Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-04-25
IT MADE HIM A HERO.
AN ACT THAT BROUGHT a LAWYER
FAME AND FORTUNE.

FAME AND FORTUNE.
II Looked Like an ExhibitiOn OF
Pure Nerve and Daring, hut In
Reality 1t Was simply nm Outcome
of His Observation-Disclosures.
ga person who enjoys good eye
sight" said a man who most decidedly
does not, would be greatly %astonished
to know, how little is seen by $thosewf
are ne~arsighted ever in a moderate de-
gree. The average shortsighted man,
Of whom there are hundreds in every
large city, sees nothing distinctly more
than a foot away from his nos Be
yond that distance the outline of OBJ
jects becomes hazy and indistinct,
growing rapidly more and more ST un-
til everything is finally merged into
one general blur. The faces of people
across the street are mere pink blotch-:
es, their figures are destitute Of de-
tail, signs are indecipherable 80 feet
away, and the whole movement Of traf-
bic and passing show of. the thorough
fare is a misty panorama, in which
nothing much smaller than a cab can
be definitely distinguished.
q s"Of course q nearsighted person an
see as well as anybody through prop
erly fitted glasses, but a great many
folks regard them as such a disfgure-
ment that they prefer to do without
their aid. That kind of pride is GER
tainly. very foolish because it causes
one to miss at least nine-tenths OF
what is going on, to say nothing Of be-
ing an open invitation to accident.
Yet, oddly enough, I know of a case in
which 1t actually saved a mans life
and laid the foundation Of a fortune.
."The. hero. of the episode was q law
yer in a city in Ohio where ! spent my
boyhood. He was beyond middle age
at the time. but was straight as an ar
row and a decidedly handsome, soldier
~ looking parsonage. These goodlooks
Of his We're his weak point, and al
though he was extremely n~earsighted
he was vain enough to deny himself
glasses and kept the fact of his in
trinity a secret. The consequence Of
this folly was a wide reputation for
haughtiness. as he rarely recognized
anybody on the street, and it undoubt-
eddy damaged him in his practice. At
any rate, he had never made anything
more than a very modest living when
the curious incident I have in mind oc-
CURED. 5 iii
t'The city government had been for q
long time under ring rule" continued
the story teller, t.and it finally became
SO bad that the decent people revolted
and organized a reform movement. The
good looking laWyer-can him Colonel
Jones for OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES one of the
reformers, and, among other things, he
made himself active in securing in
dictments against a number Of gam
bling house keepers. IA. !
tesThe boss ringster of the place was a
typical bully and ward politician nam.
ed Harding. who was financially inter-
ested in several Of the games and nat
urally furious atany interference. He
was a giant physically, he would fight
fear be. inspired was really the secret
OF his influence. After the gambling
indictments were found he proceeded
to use his pull to have them pigeon
holed, and, learning what was going
on, Colonel Jones was rash enough to
| write q newspaper card ins5which he
scored the authorities for allowing such
a rufian to defeat the ends OF justice.
"The colonel looked like a soldier, but
he was really a very bland and peace
able gentleman, and he never dreamed
that his little efusion would get him
into personal difficulty On the morn
ing the card appeared he was walking
calmlyst to his Office when Harding rush
ed out OF q bar across the street, called
him by name and atsthe same time lev
eled a six shooter at bis head. At that
distance all eoons looked alike to the
nearsighted lawyer, and, turning in Tie
direction Of the voice, he made out the
vague figure or aanlan with outstretch-
ed arm apparently reckoning him to
come over. 8
"A little surprised, but still perfectly
4 placid, hey started to, cross the street.
Harding giared at him In amasement
and once or twice was on the point OF
pulling the trigger. but the spectacle
Of that serene and dignifed figure
calmly advancing straight on the muz.
zle of the was too much for his
nerves, and before the colonel trayers
ed half the distance he dropped the
weapon and tignominiously fled.
Needless to- say, the episode made 8
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 disappeared like 8
flash of lightning, and, unable TO stand
the disgrace 81 the affair, he quietly
sold out hts belongings and left ths
city. That broke the back sof the ring
4 fln ,anESr,x ~ srynn& Sy.fo go