Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-28
SOME BLIND WONDERS.
MEN WITHOUT SIGHT WHO HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED GREAT THINGS.
One Who Surveyed, Built Bridges and
Rode to Hounds-A SightIess Cricket
Theologians.

One Who Surveyed, Built Bridges and
Rode to Hounds-A SightIess Cricket
Player Blind Poets. Scientists and
Theologians.
Today it is proposed to discuss the remark
| able things which have been accomplished
by persons deprived of sight
| Where the list properly begins the writer
will not attempt to say. The genesis of this
list will appropriately commence, il not
with, then near, the beginning of the Chris
\ tian era with Eusebius the blind theolopian
| Accounts vary as 10 the time he lived One
| says that he was born near the close of the
third century, about A. d. 296, and that he
died at the age Of A in the year $40 The bull;
of evidence, however, forces us to the conclu-
| sion that lie was born about SIS and died in
$40 at the age of % years. twenty of which
were spent in total blindness II is greatly to
the credit of this man, whose light went out
forever Just as he was merging from infancy,
that in the few short years he lived en-.
| shroaded in perpetual darkness, he should
become one of the best known of the early
Christian writers, and be known even TO this
| day as one of the fathers of ecclesiastical
| history.
SOME BLIND POETS.
Henry, the author of the Poetic Life of
Wallace" was born blind. He early exhibit
ed wonderful imaginative faculties. which
were turned to good account in the pro
ductiOn OF the book mentioned The
unique character of the work caused il to
have wide circulation, making the name of
Henry, the minstrel, more familiar 10 the
rhyme loving common people of the British
Isles than that of the most standard prose
writer
Hermann Torrentins, a blind Swiss. born
IN l5So, became one of the principals of the
University Of Berne, the author of a poetical
dictionary of rare merit, besides works on
history and botany.
John Milton, the great English writer of
prose and verse, best known as the author of
Paradise Lost" was totally blind during
the last years of his life Properly he NAV
not belong To this list, having had forty-six
years Of daylight in which TO complete his
studies before hnpenetrable and perpetual
night shrouded him in its inky gloom. Ihav
only mentioned him in this connection in
order TO open the way for broad assertion.
viz: That two of the greatest poets known
20 history, Milton and Homer, were both
blind
Thomas Blackjack, d. D, one of the most
learned men of the Eighteeuth century, was
ocih Az l'~i anu ulcl IN l1Sl. lie WAS blind
at the age of months. Notwithstanding the
discouraging circumstances under which he
labored, DR.. Blackjack became one of the
most eminent men Of the times He was the
trusted friend of Hume, the free thinker. and
OF Burns, the Scottish lyrist. A contempo-
raneous writer, speaking of the polished doc
tor, said: He was child OF humble parent
age, but has now Won for himself before he
has reached what men call the middle age
the designation of an accomplished scholar. a
cultivated thinker and poet OF high order.
His accomplishments, won under the most
oppressive disadvantages, give us a wonder
ful exhibition of the powers OF mind to over
come seemingly insurmountable obstacles +"
DIR. Blackjack was an ordained minister, but
his friendship for Hume as mentioned above,
caused the flock to rebel against their shel,-
herd, which finally resulted in the doctors
expulsion. Had Blackjack never lived the
name OF Robert Burns would perhaps, never
have been known In the world of letters
The embryo poet was on the point of ship
ping for the West Indies, when letter from
Blackjack caused him to change his mind.
and saved to the world one of-.its greatest
writers of verse
GREAT NATURALIST
Francois Huber, the Swiss naturalist. lost