Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-03-19
a cllNp MANS SKILL.
ne Has Faculties That Puzzle Persons
Who Can See.

Persons
Who Can See
1t is a well-lSnown fact that persons
who lose one or more senses often de-
velop remarkable qualities in those re-
manning. This has seldom IL ever been
shown in so notable way as i'm the
ease of Paul S. Pinkham. a resident of
Millbridge. Me-, who, though blind. has
succeeded in building, unaidcd. a better
house than most carpenters in posses
sion of all their faculties would con-
struct
Pinkham has been bereft of sight
since he was IL years old, and he is now
IS.
The house which Pinkham built is n
spacious house, with n comfortable
and roomy look, n story and half
high. with a long ell one story high,
extending back from the main house.
The clapboarding is well put on, and
the windows, doors and exterior finish
look as if done by an expert carpenter,
while the interior is rs perfect in it's
Iian and construction as one could ex-
rect. Yet Paul Pinkham. s;ghtlcss.
planned the house. and built il. There
is not stick or nail or stone or brick
roof, that he did not place there.
At FL Mr.. Pinl<ham's father, who had
been n well-to-do shipmaker, died. leav-
ing him penniless and alone. The
neighbors pitied poor blind Paul." and
II was the general accepted theory that
Paul would ere long find his way to the
town farm. Paul was made of better
stuff. Although up to that time he had
done little for his own maintenance, he
OF once set about devisinY means where
10y to,support himself. lie feared at the
outset that his blindness mig Int prove an
insurmountable obstacle TO making his
way. but he did not lie down under the
fear- He shipped with Capt. Wilson, of
kfillbridge, on the schooner Forest, and
made one trip along the coast. lie soon
discovered that some latent sense or
foculty was developing. enabling him
TO know of the presence of objects and
TO estimate distances. What this sense
Is Mr.. Pinkham cannot explain, al
though in him it, has now reached a
high stage of development
He next shipped on the schooner
Sympathy. and found the work more
easily performed. With this trip the
season was at an end. and during the
winter he added 10 his savings by saw
ing fire wood ard chopping cord wood
Then he ventured into peddling clans,
ond was fairly successful. With his
earnings he purchased a boat and fitted
it out for lobster catching. lie hired
boy TO steer the boat while he attended
70 the traps. The danger which lobster
catchers fear greatly is in being nipped
by the jaws OF Holsters when landing
them. Men with good sight are fire.
quently thus nipped and receive painful
iwounds-yet Paul Pinkham handled
his Holsters bare-hau0cd-and so nicely
was the sense of touch or prescience. or
whatever it may be termed, developed.
that he was never caught by lobster.
although he continued in tie business
for 81 years.
In addition TO his home. Pinlham has
built many boats that sail to-day near
iMillbridge, and they are all good
models and easy sailers. lie also made
some fine showcases and various other
forms of fancy woodwork. His neigh
bors generally look TO him for small
Jobs Of delicate repairing. and he turns
out the work as rapidly ard with far
less appearance Of mental worry than
many clear-visioned carpenters exhibit.
whenever set out TO do,a thing"
says Mr.. P1nkham. Il plan il in my mind.
and that picture forever remains before
me- made the plan OF this house. ar
ranged just how far back from the road
1t should sit, how high It should be and
how long and wide. saw In my mind
the shape 1t should assume before
started to make the excavation for the
cellar wall. / made the excavation, laid
the wall, raised the frame, boarded and
clspboarded il, put in the windows and
made the doors and hung them. lathed
and plastered the interior and painted
the exterior, and even topped out the
chimneys." His neiRhbors call Pink
hams house "the miracle.
fMe.) Journal.