The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-03-07
BLIND MAN CONQUERED
HIS GREAT INF|RM|TY
Htw Joseph Warwick Earned liv-
ing Despite His Total Loss of
Vision.

The death of Joseph Warwick, of Bar
ton, Allegany county, commonly called
Blind Joe," which occurred on the
9th day of February, ends the career
of remarkable character in many re-
spects. He was born November It'll,
1885, in what is called The Swamp, in
Garrett county. His fathers name was
Joseph Warwick and his mother S
maiden name was Elizabeth Fazenbaker.
There were eight in the family, three
brothers and five sisters, all now dead
excepting one or two. All his life has
been spent in Garrett and Allegany
counties, and he had never been farther
away from home than to Cumberland
From his earliest recollection his eye
sight was poor, and at no time of his
life was he able to see perfectly. Some
time in early manhood the sight of one
eye was completely destroyed by an
accident. Up until he was thirty years
of age he did all kinds Of work, such as
numbering, farm work, made shingles
and [anything that came to hand. 1t
was while making shingles that the loss
of the remaining eye occurred, about
40 years ago. To give it in his own
words he said: Il was making shingles
on hill side, and had gotten up to get
some more wood, and slipped and fell
on locus stump which had been broken
off and left some sharp sphnters stick
ing up, and one of them ran into my
eye"
He was never, at any time, solicitor
of charity. He grubbed and cleared
land, made saw logs, worked for the
farmers, could pitch hay, NOW, rake and
bind grain, make shingles and in fact
do many things as well as person that
could see. For years before the pine
timber was exhausted he made shingles
during the winter months which he took
to the stores, and traded for such COM
modities as his necessities required.
He could make from five to six hundred
per day, and found ready sale for them
at S. and Sc per thousand. There was
never any difficulty in disposing of his
product as he had reputation for max
ing first class shingle, and there is no
doubt that there are houses in Lonacon-
ing and Barton today that are covered
with the product of his hand. After the
single wood was exhausted it was
necessary for him to turn his attention
in other directions for the means of a
livelihood. This was accomplished by
bringing into action his natural
mechanical abilities and he began the
making of pick handles. This occupa
ton he followed for years, and he was
familiar figure on the streets of Barton
and neighboring towns with bundle of
handles for sale to the miners, or at one
of the stores. That his product was
first class is attested by the price he
would receive; viz, Is cents, when the
turned or factory handle could be had
for 10 cents.
1t is certainly remarkable the ability
he had in getting around in the woods.
He would start out to the mountains in
search of suitable tree for handles,
and when one was found that suited
him, it was soon felled by the stroke of
his ak and the part that was suitable was
chopped off and carried to his shack
where it was worked up. 1t is said of
him that he could go for miles in the
thickest of the woods and never get
lost. He could invariably tell the di-
rection tree would fall and could chop
it so that it would fall in the right
direction. In this he was never known
to make a mistake. Some times it
would be necessary to leave an imple-
ment. No difference how far in the
mountAia it was, he could return to the
exact spot and find the article he had
hidden. In many respects he was
privileged character. The farmers
usually gave him permission to take such
trees as he wanted.
Owing to his poor eyesight in his
younger days, he never yearned to read;