The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-23
BLIND W 0ND E R S.
A MAN WHO SURVEYED, BUILT
BRIDGES, AND RODE TO HOUNDS
The Blind Sculptor of Paris-A Blind
Man Who Played Cricket-Blind
Poets, Musicians, Astronomers,

III MY SkeLC0eS Oh buo duO As
bic specimens of the human race, which
have appeared in these columns from time
TO time, l have attempted to give faithful,
uncolored and unexaggerated pen pictures
of many odd aud curious characters, which,
were they small enough, large enough, or
unadorned with supsrhIous appendages,
would conform to the Biblical description
of Gods own image" l have told our
readers of the miniature specimens of the
genus homo, whose strength would be over
taxed in carrying pint Of water, and of
another colossal specimen who could carry
two barrels, Of SO gallons each with perfect
| ease; Of the little man hidden in the dough
of pie and placed upon the table to t he
infinite delight of the assembled roy
atty, and of his antipode who delighted in
carrying off living oxen of the regulation
| size. Together we have taken a peep inside
| the life OF persons whose retentive qualities
Of mind made it impossible for them ever
| TO forget a date, face. action or word We
| have seen persons who were born with horns
upon their heads, and persons who in the
| evening of life accumulated whole collec-
tious of horns, scattered about in divers
places over their intellectual dome. We
| have traced the life history of ''Pietro la
| Diablo," or, plainly speaking, "Peter the
| Devil, the boy with the rams horns behind
| his ears and unicorns horn in his forehead,
| making his very appearance strongly sug-
| gestive of a spiked-tail and three-tined
| fork. All these and hundreds of other
curiositles we have seen, yet wonders never
| cease" To-day it is proposed to discuss the
remarkable things which have been accom-
plished by persons deprived of sight.
THE BLIND EUsEBIUs.
Where the list properly begins the writer
will not attempt to say. The genesis OF this
| list will appropriately commence, if not
| with, then near, the beginning of the
christian era with Eusebius, the blind
| theologian. Accounts vary as to 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 Al in the
| year $40. The bulk Of evidence, however,
forces us to the conclusion that he was born
| about 3l5 and died in $40 at the age of 25
years, 20 Of which were spent in total
blindness. 1t 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, enshrouded in per-
petual 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 ex-
hibited wonderful imagihatiol faculties
which were turned to good account in the
| production of the book mentioned. The
unique character of the work caused it to
| have a wide circulation, making the name
of Henry the minstrel, more familiar to
the rhvme-loving common people of the
British Isles than that of the most standard
| prose- writer.
| To Cuyiac
| in 1929, became one of the principals of the
University of Berne, the aut or of a poeti-
cal dictionary of rare merit, besides works
on history and botany.
A BLIND ASTRONOMER.
| In 1855, Nichlas Sandersol was we'll
| known character of Yorkshire, England
| He vas not born blind. but became SO
through sickness at the age OF years, and
upon arriving at the age of discrimination
| could not remember of ever being able to
see. AS unlikely as it may seem, he actually
| branches, astronomy and mathematics, and
three years before his death finished an ex-
haustive treatise on algebra.
DR. blackjack.
| Thomas Blackjack, D. D.. one of the most
learned me n of the eighteenth century
was born in 1921 and died in 1871. He was
blind at the age of 3 months. Notwith-
standing the discouraging circumstances
under which he labored, DIR. Blackjack be-
came 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 contemporaneous writer, speak
ing of the polished doctor, said: "He was
a child of humble parentage, but has now
won for himself, before he has reached
what men call the middle age, the desgna-
ton of an ACCOMPLISHED scholar, a cult
waited thinker and a poet of high order
His accomplishments, won under the mos
oppressive disadvantages, give us a wonder
full exhibition of the powers of mind tt
| overcome seemingly insurmountable obsta
cles." DR.. Blackjack was an ordained min
ister. but his friendship for Hume, as mon
toned above. caused the flock to rebe
against their shepherd, which finally re
suited in the DOCTORS expulsion. Hac
Blackjack never lived the name of Robert
Burns would, perhaps, never have beef
known in the world of letters The embryo
poet was on the point of shipping for the
West Indies, when a letter from Blackloci
caused him to change his mind and savet
to the world one of its greatest writers o
verse.
A GREAT NATURALIST.
Francois Huber, the Swiss naturalist, los
his sight at an early age, became an emf
nent entomologiSt and wrote on bees, ant
ana otner Insects. His son, Pierre, and
servant named Rurnens aided him in max
ing many valuable original observations Oh
the habits of these creatures Althoue
the servant and son rendered invaluable
aid, it was admitted by both that the eide
Huber was the master mind in the prepare
ton of their many books and papers OF
entomology, zoology and meteorology
Many believe that Huber would have be-
come as eminent in his special branche
as either Humboldt or Culver could be hav
had the use of his eyes,
JOHN MILTON.
John Milton, the great English writer o
prose and verse, best known as the author
of Paradise Lost" was totally blind tn,
last years of his life. Properly he may no
belong in this list, having mad 46 years O
daylight in which 30 complete his studio
before impenetra BILE and perpetual nigh
shrouded him in Its inky gloom. hav
only mentioned him in this connection il
order to open the way for a broad asser
ton, viz: That two of the greatest poet
known % history, Milton and Homer, wer,
both blind.
HUNTER, DRIVER AND SURVEYOR.
John Metcalf, a most wonderful produc-
ton Of the last century, was born a
marlborough, Yorkshire, England, il
l7l1 At the age of years a hard attacl
of the measles struck him totally blinds
blind that the brightest rays of the sur
gave him no perception Of light. Yet he
| did not Diva nm in dazDaiF ~