The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-19
BLIND +AJHCkSON'S MUSIC .H0USEN'
PEOPLE WHO Aat BLIND.
Remarkable Gifts of Some Who are
Deprived Of the Blessings
of Sight.
Thew Tell Color by Touch and De-
scribe the Appearance OF
Strangers.
Four Blind People in One Family-Every
Alternate Child sigl,tless-The Won
deriul Tenant Family.

Alternate Child slSRtlesS-Ahe w on
derful Tenant Family.
P1rrsBuRa. Dec 1s.-A remarkable story
of .blind knowledge was told to your cor
respondent to-day by an Oil man who is
operating in the West Virginia petroleum
fields.
Between Pone. Town, which is the
toughest settlement in the world, and Stat
ler's Run Postof1ice, in Monongahela cour-
ty, live four blind persons-George. Malin-
da, Elizabeth and Beulah Tennant-who
can do some of the most wonderful! things
ever heard of. Ge-rge can tell the color
or breed of a horse or a COW by feeling its
hair: can tell the size and complexion of a
man after he has talked to him few min
utes describe his features quite accurately,
and tell his age. This man was born blind,
but he works on his farm much the same as
if he could see, and even drives to mill
with his grain a distance of about mile.
The girls are no less remarkable. They
are known, either personally or by repnta>
ton. to everybody in MononGahela and
Marion counties as the blind girls. They
live in modest two-story brick
farm house, where their parents lived
before them. They 90 about their house
hold duties much as other women do.
sewing, cooking, washing dishes, spinning
for the old-fashioned wheel has not yet al
together disappeared from West Virginia
and baking. In fact they do everything
necessary for their own comfort and help
some in the hilly fields of the homestead
,,h, la1 tc w
father.
"George is married and lives with his
wife and three bright-eyed children, who
can see as well AS you can, on one end OF
the farm. One sister, who Is not bind,
STAYS most of the time with the three blind
girls. Their father was a well-to-do farmer
and stock drover, considered wealthy by
his simple neighbors and he sent these
blind children away to school. They can
and do read and write quite readily. which
is more than great many of their neigh
bors with good eyes can do. Altogether
Noah Tenant and his wife had ten chill
dren, half of whom were born bind,
George was the first. The next one could
see Malinda. the oldest of the blind girls,
was born next. and the next was boy with
good eyes, and SO on--every other child
was born blind, One blind boy, Edward,
died when he was young man.
Naturally was very skeptical about the
stories heard of the blind girls and their
brother, George, and so were my fellow oil
men. However, they were vouched for by
the most responsible people at Warrington
and Fairview, and one day five of us rode
out into Jakes Run to see them ourselves
We knew they had already leased theil
lands to Charley Ford, and the leases were
held by the South Penn Oil company, but
We thought an effort to buy their royalty
would be excuse enough to introduce US
and possibly we might get the royalty, too
which, by recent Developments about Fair,
view, looks valuable. was riding q fine
Kentucky saddle horse, sorrel. which
though fine saddler, was kicker in har
ness. One of my companions bestrode (
bay Hambletonian. The others were rid
ing livery horses of mongrel breed. one, {
gray. one chestnut brown and one sorre
We stopped first at Georges house, and he
came out to the road to talk to us. We
talked business for some time. and then mp
preached the subject of his blindness. He
didn't consider it a very great misfortune
rs he was still able to work and enjoy life
"Some one suggested he could not have
the pleasure of knowing how things looked
but he said he had mental vision, ant
could tell colors by touch. He first passed
his hand over the flank of my horse and
little way down his leg, then went to hi
head and rubbed his nose. This horse,
said he, is kentucky sorrel, and is a llttl,
vicious. He kicks sometimes We wer,
stupefied. He happened next to get hold o
the other sorrel, and at once told its color
but said it was no particular breed. We al
felt the two animals as he did, and could al
detect a difference in the breed, bnt none o
us could detect any similarity to indicat
the color. He pronounced correctly on al
of our horses, and then turned his attention
to ourselves, telling us how we looked. II
was SO accurate that we looked all aroun
for confederate, but there was none. H
explained that his parents had describe
people to him and his blind sisters, an
they had come to detect differences in ton
and breathing and So on.
I'VE then went up to the brick hous
where the three blind women lived, and ,
1t was near dinner time. we begged to ste
for dinner. tell you it was astonishiI
to see those blind women getting Dime
setting the table and all that, Tn,
were little slow in their NOV
ments, and had kind of gliding motto
keeping their feet close to the floor and g
identity on the lookout for chance obstru
tons. They got US n very good dinner II
we were were greatly edited and entertai
ed while dlsposing Of it. They said tn
could easily recognize acquaintance by t
sound OF their voices, even though they II
not mel them for several years at Il tin
and could recognize their intimates
touch. 1t is the most remarkable family
ever heard of. have heard Of the acu1
ness OF the senses of touch, hearing a
smell of blind persons before, but ney
would have believed they could tell the c,
or of an animal if l hadn't seen it done.
I'VE heard many other remarkable thin
about George Tenants powers. He cot
tell if his wife was even slightly ill by
breathing, though she thought SO little OF
herself as to make no complaint. Hecol
also detect any slight illness of his sist
or friends the same way. He could tell {
of his children from the other by mer
touching finger to the rosy cheek. \
can verify these statements by reference
any resident of Mosgantown, Fairmo
Warrington. Gloyer's Gap. Burton,
any place in that section.''
Ordered Off by Indians.
DURANGO, Colo. Dec. lS.--No further n
has been received to-day of the hostile d.
onstrations by the Southern Utes. A p;
nf railroad &c