The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-10-26

tA%1
Joha H~rssho6, neab~ of ths 1rm
Of ship6adldera, i 1t III bad Of ~ sue:
coasts Of the Arm, thosgA he has bssn
blind since be was II. he has = won
dsrlhlly reteativs memery. While work
ine 10 the Bristol shop ono day he re-
csived : telegram asking him to come to
Now York ct certain time to mset rep
resentativss Of South American Govern
ment. The telegram was from the New
York Consul of the Government, and
when Mr.. Herresho6 reached the latter's
Office at the appointed time, he was in
formed that three torpedo bosts OF =
novel design we're wanted. These boats
were to be built in sections, 80 that they
could easily be shipped on the deck Of .
steamer to theil destination. Several
other unusual conditions were attached
and then Mr.. Herresho6 was asked how
much he would build them for.
81 must have time to think it over be
said.
"How much timef"
sAbout twenty minutes"
Then this man simply sat still and
theaght. He carefully considered the
plans and specifications Of the boats, the
cost of material, the time it would take
his men to build, the mechanical possible
tiles of building them in sections a. de-
sired. These and dozen other features
of the proposition, were gone over. As
soon a. one part was duly considered he
made mental note of the result and took
up the next, finally totalling up the vari-
GUS items. At the expiration of the
twenty minutes he had his answer ready,
and it was in the affirmative. The boats
were constructed and shipped - ordered.
Friends say that when small boy as
soon az he was trusted with pocket
knife, he whitfield out miniature yachts
and bosts of all styles. At the age of 8
no built good. sized catboat for sailing
on the bay, and its lines were so full Of
power and spread that it won all the
scrub races of the day. That boat gave
the young foreigner local fame which
is now only bounded by the circle of the
earth. All that he had seen prior to his
affection he can summon up before him
and his memory in this respect down to
the minutest detail is most remarkable.
From description he can set up himself
a most intricate piece of machinery and
explain its workings and defects. 1t was
he who invented the coil boiler as ap-
piled to extraordinary fast steam vessels.
He attends solely to the making of con-
tracts for steam craft, and only recently
was in Washington consulting with Of
ficials of the Navy Department.
Mr.. Herreshoff, as the noon hour comes
around, goes to the hatstand, and, al
though there may be half-dozen hats
and coats hanging upon it, he picks his
own out without tumble and goes of to
his luncheon. In the afternoon he often
goes down to the boat slip, where the
boats are built, and seemingly watches
the progress of the work. If stranger
is about he kindly explains all the work,
and tells more about the boat in five min.
utes than the layman could understand
IN five weeks by simply looking at it.
This blind man with his wonderful men.
tai powers and his acute sense of touch,
accomplishes more in day than many
do in month. He is close to go years
of age now, and so perfectly has he &C.
customed himself to work without seeing
that friends say he has converted his mis-
fortune into on advantage.-Ch Chicago
News.