The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-21
THE BLIND TWADDLEs."
Death of the Last Member of Sadly
afflicted Family.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
CARRoILToN, o., Jan. 12.-On the even
ing of Sunday, Dec. 20, the little congrega-
ton Of the church at Morretown, jefferson
Township, this state, who had gathered to
worship God, were shocked and startled to
find at the conclusion of their service that
one of their congregation had gone to wor-
ship his maker nearer the throne. blind
Andrew Twaddlen remained seated in his
pew after the bened ictiOn, and his friends
and neighbors passed down the aisles. With
a calm smile upon his aged face, his large
eyes, sightlesS no more now than they had
been during the threescore years and four
of his life, turned toward the rude pulpit,
ne sat quiet and still in death.
The Blind Twaddles," as they are known
in this neighborhoOd, were one of the most
remarkable families of this state, and per-
haps of the United States, and this was the
last one left.
Sixty or seventy years ago this family
attracted almost universal attention from
physicians and scientific men generally
throughout the civilized world. The parents
who we long years ago gone over to the
majority, had nothing out of the common
to distinguish them from their neighbors
They We're a simple, homely, healthy couple,
who had married and were seeking to make
themselves home by farming. But there
was born to them n large family of chill
dreE-nine in all-and of these the first
seven were born entirely blind, and the last
two had but partial eyeSight. Scientific
men were utterly at a loss to account for
this phenomenon. The father and mother
had excellent eyesight, and the eyes of their
children were large, brown and bright, but
slghtless. They were without optic nerves.
In all other respects they were bright
healthy aud intelligent children. The scion
utc journals and newspapers of that day
mad long accounts and various theories
regarding this. but why it should have been
50 is vet mystery.
The state Of Ohio, by special act of its
leg stature, decided to the parents for the
support of their children a quarter of
section (l6Q acres of the best of the agricul-
tural lands of Eastern Ohio and the farm
Is known to this day as the blind Twad-
dies Section" Upon this farm these young
men and women-there were seven boys and
Two glrs-grew up in total darkness,
became Useful citizens, married and settled
n The surrounding community, and reared
'ainles in which no trace of blindness is
snowp. The blind people all lived the
WopheFs allotment of threescore and ten.
Iney were a fine-looking family, and
"hen It is considered that these people, who
we're born blind aud lived out their long
ana useful lives in total darkness, became
successful farmers, millers, distillers, etc,
IL must be conceded that they were remark
ape N more senses than of being born
uiihd They were as able to go TO any
pace upon their farms, OF to surrounding
owns, and perform all their necessary farm
ihorK without attendance or help, as if they
.aa perfect eyesight. They cut timber in
me woods, made rails, built fences, plowed
Iueir lands, sowed and harvested their
ulops, ran their grist mill and distillery,
Worked oxen and horses, and, in TACT,
Earned all Of that by intuition, which is
sight. f0F
Many are the queer stories recited by old
sfS9lden's Of Lee, London and Fox town
ffa.ps regarding feats performed by this
"ulY Their lands were Intersected by
b1 ~. stois deep creeks, which were crossed
iioot4ogs, and these people would go un-
nee,tisralIlLgly anywhere along these farm
s Ills ;, crossing the precarious foot bridges
~I Ithreading the most intricate ways I'M
fal-.1Ingly They could name any tree in the
onos BY feeling the bark, select the best
tbers, !oi any desired purpose and ''felp'
,rori i m me most convenient manner for
MS ng. Out Of such timber they would
N' rails and build fences when they de-