Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-01-02
new news Of YESTERDAY
Story of a Pair of Most Remark
=: ably Keen Eyes.
Captain Leslie coombs Bruce, Famous
,Markkman. Read Time on Metro
colitan Tower Clock When
~ Nearly Six Miles Away.
Ry e. j. EDWARDS.

=. C6Dt: Leslie IOoulps III uSS, "Ho
lied recently after q brief illness
which was presumably caused by his
exposure to the sun while playing
golf on one of the hot wave days OF
early July, gained worldwide repu-
tation ten years ago as the captain Oh
the American rife team which won
the international trophy at the
match held at Risiey, Ireland. He also
enjoyed a high reputation as q rife
shot having at one time held the
championship of the American Rifle
association. And ne was noted among
his friends and acquaintances for pos
sessing a pair of eyes that we're eagle
like in their ability TO distinguish
clearly at great distance objects that
were literally invisible TO the ordinary
eye
j once asked Captain Bruce If he
had ever had any training in the mat.
ter OF accustoming his eyes to dis.
tanees and points in such manner as
to. take accurate measurement OF
them. :
NO" he replied, y never needed
any instruction Of that kind. OF
course. | had to learn how to use wind
gauges and various sorts of appar-
atlls: which are employed by long.
distance marksmen. But even when |
was boy. In Kentucky was able to
see far beyond the range OF vision OF
any Of my mates and to see accurate
~ They used to test me by putting
IN little objects a mile or more away
upon tree or wall, and | never failed
the test. l suppose that it's some
native quality of the, eye which has
always enabled me to meet like tests.
i have been told by oculists that,
while they have been unable to de
tect by any of their instruments any
difference between my eyes and those
of the average man, yet there must be
some difference-a difference located,
perhaps, in the nerve.
One of the most amusing expe.
riences OF the many that l have had
when friends were. trying to test my
eyesight and catch me In trap &C.
Cured when | was returning one
morning to New York city from
short visit to- the country home on
Long Island of one Of my most init
rate friends.
The great clock in, the ,Metropoli
ian tower had been set going only a
few weeks earlier. My friend brought
mo in his automobile to the city, and
sa. ,,Hs were travelling between ia
mal%a, ami Long Island City I said to
Elm:
,"'Why don't you set your automo-
Bile CLOCK right? 1t is twenty minutes
Slow:
'''How do you know that?' he re.
Piled You haven't looked at your
watch.'
no. but I see the clock on the
Metropolitan tower and the hands are
now pointing to ten. minutes to nine,
wAile your clock reads half-past
eight IL.
You cart see the clock on that
toger,'. my friend replied. Why, we
are aearly six. miles away, and | can
only. Just make out the top of the
toNen itself
:fftf'I do. see the clock and the hands,
t'said. They point to ten minutes to
nipes,., Now, you may test me. We
will: see how long it takes TO run in
from this point to. the Blackwells
Island bridge, where It is easy for
any. one who is not near-sighted 10
read the. metropolitan tower clock:
Then you will see whether am right
os!1ot'' = j !
i"When, We were upon, the Black.
wells Island bridge my friend told me
that ne. could see the hands upon the
clock They pointed to ten minutes
past nine. The hands upon his auto
mobile clock pointed to ten minutes
to nine. My friend looked at me in
astonishment.,,
@'Tour: eyes; must be like tele.
scope ne exclaimed. And told him
that others had made that remark
Copyright, 1911, by E. J. Edwards. All