The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-05-13
NEAR SIGHTED HERO.
DEFECTIVE VISION GAINED FOR
Him a REPUTATION.


Ane average short-sighted man, %
tAia the individual with glasses "sees
nothing distinctly more than foot
away fhe faces OF people across the
street are mere pink blotches and
tneif figures are destitute OF detail OF
'oufse. through properly htted glasses
neaf-sighted man can see as well as
snypoqE. bat some folks win not wear
tnem, Oddly enough knew Of a case
Ia which failure to wear glasses actu-
any saved mans life and laid the
toanoation OF a fortune The hero of
t'le episode was a lawyer In city In
ooio' where. I spent my boyhood. He
was straight as an arrow. and a de-
eioedly handsome soldierly looking
parsonage These good looks Of his
were MS weak point. and although he
was extremely near-sighted he was
vain enough to deny himself glasses.
ana kept the fact Of his infrmity a Sc
cfet. The consequence Of this folly
was a vide reputation for haught.ness.
as he rarely recognized anybody on the
street, and Il Undoubtedly damaged
him n bis practice. At any rate. he
mad never made anything more than a
very modest living when the curious
incidenl ! have IN mind occurred. The
city government had been for long
time under ring rule, and it finally
became 50 bad that the decent people
reYoited and organized a reform move
ment The good-looking lawyer-call
him Col. Jones for convenience-was
one Of the ref0rmers. and. among 9TH
: er things. he made himself active in
securing indictments against a number
OF gambling house keepers. The boss
ringster Of the place was a typical bull
" and ward politician named Hard
ing, who was financially interested In
several of the games and naturally was
furious al any Interference He was
a giant physically, he would fight at
the drop Of hat. and the personal
fear he inspired was really the secret
Of his influence After the gambling
indictments were found he proceeded
TO use his pun 10 have them pigeon
holed. and, learning what was going
on, Col Jones was rash enough TO
write newspaper card in which he
scored the authorities for allowing
such a ruflian to defeat the ends OF
justice The colonel looked like a sol
der. but he was really a very bland
and peaceable man. and he never
dreamed that his little offusion would
get him into personal dimculty. On
the morning the card appeared he WAS
walking calmly 70 his Office when
Harding rushed out Of barroom
across the street. called him by name
and AZ the same time levelled a six
shooter at his head At that distance
an coons looked alike to the near
sighted lawyer. and turning in the
direction Of the voice he made OUT
the vague figure OF a man with out
stretched arm apparently heckoning
- him to come over A little surprised
but stin perfectly placid he started
across the street Harding glared at
him in amazement. and once or twice
was on the point Of pulling the trig-
ger: but the spectacle of that serene
AUN MtAntMtN HkNA't nHAtAA1 fANN"ttNAAfn
straight on the muzzle Of the gun, was
too much for his nerves. and before the
colonel traversed half the distance he
dropped the weapon and ignominious-
ly fed Needless 70 say the episode
made tremendous sensation and
Jones. who had sense enough to hold
his tongue. was the popular hero Of the
hour. Harding. on the contrary. was
ruined. for his prestige had disap-
peared like a fash of lightning, and, /
Unable to stand the disgrace Of the af- I
fair. he quietly sold ont his belongings
and left the city. That broke the back I
OF the ring. the reformers went into 4
control. and the colonel was elected 4
MAYOR by tremendous majority. He
served two terms. built mp one OF the \
biggest law practices in that part OF
the state and died worth nearly a quar-
ter of q million dollars He was /
distant relative Of mine. and in the F.
family circle. where his near-sighted- (
ness was well known. he owned up TO .
the facts as a good joke He said he
had vague idea when he started I
across the street that Harding was a (
former client who had promised to pay I
him fee that morning Utica Globe. /