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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 1915)
East Oregonian Round-Up Souvenir Edition Pendleton, Oregon, Thursday, September 23. 1915 Carl Guiott and His Recovery From Blindness Pendleton Musician Sightless For Many Years Attributes Good Fortune to Mental Treatment. lift; i l ' t f Twenty Page ThoiiK'i he has been in I'undloton since the Round-up was first staged and before, and though b hus been a loyal booster of the big cowboy ctirnlval from the first, Curl Guiott, prominent musician of Oils city, l this ye'ur witnessing the thrilling scenes of the exhibitions for the first time. It was not because he did not want to seo the exciting contests and pic turesque purailei that he remained away from the Round-up. It was beciuse he could not see them. In short, he was blind, and now he has recovered his sight. The restoration of bin vision was one of the strangest happenings In Pendleton during the year and excit ed Interest all over the United States. While walking on the business streets of Pendleton one afternoon early in August, he felt faint And dizzy and flashes began to appear before him Within a few minutes he could dis tinguish forms of ballatags, telegraph Poles and pedestrians, and he knew that the return of the alght, for which he had been working and praying so long, had earns to ihlm. The doctors declare the tastoratlon of the light, which came back to the right eye only, was caused by the dropping of an opaque, crystalline lens which had formed an obstruction between the pupil and the retina and thus prevented the vlsu&llaed object from being throws upon the sensi tive tissues of the retina. It was like the dropping of a curtain, they lay. While accepting this physiological explanation of the cause of Jill -great good fortune, Mr. Guiott has i psy chological explanation e bis own to offer, for he believe! that constant mental suggestion restored to him Jils olght. For nearly fifteen years, Mr. Gui ott was so blind that he could not ee the sights of the earth. Ana now he Is enjoying them as few men can. The automobiles, the RylnK machines, the motion pictures and many other modern Inventions have been developed during his darkness and the Kouml-up has grown up In his home town while he had not the powers to enjoy It. And o, wfclle there are thousands out at the park each day reveling In the sensations which the sight of reckless daring bring1-, there are none who can se cure the supreme Joy out of It all that comes to the once blind tns.il clan. Mr. Gulott's llfo story and descrip tion of Ills fight to recover his sight Is an Interesting one and is given here in his own words: "I was ; born at Offenbach A. M . Germany, cn December Jl, 1S6. I was . totally blind at birth, according to my parents, tests on their part proving that I could see absolutely nothing. Tae sight wai there, how ever, and It showed development be fore long .In my right eye. This I attribute to the fact that almost every human being naturally uses his rlgnt hand more than his left, thus throw ing objects directly In front of the right eye. Thv. I think, my right eye developed while my left remain ed In its original condition, "My right eye gradually Improved so that by the age of four or five, I; could learn my A F C's. Rnon I could read the kindergarten books and at! the age of six I entered the first grade, fix months later 1 took up the study of music My grandpar-: ents, In whose care fl was left when: my parents emigrate .to this country, ( discovered my nausal musical uuent when I began 10 atwU'nto the garret and pick out old hyuMK on the brok en down piano. "My schooling continued until I was 12 1-J years old MX! I have nev er seen the taislde of .-school house since. I secured a 11 rati 1 knowledge of German, Jjitln and tf"rcnch, but e nly took a 4w lessons iln English. When I first iHjgnn my wualcal edu cation, I committed the pieces to memory as I ciuU not see svoll enough to read the music. My Iwsons on the ptano contbmfd for three and a half yoars and I itook lessuus on the violin tor nine months from very nUe teachers. Tan was ail of the asslstanoe I had in -securing a, musical education. Comes to America Alone. "At the age of 12 1-2 I lett my grandparents In Gefirnny to Join my parents in America. My father had V ra- Jib settled on railroad land 12 miles southeast of Walla Walla, Washing ton and hoped to acquire title to It I embarked on a steamer alone though aboard I met a man from my home town. From the time I left Ger many until I reached the home of my parents six months elapsed, and I bad to endure some boyish hard ships In that time. We sailed to the Isthmus of Panama and there was a delay of two weeks or more In trans porting us across. This delay ate up my small capital. I reached 8an Francisco on December 28, seven days ajter 1 was 13. I as flat broke and further handicapped by an iKnorance of the t.ngllsh language. This ignorance prevented me from getting a letter v.hlch my father had addressed to me at San Francisco. I could not pro nounce my name as the English pro nounce it and, hence, the mall clerk did not recognize the address on the letter. "I met some German friends of my father and they assisted me while In that city stranded. I could play and sing German songs In good style and they got me places on the programs at German entertainments. Thus I vas able to earn some money and, on Marh 