The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-07-07
ONE BLIND MAN.
REMARKABLE CAREER OF A
SIGHTLESS OHIO RESIDENT.
Losing His Sight In Boyhood-Study.
ing Law-Editing Newspapers
Elected Mayor of ofYoungstown
Visiting Distant Cities.

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Visiting Distant Cities.
AYoungstown (Ohlo) letter to the New
York World says: Ex-Mayor Campbell
is blind man of whose achievement!
people are Justly proud. Walter Lowrit
Campbell is as remarkable parsonage a:
was the late Postmaster General Fawce;t,
of England. He has gained eminence as
a lawyer, professor of music, municipal
rcformer, politician, classical scholar
and journalist. All this though he was
entirely deprived of sight at the age OF
four years. Mr.. Campbell was born at
Salem, Ohio, on November 3, 1912, OF
Scotch Iri h pvrents. His father, who
was dissenting preacher, died in 1912:
His mother is still living, at the advanced
age of eighty years, with her blind son
in this city. The accident which made
MIR. Campbell blind occurred one sun
shiny day in May, 1s47, during school re-
oess. The frol:csome youngsters were
throwing lime at each other. A piece
containing some hard substance struck
Walter in the left eye and cut deep
cash. He suffered intensely for several
months, Inflammation set in, spread to
the other eye and he became totally
blind. When nine years old the youth
was sent to the Institution for the Blind
at Columbus, where he devoted much
time to music, and in short time be-
came an expert pianist and organist. He
played pipe organ when thirteen years
of age, and at the present time presides
at the splendid pipe organ in the First
PRESBYTERIAN church Of this city.
For the purpose of completing his mu-
sical education he went from Columbus
to the Institution for the Blind at Phila-
delphia. When he returned from the
Quaker City he taught music in his native
town of Salem and studied in the high
school to fit himself for college. He en-
tered the Western Reserve College, then at
Hudson, Ohio, now at Cleveland, in 1868,
and took classical course, including
mathematics.
In 1867 he was graduated, second in
his class, and delivered the salutatory in
Latin. In his Freshman year he took the
prize for written Latin translations; in
his Sophomore year the prize for English
prose composition; at the Junior exhlbi-
! tion he delivered philosophical oration.
After graduating he studied law in the
office of J. A. Amber, at Salem, and II
1868 he was admitted to the Harvard
Law School, where he remained until the
following June. In studying the classics,
for instance, the blind student committed
Latin and Greek at the rate of one or two
pages day, when classmate read to
him. In reciting his professor would
read sentence and Campbell would
translate and construc it.
About the time he left Harvard his
brother, General J. A. Campbell, was
appointed as the first Governor Of Wyo-
ming Territory. Walter went to Chey-
enne to practise law and assist in organ
izing the Territory in 1869. Shortly
after he was appointed United States
Commissioner of Wyoming. Later on,
both branches of the Legislature sent
written memorials to Governor Campbell
ask ng him to appoint his blind brother
Territorial Treasurer. General Campbell
declined, partly because of desire to
avoid the appearance of nepotism, and
partly on account of desire to be loyal
to nomination previously made.
In 1871 Walter L. Campbell came to
Youngstown, where his sister, Mrs. Nc
Millin, was already, with the intention of
resuming the practice of law. The county
seat of Mahonipg was then at Garfield.
and this caused Youngstown lawyers
much inconvenience For this reason
the practice was not entered upon.
Campbell took an active part in the po-
litical campaign of 1872. Possessing
journalistic talent, Mr.. Campbell pur-
chased an interest in May, 1874, in the
Mahoning Weekly Register, and acted as
its editor, local reporter and general util-
ity man until December of that year,
when he issued the Ecrsing Register, a
daily paper, and the first printed in this
city at two cents. 1t was consolidated
in the following February with the rival
morning paper, the Tribune. He acted
as managing editor of these papers until
1882, when he was consolidated out Of
them by the union of the Neacs and Reg
lister, under the name of the News-Regis-
ter. During his editorial career the blind
| journalist wrote most of his own mat
ter by means of groovcd board
to keep the lines straight. At other
times his wife a:ted as his amanuensis,
and also read the daily papers to him.
In 1875 he began using the typewriter
and soon attained great expertness and
accuracy in operating it. MIR. Campbell
was married in October, 1877, to Miss
Helen G. Lagourgue, of this city, but
formerly of Cleveland. Two beautiful
children have blessed their union and
arc great Joy to the father, though he
keenly feels the deprivation of looking
upon them.
Intellectual and influential people
were soon attracted to Mr.. Campbell's
side, and in April, 1854, he was elected
Mayor of Youngstown after the most ex-
citing local contest ever held, the vote
being larger than ever previously cast
at any election, municipal, State or ma
tional.
Mr.. Campbell began his official career
with the resolution that Youngstown
should be no longer village but city;
that the ordinances must be
strictly enforced or good order
could not be preserved. His
methods bore good results and the
morals of the city improved surprisingly;
there were few street brawls or other
disturbances and little or no business
for the police court during the last year
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