Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-09-27
BLIND, BUT SKILLFUL
LYSaNDER WRlGHT'S WONDERFUL
FANCY WOODWORK.

| Toys, Frames, Boat Models and Ornaments
Turned or by a Hand Not Guided by
Sight-The Builder of the First PrOpel-
Ter Steam Launch In This Country.
One of the most remarkable men in
Newark N. j., is Lysander Wright, Sr.
He is 20 years old and has boon totally
| blind for eight or ten years. Now his only
diversion is fancy woodwork, and n part
of it includes the running of a small cir
cular saw with which he rips, crosscuts,
miters and rcslits the light lumber that he
uses in making boxes, toy houses and
picture frames If it was merely foot
power buzzsaw, his operation Of it would
be remarkable enough, but it is run by
steam power at speed Of $500 revolutions
a minute. The power comes from the ma
| chine shop of his son, Lysander Wright,
Jr., and the saw is connected with vari-
| able speed attachment controlled by a lever.
The workshop of the old man is deoorat-
ed with hundreds of ingenious specimens
of his craft in the form Of boat models,
fancy worBboxes, little log cabins, cigar
sets, ash receivers and odds and ends. Ev-
erything he makes is as accurately bal
anced as If constructed by skilled me-
chanic having full use of his eyes. OF ne
cessity he adopts novel methods of decora-
ton in his fancy woodwork, but he sell
dom makes an error Of thirty second of
an inch in spacing He fits hinges, locks
and handles to his boxes as neatly as could
be done by a cabinet maker. 1t puzzles
everybody to understand how he is able to
drive the small screws used in the work.
Laboring entirely in the dark, tho old man
CLUES, nails or screws as the case may re.
quire, making his fingers take the place of
eyes. Sandpapcr is one of his most faith
full servants, and he uses it with marvellous
skill.
Wright's use of the buzzsaw is the most
astounding thing, and people who know
about it wonder that his son has not in
terfered. The old man is extremely care
full and methodical, however, and there is
less danger than one would imagine. The
saw runs noiselessly, and Mr.. Wright in
variably feels for it with an old walking
stick which he keeps in his den and uses
in moving about the place He is con-
stantly tapping with this cane as he goes
around, although he knows within an
inch the location of everything in the
room. When he approaches the saw table
and is in doubt about the condition of the
saw, he has his safe way of ascertaining
instantly whether it is running or not If
1t is in motion, he loses perhaps quarter
of an inch from the end of his cane. If it
is still, he knows how to start it. Further
more, he knows it's exact position to the
fraction of an inch. He changes saws on
the mandrel quite deity, and if one is dull
takes it to wise of his own construction
and files the teeth with accuracy. In all
the time he has been using this saw table
he has not lost so much as bit Of skin or
the tip of finger nail. In constructing
box he puts 1t all together, mailing and
screwing the bottom and top to the sides.
Then he sets his saw and cuts all around
the boxl making close fitting lid. He
makes neatly fitted trays to go inside and
embellishes the outside with fancy brass
or woodwork.
The saw plays an important part in get
ting out the details of ornamentation from
bits of holdings, strips of wood of various
kinds and colors and turned rods. Small
panels of mahogany arc fitted into black
walnut, and Mr.. Wright seems to have an
extraordinary sense of feeling by which he
can distinguish one wood from another,
oluhOuSh uouhllg lio ID BiluNN ny Vio oitpO
and size of the pieces. His finger measure
ments are exact when he spaces the orna-
ments, although in some cases he resorts
to the use of steel rule and dividers or
ordinary compasses. He uses chisols,
planes, squares and bevels and other wood
working tools with nicely, keeping them
always in good condition.
Mr.. Wright did not do much woodwork
when he had the use of his eyes. He was
machinist one of the pioneers in his
trade in Newark. He took great interest
in boats and built and owned the first
steam launch with a screw propeller in
this country. He also made many I'M
provements in yacht engines and screws.
His pride was the steam yacht Duplex,
which is still on the Passaic. 1t was the
first boat built with two boilers and en-
gines and single screw. His two sons
have made regulations rs builders of yacht
engines and special machinery for boats
New York Sun.