The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-03-04
: REMARKABLE BLIND NAN.
DR.. CamPheii Tells of Hi. Csitege In
tuntoa Climbing the Alps.

tiseot thinning INV NtF~
One Of tbs most Remarkable hind men II
the world has Just paid flying visit 4
Washington Tie Is Dir Frsncis J. lamp
bell IL u, principal Of the ROYAL NOrnEs
Col.eSe and Academy Of Music for the Bin,
in London \ native of Tennessee. fol
many wears a resident II Boston. ha went {,
Europe. especially 10 tiernlny, in l>sEl. u
study ami be va> mainly Instrumental IN
l>,2 in founding I've great institution a
which he has ever since been. ami still is
tbs principal In IL. eolkse, over which
DIR. Campbell presides, music is one OF tbs
main objects, hut the ~iuration given i,
general The rolle.e embrac,s prelars
tory school. a grammar AMI high school, q
technical school, ard an academy ~ masic.
A great deal of attention il paid to phys
ical training. The Doctor is a little man
approaching Ia wears Of age. wears dars
glasses 10 cover his empty eye cases, and Z
dark gray beard In conversation ha talks
quickly. AMI there is q peculiar, ehililiks
cheerfulness in his tone that Is only found
in blinl men, and only in a few Of them
Physical exercise Is mist .ss initial in tho
edu, alton Of the blind, said thu doctor Il
have generally found in the college that ID
has taken as much effort IL overcome their
habits Of idleness AMI Incidence as 10 give
them the training for their special avoca,
tioaS As rule. sail he, the vitality Of
the blind is below th' average vitality Of
seing persons. The lacl Of ply steal power
leads 10 Incidence, timidity, AMI discourage
ment. The blind must L., rotlssi from their
willingness 10 dspnd upon others, AMI
made 10 believe in the possibility Of indie
pendence AMI success We give our pupils
courage ami vitality by gymnastic exer.
cises. We have very well appointed
gymnasium connected with the co.lege W.
teach the boys 10 swim, too, AMI skate.
They don't have any more falls in learning
to skate than seeing people DO. and tho falls
they necessarily receive give them hardi-
hood that is worth everything 10 them"
YES said the doctors snn, we have
some boys who can play around ON the ice
and describe fancy figures as neatly As you
or or perhaps the most expert skater YOU
can find in Washington
Does every one get tn ice all TO himself
in turn or do they all skate at once AMI -.
gether:' asked the reporter III many
skated at tim" would there not lie frequen,
collisions"
The ice-pond is circular in shape" wa,
the reply, with small i>let in the center
profusely set with tree and shrubherv that
ovcrhang This little islet in the center
gives an echo by which the boy knows
how far he is from the hank. A dozen Of
them will often skate for half an hour
around that pond without a single stumble
The echo prevents them from running into
the bank. When they hn,e skateI lrrhap.
half an hour in the on direction q bell I.
rung. AMI then they turn and skate perhap.
for the same length of time the other way
They so round on the ice with just as free
and easy n swing as the contestants in
skating match at Madison Square garden
IN New York"
doctor, YOU climbed the Alps once your
self
"Oh yes In lsSO, I think It was, ss.
to the top Of Mont Blanc. My son.
who was then only ~ years old. accom-
panied me, AMI was the first Of his age who
ever rose to that height But Mont Blanc
Is not by any means the most difficult
to climb never will forget ls.
ing showed up for twenty -thra hours On the
That was In 1857 thought
] was never going to get down. II rather
iulled my appetite for mountain air, but
am very fond Of travel and exercise Wash.
Inston Post,