Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1896-11-24
EruItIess Operations Undergone
by CharIesB roadwaYRouss
Substitute

nv OndTI6So Oa0 W0IiAOaoS |
Substitute.
Charles Broadway Rouss, the mil
lionaire, has a standing offer of ST.
GOO. 600 to the nan who can restore
TO him his eyesight. John f. Mar
tin, also siehtless, is without a dol
lar in his pocket and has nothing in
the world TO live for. He would like
to die, but he dosen't believe in sui
side. So when he heard of Mr.. Rouss'
81, 900. 600 offer and being afflicted
with the same trouble, he offered to
| allow himself TO be operated upon by
anybody Mr.. Rouss was satisfied
with, Mr.. Rouss paying all the *
penses.
The thou sand cranks that bcsieged
Millionaire Rouss only TO be turned
away are received by Martin. He is
generous. He dosen't expect any of
them TO cure Lin, but he heroically
allows each person as he comes along
to try his skill on his poor eyes. The
experimenters have given him no
rest.
Martin is living on top floor of the
rear tenement at No. 1872 Elizabeth
street. His orders are to ad nit ~
erybody. One experimental said she
was a psychic. She declared that
she was full of electricity and by sim
ply putting her finger tips on Mar
tins eyeballs snch a current would
be transmitted that he would
sec forthwith. Then she put her
fingers on them and waited for the
current TO come. 1t didn't come.
She held them there until Martin got
tired and she left, declaring that il
was the first time her power had for
saken her.
Next came a man who said he had
an absolutely sure remedy viii ch had
been handed down as q family secret
for generations. 1t was so simple
that Martin would be surprised when
he told him whatit was. 1t was sim
ply 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 wear
lily.
The stuff was pIastered over his
orbs carefully and allowed to stick
there seventy minutes. Then it
pealed off and the alleged sight re-
storer said There" Holding up
bis five fingers he asked Martin:
What do yon see there?,,
mo, no, replied Martin, 'I'm not
cured yet"
Then came a man who claimed the
championship for simplicity of cure.
The wonderful properties of
herbs" he said, ''are old but I'M
known to the present generation.
Yet the mos: miraculous cures can be
effected by those who have the wis
dom to understand their use, These
green leaves which / hold in my hand
1 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 10 the
victim and predicted that in a few
hours objects would be ''discernible.
But the green leaves didn't work
any better than the clay.
Another visitor was a young college
student, who explained that all that
was necessary was by the use of a
knife to remove the skin, which was
obscuring the pupils, aud that done,
vision would be as clear as crystal.
Begin" saidMartin ,indiferently.
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
muscles of Martins eyes, causing
them to remain filled with blood for
four days. The operation was so
painful that Martin tainted. dis
eyes were still dark.
''Since l put myself in the hands
of Mr.. Rouss, six months ago." said
Martin, Il have received about SIX
thousand letters and about five
hundred personal calls. / have had
at least thirty operations performed
on me, and have taken several hum
dred medicinal cures. 1 have bad
needles stuck into my head and have
suffered every torture on earth, vet
to-day 1 am az blind rs 1 was six
months ago.
''But l do not complain" be said,
with a sigh, ''for God has been good
to me in sending me such a friend as
Charles Broadway Rouss."
Martin was a drug clerk when af-
ficted nine years ago.
[New York World.