Sentence:  On Tuesday, April 17th, 1906, a business man of San Francisco ascended for the first time in five years to one of the upper stores of the highest sky-scraper in the Newpaper Angle. He was a <WSD>groundling</WSD> who had kept his ears as well as his feet to the earth. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  One who is confined to the ground, especially: