Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-09-30
A GRAVE AFFL!CTION.
The Trouble .. n. Louderback Is Under
going With His Eyes

going With His Eyes.
Todav's Chicago Chronicle in a
column and quarter devoted to the
affection that has befallen President
ID. II. Louderback, OF the Tri-C;ty
Street Railway system, in the way of
eye troubles, says:
while he was studying the fig
ures of a lengthy contract last
Wednesday mist suddenly gathered
before the eyes of President ID. II.
Louderback. of the Northwestern
Elevated Railroad company. A swift.
intolerablc pain shot through his eye
balls and the railway magnate felt
all the terrors Of approaching blind
ness. He hurried away to his doctor
aud the doctor looked very grave and
gave orders in so stern fashion that
Mr. 'Louderback had no doubt that
the matter was very serious. Hence
he at once became a tractable and
obedient patient and will remain SO
until the doctor speaks again. For
the doctor said: If you don't stop
short you may be blind Since
Wednesday afternoon Mr.. Louder
back has been lying in a darkened
room in his house, at $40 Dearborn
avenue. To say that the room is
darkened is not doing justice to the
dense and inkv blackness which
hoycrs over the bed of Charles
Yerkes' associate in business enter
prises. 1t is peculiarly heavy and
suifocatins kind Of dark ness"
The Loss of One Eye.
The Chronicle goes further into an
account of how 90 years ago, while
woodcock hunting. Mr. Louderback,
through the accidental discharge
of the gun carried by a
friend accompanying him. lost
the sight of his left eye. The eye
which is now troubling him is
afflicted out of sympathy. The sDf-
ferer must remain in dark room
for two weeks, and the outcome will
then be awaited with the gravest
apprehension. The Chronicle says:
president Louderback's misfor-
tune of 20 years ago. which is now
recurrent. has proved about the one
untoward incident in his remarkable
career as tinancier and street railway
marnate. His tremendous capacity
for hard work and his ability to at
tend 10 a vast number of details, as
well as to grapple with great prob
lens Of finance. has survived despite
the suffering he has endured. Mat
tiers that ordinarily would be turned
over to clerks and assistants have
received his personal attention, and
it is this eagerness to know every
thing about every question which
comes before him that caused his
brea kdrown last Wednesday. He
had for days been porting over con-
tracts and specifications until his al
ready shattered sight gave out en-
tire!y and he had to make tempo
rary capitulation to nature. His
business associates believe and hope
that in view of his present warning
and affection he will in the future
spare himself more and give over a
considerable portion of his routine
duties to assistants. So far as can
be learned, President Louderback
has never mentioned the name OF the
friend of 20 years ago who is respon-
be for his great misfortune. The
identity of the man is unknown out
side the circle of the presidents most
Immediate friends, and they under
stand too we'll Mr.. Louderback's
wishes in the matter ever to speak of
it. The affair was purely accidental,
and the details OF il were never very
! WILDLY Cpowp -