The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-06-10
BLIND TOMS OLD AGE.
HIS CHARACTERISTIC DIVERSION AT
HIS HOME IN JERSEY.

Others. Has no Desire for the Com.
panionship of his Relation.
"what has become Of Blind Tom?"
This question is often asked by old
theatre-goers. who remember the days
before the war. when the gifted nruSi-
cal idiot was the star attraction in ly.
ceums, town halls and lecture rooms,
with which the simpler tastes of most
amusement seekers Of those times were
satisfied.
Tom was only a lad then, the slave
of Georgia planter, and his mental
weakness. together with his blindness,
served to increase the interest of those
who saw and heard this ignorant little
fellow, with unerring touch. draw
| from the piano-forte its sweetest and
most melodious strains as well as its
| grandest and most solemn harmonies.
The question as to Blind Toms
whereabouts can be answered best by
n tall, broad-shouldered neatly dressed
colored man, whose gray hair and
sightless eyes increase the impressive
ness of his appearance. In comfort
able cottage at the Highlands of Nave
sink, on the New Jersey side Of the
lower New York bay. This elderly
colored man is the Blind Tom of to-
day. and for several years he has
lived there in ease and comfort with
his guardian, Mrs. Eliza Lerche. who
was appointed ten years ago by Justice
Andrews of the Supreme Court as
committee of the person and prop
erty of the musician. She was then
the widow of John G. Bethune, who
had charge Of Blind Tom for many
years, and the old man was given in
to her care only after long legal
struggle with her father-in-law, James
n. Bethune.
When Mrs. Bethlne took charge of
Tom she found that his popularity as
public attraction had greatly waned
owing to the fact that he had been
before the public many years, and that
his former managers had made all the
money they could out of the peculiar
musical talent OF the simple-minded
colored man without preserving his
his worn-out repertoire with more
modern musical pieces. Tom was also
getting old, and was physically worn
out by the night and day travel con-
sequent on one-night-stand perfor-
mances. He had been handed over
to Mrs. Bethune with no money and
no property, personal or otherwise,
out Of the hundreds of dollars which
he had earned during the previous
quarter of a century. So 1t was
necessary to keep him at work
while longer to provide for his future
maintenance in case he became dis
abled by age or iDfirmities, and also
to enable him to take care Of his old
mother, who was still alive in one of
the Southern States, and looked to
Tom for support.
More than three years ago Mrs. Be
thune, who was then Mrs. Lerche.
having married Albrecht j. Lerche,
the lawyer, who had fought her legal
battles in the courts, had saved enough
money to warrant the temporary with
drawal of Blind Tom from the amuse-
ment world, SO, that he might recover
his health, and, at the. same time.
familiarize himself with modern mu-
steal compositions.
Tom enjoys his long rest, after so
many years Of incessant travel and
work. He does very little visiting
among his neighbors and receives few
callers at his cottage. He finds suffi-
cient companonship in his piano. He
passes hours at time at the piano,
playing his old pieces and practising
new ones.
In spite Of his advanced years and
his reserved, formal demeanor In COM
pany, Tom is merely an overgrown
child. and has to be carefully watched
by male nurse, specially hired for
that purpose. He has all the selfish
ness Of spoiled child, and is jealous
of any attention paid to any one else
In his presence. He has little natural
affection and cares only for those
who minister directly to his wants.
He is willing that his mother should
be taken care Of out of the money he
has earned, but he does not wish to
have her or his brother and sisters
near him, for fear that they may an
noy him or prevent his being the sole
object of the attentions of those around
him. With the exception of this child
like selfishness Blind Tom is extreme.
ly moral and religious in his habits
and disposition. He never eats with.
out first Offering a prayer, and on
Sundays will only play church music
on his piano. He will have nothing
to do with any one who drinks LIQUOR.
and will quickly order from the room
any person who uses profane or ini.
proper language In his presence.-New
York Sun.
For the ReDutatIpn of ha