The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-18
SOGHTlESS MEN ARE NOT J0BlESS
BLIND.

he lost his sight whcn : years of age.
he was so clover With his hands and
so good a musician that cVe as a boy
he could make several varieties of
musical instruments. He early had
learned to play upon the organ and
at the tender g Of Is had the amaz-
ing desire to construct one.
1t was this Very large ambition that
led him into a prank that helped to
Keep his am famous To gain more
KNOWLEDGE of organ construction he
concealed himself in the cathedral at
Carlisle. and when every one else had
left the building he felt around among
the organ pipes and gained the facts
that he desired. But. forgetting that
it was now about midnight he sat
down at the key board and began to
play some of his favorite pieces. The
neighbors, aroused from slumber. We're
astounded at this midnight music!
some thought an angel or spirit was
playing the organ. At last some one
brought a light into the cathedral and
discovered the blind musician. He was
reprlmanded for this intrusion. but
was given permission to play the or.
gan at more s%easonable hours.
In the curse of a short time he
bullt several organ hat worked to
perfection.
Several blind men have been sue
cessful inventors in a small way. One
of these was Alexander Davidson,
bind from his seventh year. who con-
tlnued his studies and passed through
the University of Edinburgh. To his
rleVerness was due the invention OF a
very important apparatus for relieving
the mining pits of carbonic acid gas.
Another British inventor among the
blind was Thomas Wilson. who lived
before the days of rapid machinery
and big factories. He not only gained
devised a special lathe and some new
tools for that line of work. A Massa :
chusetts man Who was stone blind in
vented the "Wunder Mop" and the
machinery for making it. He also in
vented an improved track broom for
use on street car rails.
1t would take a long time to enum-
crate all the trades, professions and
arts which the blind have successfully
fame as the blind traveller" and
Francois Huber. a Switzerland. was
called the blind naturalist" Vidal
was a sightless sculptor. OF more re-
cent date is the career of T. p. Gore,
the blind senator from Oklahoma.
Henry N. Couden was even more
noted in Washington. being chaplain
Oh the mouse OF representatives for
many years. Edward Crowell was a
professor of Latin at Amherst for
more than twenty years. Nicholas
S~aunderson and DR.. Henry Moves not
only lectured to seeing people but were
actually able to give learned talks on
optics-the science of vision. DR.,
Moves had the honor of being the first
blind man to perform chemical ex.
periments in connection with a public
lecture.
A very noted instance of a blind
man in active business is found in the
career of John Herreshoff, the boat
builder. who was blind from his fif-
teenth year. While it is true that the
success of the business was due to his
sighted brother. Yet many of the mos
important decisions Of the company
were made by the blind man, it's pres
1dent. 1t was said of him that "by
passing his hand over a model of a
ship he could tell more about its value
than most men who have the use of
their eyes,"
Another noted blind man in Ameri-
ca was the late Walter J.. Campbell,
who was one of the campaign speakers
on Bryan's side in the great free sill
yer battle a few years ago. Mr.,
Campbell lost his sight when 5 wears
of age. owing to the carelessness of n
playmate. who threw a clod of dirt
' square in his eyes. Nevertheless