Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-12-05
A BLIND MANS ORDEAL.
ENDURING PAINFUL OPERATIONS
TO REGAIN HIS SIGHT.

ENDURING PAINFUL OPERATIONS
TO REGAIN HIS SIGHT.
The Substitute For an Affiicted New
York Millionaire, He Is Sub
mitting to Many Experiments.
TT is doubtful whether any maj
has ever had an experience sc
painful, so wearying as John F,
9 Martin. He is u penniless blind
man, and the New York World ha,
told how he has agreed to submit biz
eyes to experimenters with the hope
Of regaining his sight and also afford
ing method by which millionaire
may regain his.
Charles Broadway Rouss is the New
York millionaire and he has a stand.
ing offer of $1,000,000 to the man
who can restore to him his eyesight.
He pays all of Mr.. Martins expenses.
Mr.. Rouss, though deprived of his
sight, has everything else in the world
to live for. John F. Martin, also
sightless, is without dollar in his
pocket and has nothing in the world
10 live for. He would like to die, but
doesn't believe in suicide. So when
he heard Of Mr.. Rouss's 81, 900, 900
offer and being afflicted with the same
trouble, he otferod to allow himself to
be operated upon by anybody Mr..
Rouss was satisfied with.
The thousand cranks that besieged
Millionaire Rouse, only to be turned
away, are received by Martin. He is
generous. He doesn't expect any of
hem to cure him, but he hcroically
allows each person as he comes along
TO try his skill on his poor eyes. The
sxperimenters have given him no rest.
Martin is living on the top floor of
srear tenement in Elizabeth street.
His orders are to admit everybody.
One experimenter said she was a
psychic. She declared that she was
tull of electricity, and by simply put
ting her finger-tips on Martins eye.
balls such current would be trans
mitted that he would see forthwith.
Then she put her fingers on them and
waited fer the current to come. It
didn't come. She held them there
until Martin got tired, and she left
declaring that it WAS the first time her
power had forsaken her.
Next came a man who said he had,
an absolutely sure remedy which had
been handed down as q family secret
for generations. 1t was 80 simple that
Martin would be surprised when he
told him what it WAS. 1t was simply
wet clay. This he explained he would
put on the eyes and at the end of an
hour the patient would be completely
cured.
"Trot it along" said Martin wesrily.
The stuff was plastered over his orbs
carefully and allowed to stick there
seventy minutes. Then it peeled off
and the alleged sight restorer said
"There." Holding up his five fingers
he asked Martin:
"What do you see there?'
emo, no, replied Martin, "1'm not
cnred yet"
Then came man who claimed the
championship for simplicity of cure.
me wonuerrui prvpo. I;.- .r
herbs, he said, "are old, but unknown
to the present generation. Yet the
most miraculous cures can be effected
by those who have the wisdom to un-
derstand their use. These green
leaves which I hold in my hand I
picked up in the park, yet to them
you will owe the return OF your eye
sight"
He soaked them in water and made
a poultice. This he applied to the
victim and predicted that in q few
hours objects would be discernable.
But the green leaves didn't work any
better than the clay.
Another visitor was young college
student, who explained that all that
was necessary was by the use of
knife to remove the skin, which was
obstructing the pupils, and that done
vision would be as clear as crystal.
"Begin," said Martin indifferently.
He operated for an hour with his
knife, and Martin appeared destined
to die from loss of blood. He sur,
vived, however, but not to see
Still another operation was per-
formed on Martin q week ago. DR..
Brown, of Philadelphia, cut the mus.
oles Of Martins eyes. causing them to
remain filed with blood for four days.
The operation was so painful that Mar.
tin tainted. His eyes were still dark.
''Sinoe I put myself in the hands OF
Mr.. Rouss six months ago." said Mar
tin yesterday to a reporter for the
World, II have received about six
thousand letters and about five hun
dred personal cards. I have had at
least thirty operations performed on
me, and have taken several hundred
medicinal cures. I have had needles
stuck into my head and have suffered
every torture on earth, yet to-day I
am as blind as was six months ago.
"But do not complain" he said,
with sigh, ''for God has been good
to me in sending me such friend as
Charles Broadway Rouss."
Martin was drug clerk when af.
dicted nine years ago.
Part Chicken, Part Snake.
'I'll wager you never saw chicken
like that" said Jncob Hone. of Ninth