The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-08-15
THEIR WILD RIDE.
With "a Driver that Couldn't see Cor
valiisites and Te1epath.st.

A man so b1indfolded that he
cou! !dn't see anything, and driving
a spirited span of horses at break
neck speed through the streets,
four companions in the carriage
| with him, one or more of whom
was thoroughly nervous over the
fear of being driven by the blinded
driver into the corner of brick
building or running amuck with
one of the woodsaws in operation
in the neighbornood, and scores o1
people watching with keen interest
the movements of the. carriage and
it's intrepid driver, all this was g
thrilling scene on Main street We'd
nesday afternoon Occasionally one
of the inmates of the carriage en-.
treated the driver to go slower
For Gods sake do not go so fast
but the carriage went on, swift.
unerring and safe, even if in spite
Of the fact that the driver, so far as
his sight was concerned could not
have told whether it was dark OF
daylight.
The driver named Keller was a
telepathist. He has the power ol
reading some OF the thoughts that
are in the minds of others AS he
drove his rig along, he read in the
thoughts. of those with him which
rein to pull, what direction to go
and what obstacle to avoid By
such means he passed the length Of
a dozen blocks, tnrned many cor
ners, threaded his way swiftly along
a crowded street, passed through
an obstructed street where a wood
saw had been operating, and wound
up his career safely and to the i'm
mense relief of at least some of
those in his vehicle.
In his wild drive K e11er perfor-
med remarkable feat, which SER
we'd to amaze most OF those who
saw it. This is what he did. At
his request, the big crowd about
his carriage named a committee of
four citizens to accompany him on
his hair breadth ride. Under his
instructions, this committee was to
write letter to any Corvallis busi-
ness man and to direct and seal the
S ssme, Keller not to know the name
of the party addressed. The letter
was to be put into any box selected
by the committee in the postofice
The committee of four was to go
alone in the carriage, taking the
key of the postoffice box in which
the letter was deposited. The key
the committee was to hide any
where about town, and returning to
the hotel were to be joined by Ke1-
ler who b1indfo1ded was to drive,
the carriage over the same route,
find the key, go to the postofhce
and open the box with it, take out
the letter, and still blindfolded de-
liver the letter to the man to whom
it was addressed.
Keller did it. Everything in the
that he promised he
performed. His feat, though others
IF the same character had been
lone in Corvallis, amazed all who
saw it. The committee was County
Judge Waters, E. R. Bryson, w.
4. Wells and Theo Welisher. After
hey had written and mailed the
etter. they drove to the post
,flce and deposited it in the box of |
E. Allen. While this was going
IN, Keller remained with the crowd |
it the hotel, and was of course
gnorant of the name or identity of
he man to whom the letter was adj
lressed. Who this man was none
,ut he committee knew. Taking
he key along the committee drove
lorth on Main street, turned the
,orner at the Salvation Army hall,
lrove west to the court house street
hence north two blocks and thence
:ast to Main, thence south on Main
urning the corner to the westward
It the Allen & Farra brick. When
,ut little past the latter corner they
topped, and passing through the
ear door at John Simpson S depos-
ted the key to the postofhce box
lnder a weight on the desk. Then
hey re-entered the carriage and
lrove back to the hotel.
When Keller entered the carriage
,lindfolded and took the reins for a
rive, a deep hush of expectation
ell on the crowd. None of those
n the carriage touched him, and
lone spoke word. His face was
'verspread with deep flush and
lis manner was nervous. A deep,
intense tension was apparently
Ipon him. "Think which way to
o." he ordered and away the team
vent. The pace was swift, two
witt for the nerves of Wells, who
n Efaru,o~J