Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-10-18
SOME BLIND WONDERS
MEN WITHOUT SIGHT WHO HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED GREAT THINGS

here TIE hst pfoksriy osS1ns shs WIN
viii not attempt 70 Ay Ths gsnssas of til
List viii sppropriassiy commencs, u nos
with, then near, ths beginning Of IL Chris
tiaa era with Easst4us, tho bind fhspaogiAn-
Aerounss vary - N tbs sius - lived Ons
says that he vas born mar the eioe Of the
third CENTURY, about A. D. ~ and that -
as~i at tbs age o< ~ in shs year so Ths buik
Of svidsncs, however, forcn Us 70 The ouaeiuF
: sion that he was bonn about 3is ADD dtsd In
40 at the age S 81 Year,, twenty ii whsch
I we're spent tn total biintn~~ IL b greatly 70
thu credit of this nsAn, shoss light wsns cot
forever jnsr ~ he was merging from infancy.
that In the few short years b. lived, en-
snrouaisf IN perpetual dasknen, be should
hscou.s oas u tho h>~s known Of the early
Christian writers. and be known even 10 this
dag ~ oas Of the fsthers Of ecclesiastical
history
sOnK sLrSD roErA
Henry. tho author a tbs ''Postic Life d
WallAes, ~as born blind He early exhibit,
si ~ond~rfal imaginative facuitis~, WHICH
we're turned 10 good secount in The pro
ductiop u tho book msntjoned. The
unique character Of ths work caussd if 70
have = vide circulation, making the name Of
Henry, the minstrel more familiar TO the
lsIes than that Of tho most standard pros
~ritar
Hermann Torrsntlnx, . blind Swiss. born
ia $50, became ono of tho principals Of the
University u fern~. the author Of postieal
dictionary u rare merit, besides works On
history and botany
John Milton, tho great English writer Of
prose and verse, tssf known ~ the aushor Of
Paradise Lost" WA totally blind during
the last years u his life Properly he may
not teloag to this list. having had forty sig
years u daylight In which TO eompIets his
studies before imp~netrsbls and perpetual
night shroHied him In it, inky gloom. hav
only mentioned him in this connection in
order 10 open tho way Tor . broad assertion,
viz That two u tho greatest poets known
10 history. Milton and Homer. we're both
blind.
Thomas Blackjack, ID, D., one u the most
lenrued mrn of the Eighteenth century, was
born In i7zi and died in i7yi He WIS blind
at the age Of 8 months Not withstanding the
discournging circumstances under which he
Laborsi DR. Blackjack becanis one Of tho
most eminent men 81 the times, He WAS ths
Trusted friend u Hume, the fires thinker, and
Of Burns, the SCOTTISH lyrist A coutempo
raneous writer, speaking u the polished doc
tor aid. He was a child VI humble parent
age. bot has now won for himself, befors he
has reached what men call the middle age,
the designation Of al accomplished scholar, a
cultivated thinker and n poet Of high order.
His accomplishments won under the most
oppressive disnfivaut ages, give us wonder
ful exhibition Df the powers Of mind u over
come s..miugly insurmountabls obstacles =
DR. Blackjack was an ordained minister, but
bis friendship for Hume. mentioned above,
caused the dock 10 retel against their shep
herd which finally resulted in the doctors
expulsion Had Blackjack never lived the
nanp 81 Rob~rt Burns would. perhaps. never
have b"en known IN the world Of letters
The embryo poet WAS on the point Of ship
ping for the West Indies, when a letter from
Blackjack CAUSED bin To change his mind.
aud saved 10 the world one Of its greatest
writers of verse
GREAT NATURALIST
Francois Huber, the Swiss naturalist, lost
MS .ight ut an early age, became an eminent
entamologst AMI wrote on bees, ants and
other insects His ss,D, Pierre. and servant
named Kurneus aided him in making many
valuable original ot-.'r vatons ON the habits
of these creatures Although the servant and
son rendered invaluable aid. It was admitted
by both that the elder Huher was the master
mind III the preparation Of their many books
and papers on entomology, zoology and me
teorologl Many believe that Huber would
hay. become AS eminent in his special branches
M either Humboldt pr Cuyier could he have
had ths us, Of his ewes,
HUNTER, DRIVER AND SURVEYOR.
Ioh, u.,coIf , u...t uond,rful ,rodnc
,io,, ~ tho las, c.rturv WINS horn a, Knars~
horo,yh yo,lsbire England in i7Ir A.
M, .,,,, a, A ,.ars n hard attncL ~ tho m.u
.I.,. .,r,cl him Totally hlind-so hind th.,
,b,. hr,,,ht.s, ravs 81 th. sun gave him no
,.,,,,.n,ion ~ liyh, W., h. d,J no, gly. M,
-, dssna,r A calamity had ov.rtaLen him
,hlch ,,n,,ia boy. hann,nh.J IN. fa,.,l,i., -
=. l.s. courageous man forever Mt 40 win
Ioh, u.,c.if I, s..,y.d orIv 4, hr,vht.n
,i. r.n,alni,s, s.,ses A. srst h. Issrn.J
,,,,,v,c .rJ ar ma. ag. M 70 w.x tn. mo,
80, .,.itni., in ali rn,,.nd W., +.