21, 18 80, left for Walla Walla. having saved enough money to buy a ticket. When I reached the little 12 by 24 shanty In which my parents lived, I had 118 to turn over to my father and this helped him a great deal as money was mighty scarce. "I remained with my father for several years helping him about the place mitl gradually made an ac qualntanceshlp about the countryside. There were few musicians In these parts then and I began giving les sons about Ihe country, first making the trips on foot, then a horseback and then In a cart. Kye Ilini'he Its Best. "My eyecontinued to Improve and at the nge of 20 It had reached Its bent. I could now read the finest print 1y holding It close to my eye. For ten years It remained In this con dition and I 'read constantly, disre gardlng the warnings of my friends who predicted that the strain would weaken ny vision. At SO I began to realize that they were -right for my eye began to fall and five years later I had to discontinue reading entirely. From that time on my eye weakened more and more until soon I oould no longer recognise my friends save by their voices. Most of my Pendleton friends of long standing will remem ber how my sight failed until all I oould distinguish was the difference between day and night. By concen trating sometimes, I could make out shadows passing before my eyes, but for the past fire years, I consider that I was absolutely blind. "t'p until the time my eyes began to fall, I could read music by hold lr,g It close to my eye and thus mem orized It. Since then I have depend ed upon my wife whom I first met when, at 13, she began taking music lessons of me. She was a daughter of Sam Calvert, a well known farmer of Helix and later, wnen I came to begun to brood leas uimn my misfor I'endleton I met her again and mar- tunes and to acc ept the Idea express ried her. he, who once was my pi'.- ed by Drowning ih;it 'God s In his III, thus became my chief mentor for she would play over my munlc to me so that I could memorize It and inter- which 1 ret It to me so that 1 could get th! composer's idea. heaven, all's well with the world.' I began to care less about the thinK.t u.-ied to eem ho depressing. nod eventually the triumph of the subconscious mind was so complete "1 have for years been forced to that the two merged into one mind srope my way about the streets of end I had but one conception of life. Pendleton with a cane, but, thanks I brought about a unity and harmony to the aid of my good wife, I was able and, as I felt this coming over me, I to earn bread for my family." felt more and more certain th;it, hav- Mr. Guiott attributes the return of ing set myself right, my blindness, his sil'ht to mental efforts which which had been self continuing be- tirought his conscious and subcon- cause of the error In me, would leave sclous mind Into complete harmony, me. On the day in which the light He gives the following description of tgaln dawned upon me after so many his experience: i years of darkness I think my new con- "The mind processes to which I ceptlon of life had never been so attribute the recovery of my sight dominant. In reality date back to my youth, to j "Now that my sight has returned the time when I first began original to me I am filled with confidence and thinking. I was raised a Catholic and' urn at absolute peace with the world but for my poor eyesight ai a boy ijund my God. I do not give any sect would have been educated lor the : or cult credit for the recovery of my priesthood, I alwayi stood at the sight, though I do acknowledge the head of my class In catechism, ans-! strength several of them have given werlng the questions according to .me. I believe my own mental attl fc.rm, but before I had finished my ttde has been responsible for the schooling I began to think along In- fc'ood fortune that has befallen me, dependent lines. ' and not the mental efforts of others. "Coming from Germany to the Afraid at First, western United States while still a boy, and living In the country, I be came weaned away from the organ ized church and built one for myself. I never was satisfied with the God "My first feeling, after I had posi tively assured myself that my sight had returned, was one of alarm. I did not know what to do, whether to open my eye and see all that I could of the church. My God was and is or to keep It closed lest the bright a more Just God, one of mercy and ' sunlight should rob me of that which love and equal Justice to all. When had been restored to me. For 15 first 1 began to form my conceptions ( minutes I stood on the street corner of a higher being I had my eyesight, In doubt, opening my eye every little and, of course, my thoughts at that j bit, but closing It again hurriedly. iMiiiiimiinii milium tiati 11 mm iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmiiiiiiii THE FINEST LINE OF I Electric Fixtures! Hi ML i JfTiHt a. mjt t. lime did not concern the recovery of my sight except that they were the foundation ef my mental attitude 'n later years. Two M)"ds working on Him. "A few yrs ago I was discussing my views of life and religion with two of my lodge brethren who proved to be disciples of the new thought propnganda. Thry became Interested In me and I In turn became Interest-!, eel In their study though I never Join-' ed with them. However, during the lnjt year and a half l have studied a great deal along these lines and have listened to a number of lectures oi nu n prominent in mental healing. 