Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-12-25
THEY ARE lNSEPARABL E
NEW YORK CRoNIEs, OLD BLIND
TOM AND OLD BLIND JOE.
y Pair Of Cheerful Tranps Who Have
Travelled Together for
Twenty Years.

Let me have your hand. Joe. so that
can know you approve of what I saw"
said Old Blind Tom yesterday. rs he
ana his companion of twenty years, Old
b1lnd Joe, sat III the ante-room off War
den Fox's office in the workhouse on
BlackwelFs island, prepared to give an
interview to World reporter regarding
Their remarkable friendship, which re
suited IN old Toms Imprisonment. al
though he had committed no offense.
Old Bind Joe pushed his thin hand
into the plump hand of Old Tom and
the latter began his narrative. He first
told OF the arrest of Old Blind Joe on
Sunday night on charge of mendicancy.
Joe was taken before Magistrate Moss
III the night court and sentenced to fen
days in the workhouse. Another case
had been called and Magistrate Moss
was preparing to hear it when Old Tom
raised his voice.
What is to become of me, judge?'
he asked. IF we are separated l will
die. We hooked up twenty years ago
and have never been separated since
then. Please send me to the workhoLse,
too"
Sc it was that Blind Tom was commit
ted to the workhouse with Blind joe
They were entere / on the records under
their full names, Thomas Brennan and
Joseph Eeilly.
You people who are blessed with eve
sight cannot realize how much Joe and
l are to each other" said old Tom.
such friendship as ours is not known
to you. We have plodded the streets
hand in hand day after day for twenty
years or more, and have gone to sleep
at night with our fingers intertWined
could not live without soc, and Joe
would die if he did not have me-
I'VE met in the almsnouse when Joe
was young man. Joe lost his sight
face with a ball, and | lost my sight by
a fall which injured my spine. l might
have saved my sight if | had taken care
of myself, but [ didn't, and gradually
things began to blur before my eyes. In
a year L was totally blind.
1T was only natural that Joe, being
blind, should single me out as his com
panion in the almshouse. That is how
our friendship started, and we have
stuck to each other ever since One
day one of the inmates of the aImshouse
iostled Joe, and l interfered. The man
then turned on me and was going to
strike me. Although l could not see
ing place. and like flash | raised my
hickory cane and brought it crashing
down on his skull. He was not badly
hurt. but the officials accused me of be-
ing a trouble-maker, and [ was dis
charged from the almshouse. Joe said
he would not stay there without me, 50
we went out to face the world together.
THAT is about all there is to it. We
sang on street corners for pennies and
generally earned enough to pay for lodg-
ing and food. We have always made
it rule to be happy. Happiness and
sorrow are all obtained for one price,
and we chose to be happy. We are not
sorry at being sent to the workhouse-
The weather is cold, and this is fair
refuge. So long as we are together we
do not care.
eff We could be returned to the alnas-
house we would ask for nothing better.
We would not give the officials there oc-
caSion again to turn us out.
Warden Fox, who was present at the
interview, promised Old Tom that he
would try to arrange to have them placed
in the almshouse at the expiration OF
their terms in the workhouse.
Old Blind Tom and Old Blind Joe We're
familiar characters in the white light
district Theatergoers will remember the
pathetic old pair who night after night
walked the streets, Joe i'll front hitting
the sidewalk with his hickory cane and
Tom following, holding his hand.-New
York World.