Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-09-13
A BLIND MANS SKILL
He Runs q Store without Help and with
out Making Mistakes.

He Runs Store without Help and with
out Making Mistakes.
While in the employ Of the New Jerse,
Southern railroad few years ago Charle
II. Fennimore, Of Farmingdale, had tn,
misfortune TO lose the sight of one eye, Tho
result Of getting hot cinder from the loco
motive in IL, says the New York Sun. Abou
a year afterward, while working in mar
pit at Lower Squankum, he got small
sharp pebble in the other eye. He wa.
taken to an Infrmary in New York, where
every effort was made TO save the sight, but
he became totally blind.
Revolving in his mind various projects for
the support OF his family, he determined to
try keeping a country store His friends
eadeavored TO dissuade him from the under.
taking, but he was resolute and opened a
small store in Lower Squankum, three miles
from Farmingdele. He soon showed an ap.
titude for the business, and accomplished
things which seemed marvellous.
His dwelling-house is over a mile distant
from his store. At first his little daughter
regularly took him by the hand at morning
and evening and conducted him to and from
his occupation. A little later he said he
could 90 aIone, and has done so ever since.
His method is to count the steps from the
front Of his house to his tore, and he has
experienced no difficulty in reaching both
in safety. He locks and unlocks the door
and opens and closes the shutters without
assistance. His son sweeps out and dusts
the store, but he expects soon to do this
without assistance.
His sense Of touch and memory are simply
wonderful. Every sort Of goods put up in
packages Is 30 arranged under his direction
that he can deal out any thing in his stock
that Is called for. This he does by counting
the steps from either end Of the counter,
and the number Of shelves, beginning with
number one at the bottom, and enumerating
the dividing spaces from either end Of the
rows Of shelving,
He weighs accurately any thing from a
quarter Of pound Of tea to twenty five
pounds Of -four, being guided by touch in
arranging the weights and the tipping of
the scales.
His memory OF voices is so sensitive that
he has never been known TO make mistake
in PERSONS name. AS a test stranger to
him was sent to the store. He was fair
mimic, and endeavored to personate man
well known to Mr.. Fennimore. He signally
failed, the blind storekeeper interrupting
him at once and saying: 81 don't know who
you are, but you are not George Brewer"
Perhaps Mr.. Fennimore's greatest ev-
dence Of an unfaltering and accurate mem
ory is the facility with which he makes
change. Every morning Mrs. Fennimore
arranges his wallet for him. The S5 notes
are placed in the bottom, the SO notes in the
middle, and the 81 notes on the top of the
package He always knows to a penny how
much change he has in an ordinary shot
bag, and can tell the instant he touches any
piece the value which it represents. Thus
equipped he is ready to give customer
change for note or silver currency, and
his accuracy in making change equals that
Of any merchant in all the country round.
Tried one day with IS gold piece which
was laid in his hand, he looked toward the
owner Of 1t as If he could see him, smiled,
rang the coin upon the counter, and said:
"This is a IS gold piece; what did you wish
10 buy"
He Is expert at addition and subtraction,
readily keeping in his mind dozen articles
and their price, and telling customer the
amount the moment the last article is
served. He is pleased with his occupation,
and has made his business modest sue
cess.