The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1898-09-24
POOR BLIND TON.
HOW THE ONCE NOTED MUSICIAN
oASSEs THE SUMNER.

In old fashioned St Marks place, Just
east of the busting Bowery. stands an
old fashioned marble stopped dwelling
that Is a marked spot in that noisy quar-.
ter of the town At varying inter yals
daily the music Of a sweet toned piano
floats softly from he interior of the old
house and mingles delightful harmony
with the dull hum OF traffic in the popu
lous thoroughfare Men and women bur
rying to and fro in the street stop often
and listen to the strains The fingers
the: SO deity touch the keys and draw
such wondrous symphonies from the In
strument are those of a stripping big
negro who sits at the piano In the spacious
back parlor. and for hours sometimes
those residents who are fortunate enough
TO have living quarters in the houses In
Ninth street whose back windows look
upon the rear porch of the old fashioned
dwelling lave a rare and delightful treat.
Every once In while the stalwart Afr
can viii start up from his seat and rush
out upon the porch and pace up and down
like an imprisoned animal beating his
chest and moaning piteously A railing
that reaches above lis waist completely
cuts off 'egress TO the little garden patch
that blooms N inc back yard and he runs
his hand along 1t as If he were trying 10
find a stairwar &c the garden
How are you. 1om7 What's the mat
teri" some one who has been listening Is
sure To say when he musician m&fes
such sudden appearances on the porch
Their greeting IL always CHEEKY. for all
the listeners know we'll that the big
chested negro is none other than Blind
Tom. the famous Ethiopian pianist Tom
never appears In public tie Is suffering
from some nervous complaint that ren
ders q repetition VI his stage perform
lnces impossible
For hours daily be tramps up and Town
the porch in his Slippered feet clad In
blue trousers and dark flannel yachting
shirt bareheaded and uneasy He behaves
like an imprisoned bear. at times crouch
ing on all fours or dancing up and down
N a mysterious delirium lie has worn
, ridge in the flooring. of the porch near
the hand rail by his restless promenade
% and fro Music OF harmonious sounds
seem to be the only influences that ever
livert him from . IN these capers on the
porch
One Sunday recently the chimes In
Grace church steepe on broadway began
to n x. and the echoes. softened by tie
distance Iney had tiRversed. struck Toms
,ar with sweet Naturalization that
rprodueed note by note the beautiful
hymn, Nearer my God to Thee"
In an instant the bl nded giant ceased
liz tramp on the porch. and, resting his
iand on the railing. raised his sightless
y,, q the sky and turning his head IN
3e direction of the chimes. stood like o
tdtHo. listening with rapt attention to
In. In oil
hialy and waiting some moments 10
ieal II they would continue. he CROPPED
ais way through the open window into
he parinr. and seating himself at the
piano, rarI his fingers over the keys In a
sudden inspiration What he played was
~ Imitation. as perfect as the piano
could allow. of the music of the chimes
.om repeated the same stirring imitation.
Wien little later the chimes again rang
sat upon the june breeze
Then he r,se from the piano. went oni
~ the perch and listened In q eurionsly
iGcui WAY Ia the noise made by the flap
lng win,e- al fork OF pigeons whose
one l., baii against tho wall Of an ad
oin,ng ba'tSe
qbe NJ meantime rose SO that its hot
avs broke past the shade Of tree in the
,ardch an'! beai against the side partition
Il the porch The big negro leaned on
lis hand against the partition lie with
rev IL the moment he felt the heat The
ensation seemed to puzzle him. for he
placed his hand on the partition again.
withdrew IL a second time and began to
trol;e ii and to ponder lie stood In this
way stroking his hand for many moments
Then he looked up and smiled Ii had
lawned upon him at last that what he
had felt was sunshine He held both
hands aloft and CROPPED In the air until he
discovered by his sense of feeling that he
was standing in the rays of the sun. He
remained OH the spot motionless, with his
sightless orbs opened wide 10 the golden
Jays. and laughed with the glee of child
.gho had found new plaything
One day last week when lie had found
she sunlight In this same cropping way
servant girl. with high Keyed. discord
ant voice. began to sing White Wings
IS loudly as she could She was at work
in dwelling some distance from Toms
house, but he heard her voice distinctly
Il appeared to CRATE upon his nerves ter
ribly, and he dashed up and down the
porch in rage and finally turning his
face in he direction Of tho singer. he let
loose the vocal batteries of his wrath full
npon her
shut up. cant your he screamed
'You ought to be ashamed OF yourself to
make slich = frightful noise
lie pom d on, .etGae in this frantic
style for many minutes. whiie tenants OF
surrounding houses who had strongly
grounded prejudice themselves against
the servau, girls vocalization. roared
with laughter
His method II coupllmenttng good
musicians Is as tiattering as this rebuke
Of discord is severe and maddened. There
are some cultivated vocalists and pianists
IL tho Ninth street flats whose rear win
dows look out on his porch. and he stands
AID listens. smiling whenever the trained
voices practice, u the pianists. who. In
this instance are young women, play
Then he dives into hts parlor and plays
the music of the song or repeats the
piano air on his own grand piano. II Ii .
mighty popular way of showing his ap
probation.
Day by day passes thus in the old
fashioned house. with tho afflicted blind
musician awaiting the new delights thai
come from unexpected harmonies of sound.
Watched by guardian. freed Of all care
and giving himself up to the whims and
emotions Of an eccentric personality. thi,
strangely inspired black genius lives for
ell the world like some petted child In q
play house. Alternately petulant and
cheerful like a child he plays when the
inspiration moves him with his captivat
Ing toy. the sweet toned grand plano. or
grores in blind chase after the beautiful
but unseen sunbeams, or drinks III with
all the enthusiasm Of u genius the varied
melodies of singing birds. or tintinnabu
lating chimes, or the harmonies OF tie
human voice Therefore. despite his at
ELECTIONS. Blind Tom cannot but be IL