The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-07-11
BLIND MAN s
PLUCK WINS
OVER ODDS
HlIIAI HFftd
Travelling Man Many Years,
Now a Successful
Merchant
s-s--sa-e-Fsss-s---as

Hamburg, la July l.-sEmployea
as travelling salesman thirty QUO
years, blind four years Of that time
Ia touch during a quarter OF a cen
tury with men who made the econ
omio history OF the United states
such IN brief Is ae life record OF w
+ Green, at 81 years. That he was
born IN pike county, Missouri, IN
1883 THAI he Is cousin 10 Champ
lark, and that the avenues to wealth
seemed opened 10 him and that che
door of opportunity .osed arc hut
minor FACTS underlying the philos
ophy ana social life oi i blind man
who IL happy cheerful and success
fnl
Twenty-Five years ago ne lived ip
ST. Louis and WAS employed as q to-
baeco salesman and expert Among
tae men rising In prominence az the
time in the tobacco world were
Moses Weimore. ]. =. Drunmond, J.,
G. Butler and Lggett and Myers, All
ol them We're his friends Even IN
those days the tobacco trust was
slowly forming Some men wanted
in and became wealthy. Some re-
manned out Mr.. Green did not 30
in. He was young then. All OF bic,
beautiful glowing, rich in coloring
and harmonies. was before him. Why
should he become a cog in great
machine? Why not be independents
Took Road from Omaha.
He gave up his beautiful rooms IN
the Mermod 4 Jaceard building IN
St. Louis and accepted a position
with Gr0neweg Il Schontgen whole
sale grocers Of Omaha Neb Then
followed fifteen busy. happy years.
Honors came to him such as sales
men desire He was elected 70 the
executive board OF the iowa State
travellers association. He filled thaC
position for about fifteen years; in
fact be is by courtesy an honorary
fnehiber OF the board now During
those Yeats he fofiped a very wide
circle df triendsliip saitang grocers
and tratayse saleamen FIFE was an
authority un grocers
s0
Iii il happy cat8-free fasnion he
dipped slightly liptu politics, Hi liK
ed to attend CONVENTIONS, meet the
fellows, make the wellsin ring He
was one of those whp made tne
laifiolss trip TO New Yefk SUPPORTING
ana championing Bryan Also he at
tended the Democratic National con
yentipn In 1904, when Parker vas
4ominated He was itaping Il good
itfse One Incident he Will never
forget There, for the FIRST time, hn
.snrhed that his left eye was blind
Ie had RifEerHd .lo pain, He did not
xilnw that Ills sight was affected
Ier Does ho4 KNOW when that eye
vent blind Sight may have been
gone some days, or that eye may
nave become blind as he sat in the
Either way he was unl
OF the change when IT oc-
,urred. He started TO walk across
/ corner Of the stage. Flags were
lylng Bunting was everywhere. lie J
rhe fates first blow had .allen He
vas blind
0culists gave him no hope. The /
erve was iarillyzed But one good /
,ye renamed. He was hardly dis
ommoded The convention became
history Mr. Green returned to his /
york on the road.
one day by the merest chance, he /
earned that his right eye was not
eeing clearly A sign, which he
ad often read before, became dim
ned. Then. day Ay day week BY !
eek, month by npnth, he ested /
lat eve. II was falling, He visited
he great oculists They gave him
10 hope Month following month
he world faded from ms view.
mile he could. he Travelled as before,
lone Later a boy led him, and dut
ng the next four years he greeted
Is old friends. listened TO lhelr yOic
s, clsaped their hands, sold them
oods but for him the lamp was out;
II was dark.
Tie is selling goods yet His wite
with him They have a store here
! Hamburg. Such Is his knowl
ige of merchandise ana so thorough
: does he know his store and its
tock that without a moments hest
ancy he goes TO any part of the
oom. picks out any desired article
aotes its price and quality with Ger
.iuUy. And SO busy yet earning
yng making some money, he IS
progressive and happy.
Though for him day is night and
I the lamps are out