Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-08-18
A Blind Man
With Sixth Sense

impaired senses or blind persons oIlen afe
developed TO acuteness Of an unusual de
gree. but Paul Flowerree, a blind mar
OF New London, Mo, seems to have .
sixth sense, which more than compen'
safes him for his loss OF sight.
AS a proof OF this assertion, Flowerree
is an expert and enthusiastic fox hunterl
and rides a fast horse after his hounds
across all kinds of country, by either day
or night. He has been president of the
Fox Hunters association, of Rails coun-
ty the last four years, and attends all it's
meetings.
He can go into a pack OF hounds, exam
Inc the dogs with his hands and tell
whether they are swift or slow, stupid or
alert and spotted or solid IN color. Flow
erree says the hair Of the spots is coarser
than that Of the solid patches Of color.
A hunting party of which Flowerree
was n member got lost one night after
chasing a fox over the hills and through
the valley of Salt river. The riders halt.
ed n discussed plans OF getting out Of
the woods.
Follow me. boys" said F1owerree. y
can lead you home"
The others rode after him and ne led
them out Of the woods and pack to the
roads without hesitation.
While attending a meeting of the FoS
Hunters association at Sedalia, FIowerree
was approached by a man who had a dog
70 sell. After listening to a recital OF
the dogs good points, FlOwerree stopped
and examined the animal.
I should say tn:s is a good one" he
said. calling the dog by name. Il raised
him myself"
old Rant" Is considered one Of the fin
est fox hounds In the country.
One Of Flowerree's chief delights is fish
Ing In Salt river, and his success in this
branch Of sport arouses the envy of many
anglers who have perfect eyes. He can
FOLLOW every move in a baseball game by
the sense of hearing, and can tell the ex4
act order OF finish in a horserace by the
same means.
He is an expert domino player. A blind
friend recently paid him a visit and the
two sat under a tree in Flowerree's yard
playing dominoes for hours. Flowerree
then took his friend for a walk about town
and showed him all the spots of un.
usual beauty or interest.
Flowerree knows the step as well as the
voice Of every friend. His sense Of hear,
ing tells him instantly what is taking
place around him, and he comments cor.
rectly on affairs Of the town as he walks
down the street.
Il see you are putting down a new side
walk" he says Jovially when he hears
the concrete workers moving about the
street.
A man was driving a beautiful horse
through the streets Of New London ons
day. Flowerree called to him. Il want
TO see that horse" he said. The driver
stopped and the blind man ran his hand
over the horse,
That's a fine horse said Flowerres
when his examination was finished. "Hs
belongs to the Carlisle family, is z years
old and a dark bay"
Right you are" said the driver.
Flowerree's marvellous ability seems all
most weird at times. He walks about the
town as rapidly and confidently as one
who can see, and rarely fails to guess
what the towns various sounds of in,
dustry mean.
Flowerree served two terms as treas.
urer Of Rails county and several terms
as school director and alderman In New
London. 1t is said that he knew every
tract of land in Rails county while he waA
treasurer and could give the names Of ar
owners and occupants. lis is a director
of the Bank of New London and has con
siderable property.
Flowerree's love of sports and outdoor
life was developed when he was a YOUNG
man and had as good a pair of eyes az
could be desired. In those days he was
an amateur athlete of considerable provo
ess. He was especially fond OF baseball
and his ability as a pitcher caused mani
to look upon him as a coming "phenom."
How Thackeray Created His Characters
William s. Walsh, in Columbian"
Thackeray rarely drew an out and
out portrait, though he sometimes ven.
tured on a recognizable caricature OF
people he detested. In q roundabout
paper called De Finibus he asserts hat
he creates his personages out OF
scraps, heel-taps, odds and ends OF
characters Lady n Thackeray
Ritchle corroborates this. my father"
she writes in an answer TO a private
request for information, scarcely ever
put real characters into his books.
though he, Of course, found suggestions
among the people with whom he was
thrown. / have always thought there
was something of himself in Warning
tom. Perhaps the serious part of his
nature was vaguely drawn in that
character. There was also a little like
ness to his friend. Edward Fitzgerald.
who always lived a very solitary life."
Warrington, indeed may be taken as
O typical instance OF 10Y Thackeray
made up his own personages out OF
odds and ends OF characters" In the
circumstances of his life Fitzgerald
was the closest OF all the prototypes
that rave been suggested. Like War
rington, he had married beneath him,
though not so far beneath as Warning
ton; he had found his wife utterly I'M
congenial and had left her In comfort
able circumstances to make her own
way in London In poverty and obscur-
ity. To add the final touch of pathos,
Thackeray painted W~arrington's
abandoned wife as a bad woman, which
Mrs. Fitzgerald was not, but only q
very foolish and snobbish one.
Besides the originals already sug-
gested, James r. Field hints at a fourth
In Barry Cornwall, and General James
Grant Wilson says Thackeray told a
Philadelphia that Warrington was an
English professor OF Latin.
Secret Baseball Signals.