Wichita eagle., 1888-02-10
USES OF A GLASS EYE.
A MAN WHO EMPLOYED IT AS A
BUSINESS INVESTMENT.

I
BUSINESS INVESTMENT.
Unwinking Stare of His Artificial Optic.
Demoralizing Tricky Clerk-Catching
a Pickpocket-Cowinga Bully.
| There are various uses to which the glass
eve can be put 1t partially cures the defects
I of misfortune, and makes slightly optic out
/ of an unsghtly wound. 1t enables prudent
person also to sleep with one eye open. This
| has always been regarded as a very merito-
| rious achievement The man who does this
/ is always looked upon by his neighbors as
sup to snuff"
A distinguished merchant in conversation
with reporter the other day remarked cas-
ually that he owed his success in business &c
| a very singular circumstance.
'Indeedm
| ayes. You must know have glass eye.'
81 never remarked it.
"No nor are any of my acquaintance
| aware of it. 1t is a triumph of art in its
way. My people in the store haven't the re-
hottest idea OF anything of the kind. But
the eye serves useful purpose, nevertheless
| It's unwinking stare will wiring the truth out
| of a fraudulent clerk when nothing else
will.
''One day continued the gentleman, -
! had reason to believe that certain person in
M store had got into tricky ways and was
defrauding me- first arranged my eye at
certain angle and walked over near the
| counter, pretending to be examining pile Of
| goods. The defective optic covered his sur
! roundings. He was waiting upon some custom
ers at the time and SOON became noticeebly
uneasy at the fuftive glare which encountered
| his eyes whenever he raised them | soon
! discovered that he was growing very nerv-
ous and | moved to another place where my
! angle of vision still apparently kept him in
view BY this time--he had been under fire
PERHAPS a half hoHr--I saw that his nerves
were fearfuily shaken, and his hands treInbled
visibly as he did up the packages. There
was white look upon his face that denoted
intense agitation. | kept him under fire per-
/ hans an hour in all, and then went to another
| part of the building.
/ 81. AGAIN UNDER FIRE
''The next day | brought the young man
again under the influence of the glass eye.
| This time his agitation visibly increased, and
/ he began to wear harassed and hunted look
that under ordinary circumstances would
have appealed to my sympathies. But [
kept him in view and was resolved to see the
outcome of the experiment. By the end of
! the week he was the worst demoraliZed man
[ ever saw in my life. When he had reached
this stage called him into my private office,
! and fixing the glass eye SO that it would meet
! his look fairly | awaited the interview. He
was very pale and his hands trenlbled nerv-
ously. looked at him curiousy for a mo-
ment and then inquired:
ssHave Won not something to tell me?'
/ ale hesitated for moment and then stam-
meringy replied:
"'Why, no sir! What should tell youn
"'Return to your work, then But as he
turned away l remarked to him, quietly, L
think YOU had better tell me-
This evidently broke him up. He came
back and sank into a chair. His face was
pale as death and his eyes full of tears. oh
sir he cried, pray forgive me!' and then it
ali came out. He had been pilfering, but so
ingeniously that the thing might have es-
capped detection for years. But the glass eye
broke down all the barriers of his cunning,
and brought him TO book as perhaps nothing
else could have done. There is something
SO uncanny in the steady, unwinking glare
of glass eye that few nerves can resist it.
''But this is only one instance out of many.
I got the reputation among people Of seeing
everything that was going on. My brother
merchants and traders gave up trying to i'm
pose on me- They perceived from the steady
look in my eye that ! saw through their
maneuvers, and dealt with me fairly.
SEVERAL OTHER INSTANCES.
There is another instance l viii relate TO
you, where it served a good turn. One night
in crowded car a pickpocket was indus
I triously but skillfully pursuing his calling
He glanced up and saw that my eye was
fixed upon his proceedings. OF course
didn't see his robbeTies, but he thought did,
/ and. passing me quickly. whipered in my ear,
| Don't peach!' and fled from the car.
Il took in the situation on the instant and,
| calling to my fellow passengers, gave pursuit
and captured the thief. We found in his pos
session half dozen valuable purses and some
jewelry.
II have grown so accustomed to the effect
my glass eye produces shat I am now con-
stantly on the lookout for the influence it
exerts
"a bully at a ward meeting once under
took to brighten me by threatening demon
I STATIONS, but | encountered his furious
1 giances with so steady an eye that he became
I demoralized in turn and humbly apologized
! for his vulgarity and abuse. He had scared
me nearly to death, for | am rather frail
man, but my glass eye brought him to terms,
as it does nearly every one with whom it
comes in contact
Il suppose, them" suggested the reporter,
"thet you would advise the use of glass eyes
( by business meng'
"Well, l hardly know" meditated the
merchant. They are certainly great con-
venience. Possibly the advantages derived
from them would not justify man in put
ting out natural eye for the sake of supply
ing its place with an artificial one. But the
/ question is open to argument Much can be
said on both sides Of it"
/ Il suppose, of course, you exclude women
! from the list of persons who would find the
| glass eye Of superior benefit TO the natural
onc,"
II am not sure Of that Women see a great
! deal too much, and if the range of their
vision could be diminished one-half it might
be of service to them.
you see" continued the merchant, grow
! Ing philosophical, II have thought great
deal of late about the practicability OF Gre
/ ating one eyed race You see of late years
! the experiment of raising horlless cattle has
! proved successful The seediess orange has
! also been grown Why not one eyed recei
/ Think of the matter seriously. 1t is worthy
of attention" And adjusting his artificial
| optic be turned away for stroll among bis
! clerks.-Alta Californian
! Pint of Old Buttons.