfactorily came
bursting in, amazed at the sudden
| change in his sight. Meanwhile the
tissue paper had been taken from the
| card and when the examination was
made for new glasses his own, of course,
were found to be all right. But, not
| fully satisfied, he retired to the pave
ment and as he was wont to do daily,
took his long distance scrutiny, which
apparently gave INN satisfaction, for he
scratched his head and meditatlyely
and with puzzled look resumed his
| stroll down the street"
At this juncture two fashionably
dressed Young ladies entered and the
communicative salesman was for some
minutes absent.
Now there's another caSe," he said,
as he leaned over the showcase after
the fair customers had departed.
''ThOse ladies wanted artificial eyes,
but Of course We could not accommO-
date them. Fashion has everything to
do with these odd freaks. Both of these
young women have as sound eyes as
either you or l. One of them said she
wanted artificial blue eyes and when L
set the case of glass substitutes before
her said emphatlcally that they would
not do. L informed her that they were
of the very best quality and very good
article. Then with some embaTraSS-
ment she told me that she wanted a
pair of delicate glass optics TO wear
over her own. She had had her hair
which was presumably black
bIeached to an ultra blonde hue and of
course wanted eyes TO complete her en-
semble. L smilingly told her that such
a thing was impossible. She said she
had read that the ladies in Paris had
adopted this method. the invention
having been made by skilful French
optician. OF course that was all bosh
and probably a story started by some
inventive newspaper man"
''Do yoa have much of a demand for
artificial eyes?"
"The demand is very lively and
seems to be increasing each year. 1t
springs from accidents and advanced
myOpia. Yes, we have fitted them to
children, but they are never fitted to Il
child under seven years old. There is
no truth whatever i'll the statement
that artificial eyes have reached such
perfection that they move just like an
ordinary eye. In some cases where the
artificial eye fits the socket neatly it
will move when the socket moves, but
not without the aid of mechanism.
Davis, of New York, manufactures
the best eyes, which are made of the
finest quality of glass. The demand
for hazel eyes seems the greatest.
Next to the artificial eyes comes the
single eyeglasses. They retail at 80
cents each, and are purchased mainly
by professional people and the dudes
who grace the corridors of prominent
hotels. Some swell reporters have
caught the craze of late. The single
glasses do not aid IN the sight in the
least. They are made of ordinary glass
and are simply an affectation borrowed
from the English.