The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-03
JACK OF KNAREsBoRoUGH.
Blind Road Maker and Some of His
Most Astonishing Achievements

We think generally that it is a very
modern thing TO train blind children TO
be at ease in going about, TO get them so
they can walk and run and play without
awkwardness and fear and real danger
TO themselves. And so 1t is. so far as the
teaching in schools goes. Wonders are
done now, and wise teachers are ali the
time studying how TO help the blind in
! this way more and more, though the most
wonderful of all the physical feats of the
blind was when Prof. Campbell, a blind
man. guided a party of blind boys up
Mt. Washington, and that happened some
years ago.
But before any teachers were studying
the reduction of the physical helplessness
OF the blind, there were blind people who
did Great things in training themselves.
The rirst extensive maker of good roads
in modern England, the first, that is.
since the days when the Romans made
man. He was called Blind Jack of
knaresborough.' and his surname was
Metcalf.
He was born in III, and smallpox took
away his sight when he was years old.
In a few years he was playing with the
other boys almost as IL he. TOO. could
see; he went bird-nesting, rode 10
hounds swan so we'll that one time and
another he saved three boys from drown
ing. and played on the violin. AS he
grew older ne bought horses and was
very fond of racing them; one time
new course was worked out, and he was
thought he'd be sure 10 lose his way and
so lose the race. but he hired 20 men TO
stand on the edge of the track at diner
ent points and ring dinner bells, and the
sound guided him and he won the race
After this, a gentleman who owned
horse that was VIGOROUSLY given 10 run
ming away, offered to wager Blind Jack
that he could not gallop that horse for 30
yards and then stop him within 200 yards
of the starting point. Metcalf TOOK the
wager. and then what did he noE he
If<xr r<d oh
ard he arranged il so that after the hrst
so wards he should ride straight into
bog; he had people at hand TO help MIN
out. for the horse sank to the belly long
before the 200-yard limit was reached; the
wager was won, but it took great deal
of work to get the horse out.
GAGE Metcalf met stranger at DUSK
who had lost his way; it was on the
road from York to Harrogate, a road full
of winnings. and in many places just a
rough track across wild moor blnd
Jack brought the gentleman safe TO MS
inn. and was asked in to have drink
with him. After a time the stranger Cd
served aside to the landlady that ne
feared his guide was drinking toe much
What makes you think SOL! asked the
Why, there is such queer look IN MS
eyes," said the other. o
His eyes, quoth the old friend: "Oh. /
sir. it's a misfortune, not fault, you |
SEQ in his eyes-hes stone blind.
The traveller turned around and asked |
Metc.lf if 1T was true he was pllnd- !
Why" he cried, when he got MS an
swer, ''if I'd known that would not have
Travelled that road from York with you |
for a thousand pounds"
And l. SIR said the blind man, would
not have lost my way and yours for ten
Metcalf as a road engineer, built
bridges culverts and retaining walls that
are still standing and still unsurpassed IN
England He went over the ground, stan
in hand, making himself acquainted with
every detail Of natural conformation, and Il
his skill in overcoming difficulties was ex-