Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-09
A BLIND EDITOR.
How He Manages to Get Along without
Sight.
Cherokee (Ia.) Enterprise.

Cherokee (Id.) Enterprise.
Many times we have been solicited by
numerous friends aud individuals to tell
how it is that we manage to find our way
about town so readily without assistance;
and many erroneous ideas are enter
tanned of us by most people-ideas which
do injustice to the blind as class. We
| cheerfully comply, and to the best Of our
ability, and in accordance with our own
experience, give the desired information.
First, it is mistake to suppose that we
! are ever governed by instinct, as this gift
belongs only to the brute creation. The
human family is endowed with the power
of reason, and 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 of mental philosophy bold enough
to assert that instinct ever governed a
reasonable being under any circum-
stances; and our experience and the eX-
perience of others similarly afflicted bear
us out in the statement. Then what is it
that enables us to leave our home and
come down town alone, a distance of
| several blocks, and find almost any house
or store at pleasure? Remember that man
! is a reasonable creature, and that pro-
/ tracted application of reason will some
/ times work wonders even with persons
who can see. 1t is the keenest apDlica-
| ton of reason and the constant use of
] j.
/ stricteSt attention to what we hear and
| feel, together with the memory trained to
retain the minnteSt things with the ut
/ most readiness. This can be only acquired
! by the most patient training, and strong
! determination to make the best of a 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 enable us to keep the
! general direction. By careful practice
| we are able to feel the peculiar condition
of the atmosphere, and note the difference
| in sound of footsteps on the earth in the
| vicinity of building or any large body,
which is quite noticeable. With a cane
along the edge of the sidewalk we find
every notch, projection, or irregularity,
! which the memory must retain. In walk
| ing along the street we can detect differ
ent sound or feeling in the atmosphere in
| front of every place OF business. This
! difference is probably due to the fact that
no two stores are built alike, or contain
! the same class of goods. Hence, by form
| ing a mental picture of the city, and
making a mental calculation of the dis
lance, 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 entertain
| doubts about our editorial work, noticea-
! bly, among our exchanges. In this, how
ever, 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 cannot be clipped. Reading
! exchanges is the only part of our edito-
! rial 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 J,
| it is done just as well.
! Many things occur, which, while anus
/ ing to US, are matter of wonder to
others. One year ago, while riding on the
! Northwestern Road between Cedar
| Rapids and Clinton, when nearing a
small station the whistle sounded, and the
peculiar reverberatiug, echoing sound
told us, as plainly as though we had seen
! it, that we were passing large body of
water; and, when we inquired how large
| it was, those with whom we were con-
versing wonderingly asked elbow in the
world do you know there is a body of
water thereY' Many times, when walk
| ing the streets in the evening, we have
| passed the dear ladies, and hear them
! anXiOusly wonder ''why our folks would
allow us to run about alone after night
| forgetting at the time that the brightest
of midday is as the blacklist of midnight
| to us; and many times have we run up
! plump against more than one of the gen
/ tie sex, and trembled in our boots and
! blushed to our very toe-tips at the thought
! of having so nearly embraced a lady on
the public street. We have always been
! received very graciOusly, however, and
our mishaps have been but few-much
| OF which we owe to the kindness of every
| BODY