The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18
BLIND TOM IN RETIREMENT.
His Characteristic Diveruion. In ITS ceutentc'
cid AGE.
"what has become of Blind Tomf'

ola AEe.
"what has become Of Blind Toni
This question is often asked by old theatre.
goers, who remember the days before the war.
when tho gifted musical idiot was the star at
traction in lyceums, 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 n Georgia
planter, and his mental weakness, together with
his blindncss, served to increase tho interest OF
those who saw and heard this ignorant little fell
low, with unorrinR touch, draw from tho piano
forte Its sweetest and most mclodious strains as
we'll It's Rrandost and most solemn harmonies.
The question as to Blind Toms whereabouts
can DO answered best by a tall. broad-shoul-
dercd, neatly dressed coiorod man, whose gray
hair and slghtlcss eyes increase the impressive
moss Of his appearance, in n comfortable cottage
at tho Highlands OF Navcsink, on the New Jersey
side OF the lower New York bay. This elderly
colored man is tho Blind Tom Of to-day, and for
several years ne has lived there In case 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 property of the musician. She
had charge OF Blind Tom for many years, and
the old man was given into her caro- only after a
long legal struggle with her father-in-law.
When Mrs. Bothune took charge. of Tom sho
found that his popularity as a PUBLIC attraction
had greatly waned, owing 10 the fact that he
had been before the public many years, and that
his former managers had made oil tho money
the simpie.minded coiored man without pre-.
serving his value as an attraction by replacing
e,i y %ers;ou! T eSpe wS. sl wlta aei nGTe o %9d snd % Wa.
physically worn out by the night and day travel
CONSEQUENT on ope.night-stand p~erformanGes.
thune with no money and no property. per.
sonal or otherwise, out Of the hundreds Of
during the previous auorter Of a century. So it
was necessary to keep him at work a while e
tossG he % Ss pr1ntesd i io y hes 1 bH aTe m or ah
and also to enable him to take care Of his old
mother. who was still, alive In one of the South
About three years ago Mrs. Beihqnse,, who, was
then, Mrs. Lerche, having, married AlbreCht J.
ties in the courts, had saved enough money to
warrant the, temporary withdrawal o., Blind
miRbt ir reeov enG his sh beaiiS. and, w "t he same SO aet tim nc
familiarize himself with modern musical COM
positions.
Tom enjoys his long rest, after SO many years
Of incessant travel and work. He does very
little visiting among his neighbors and RECEIVES
companionship in his piano. He passes hours at
a time at the piano: playing MS GId PIECES and
faculty predominates. as the notes he picks out
are usually the reproductions Of sounds that he
piece n entitled, what VII. The wind and the waves
Told Tom, in which he initiated the whistlinG
storm and the crash o. thunder. .
When not a. the plane Tom amuses himself
aginary receptions, at which the weather. new
styles In dresses and like topics are discussed by
way that is very comicai. but he will not do it Il
he knows there is any one listening to him.
In spite of his advanced years and bis re
served. formal demeQDOr in company, ION IL
merely an overgrown child. and has to be care
f fSr ih wa1 parn1. BY T he n has ali np tse s spfsGisanly si Of :
paid to any one else in his presence; He has LITTLE
minister directly to his wants. He is willing thai
his mother should be taken care of out Of th'
money he has earned. but he does not wish Il
have her or his brother and sisters near him, fol-
fear that they may annoy him or prevent hi
ssouna ah him so'e % Selsst tS 1t e sRe nttSn' Of this IS e ehHs'
like selfshness Blind Tom Is extremely mora
and religious IN his habits and disposition: H'
oa Sundays day W will play H only CHURCH music on hi
piano: He viii have nothing 10 do with any on
the room any person who uses profane or I'm
proper Language in his presence. He is usual!
very polite, but cannot abide a bore. AM
when a member of the l%ong.winded fraternitl
trieste ma Ike him a victim Of his talk. the bi.
tn1n b %s snv 9TinS Ss4 his a 'Srmsr!or ! " Si.h ne @ Fog go'
have talked long enough. Good.by!.'
1t was, only after the conclusion OF Mrs
LfECut . iOuR ickui tohlCot tutt niolhci aiu soi
were together again for the first time sine
Toms infancy, but after the novelty of their re
union had worn away it was evident that thei
tastes and te~mperamcnts were so utterly a
variance that there was little likelihood of thei
living happily together: Fate had kept, then
apart too long. Toms clouded mind could no
realize what his mother had suffered during
their long separation. Fourscore years Of M
had made her n withcred-up. irritable old wo
man, set in her ways. and not at all rcconciled Il
the fact that she found the baby for, whom sh,
had mourned so many years. turned into a pre-
maturely aged man, fixed in his habits an,
strangely lacking in the natural affection h
should have for her. So Charity Virgins wen
back to her old homo In Georgia TO 1.-Two with he
other children, whose ways she understands.