1 have attended the Christian Sclenco church with my wife occasionally and have studied the literature of the I'nlty School of Christianity of Kan sas City. Hindu philosophy also in-; terested me and from all I derived strength without becoming a dlsciplj of any. "1 had always been interested in the power of the mind as exemplified in men of striking magnetic person ality and In hypnotists. It taught me the strength and power which can be developed in the mind and turned me to cultivate my own. I "During the last year and a half I have been aware that there have been two minds constantly at work within me the conscious find and the subconscious mind which I call con science. These two minds were con- Giadually I gained courage and start ed for the offic e of Dr. Henderson, j keeping my eye half-closed as I walk ed down the street. "The physician, after an examina tion, stated that my best hope lay In the eye, but he warned me not to be too hopeful lest I wake in the morn'ng t find my eye in Its former condi tion. I replied that I had no snch fear, that I Intended to keep the,1 sight 1 had and to get more. "From that time I have used my! vision to its full power, and gradually I hnve acquired better control of it and gndually objects have become; more clear. Since then I have en-, Jc yed the world as few men have, as! no man could who has not passed) through the same conditions. I have been arising at 6:30 every morning,; despite the fact that I have been chatting with friends long past mld-j night every night, and have been! valklng over the hills to enjoy the beauties of nature ,to learn the col ors which I had forgotten during my blindness and to revel in the sight of the most commonplace things Groves of trees in the distance, the green of the lawns, my flower garden, es, even my chickens and cons, 1 can watch without ever tiring, andj the features of human beings, those of my family and friends In particu lar, are a source of never-falling In terest. Why, even the wagon and au- IN ALL EASTERN OREGON z X i 3 3 D ON'T think that you have to send to the larger cities for your electric fixtures. Just come and see us. We will surprise you with our selection and prices. Electric and Gas Supplies. Electric Light Wiring. Gas Piping;. Motor and Dynamo Repairing. IF ITS FOR ELECTRICITY IPS HERE J. L. Vaughan E 831 Main Street Telephone 139 E ililiiinMiiiiiiiiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mm" iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiir. vf:-v" , ' - i i', stantly at war with eacli other. My, conscious mind prompted me to com-1 plain of my lot, to see myself as an' unfortunate and to look upon the! dark side of life. But my subcon-! sclous mind was continually denying me rltsht to complain, even checking the utterances which would some-; times rise to my lips. "God Is Just ! und the world is Just," my subcon- j scions mind would say, "the wrong lies within you." j ''Since all of my difficulties, trou-' bles and worries had their seat In ! my blindness, I began to Identify my lack of sight with the wrong that my subconscious mind told me wag with in me, and of course concentrated a; great deal of my thought upon thej eye in wnicn i oeueved there was vision, and which I believed would be restored to me If I could get myself In tune. Suheonnrioufi Mind Wins. "For a year and a half the battle between my two minds, between my two conception! of life, has been go ing on .and the subconscious concep tion grew stronger and stronger. to tracks on the roads are beautiful to me. Pisces His Oine Xow. "Kverythlng Is new to me, almost as new as it is to a child. I find I must learn to do many things which blindness made me forget. For In stance. 1 find that I have almost for getten some of the letters of the al phabet and for that reason have dlf cllffli'ulty in reading rapidly. In walk ing, too, I have much to learn again. After making my way for years with the help of a cane and constantly on the alert for some obstacle in my path. 1 have difficulty In regaining the assurance of the normal pedestri-; an. Then, too, elevations, such as on I steps or stairs. bother my eye and I have to exercise care not to walk off Into space. "I have not the language to de scribe my feelings ai I wish. I can inly say that I am the happiest man on earth, full of the Joy of Just liv ing. I am contented to walk along and be able to drink in the beauties of nature which most of you, through familiarity, pass with unseeing eyes.' , V - ' v r 1 1 immw I 7-i i . , " . "'"' . s 1 III 1 us Why Does She Want a Piano? Can You Tell? 1 A $350 Piano For the Best Answer! FOR the best single sentence answering this question, not over twenty words in length, we will present a Lyon & Healy Piano free. This prize piano will be exactly as shown in the illustration above and is known as the Lyon & Healy, Style "K." It is sold by over 400 dealers at a fixed price of $350. It is the best piano value in America. In your answer, it is not necessary to mention Lyon & Healy because what we wish is the best answer to the question why a woman wants a piano. A Lyon OTT A TTfTh 11710)1177 IT HilNH' 11 JiXUi-iiLji This piano will be awarded October 1st by a committee consisting of A. H. Messing, Business Manager of the Chicago Examiner, Frank R. Hussey, Business Manager of the Chicago Evening Post, and Homer J. Buck ley, Esq. The piano will be shipped freight prepaid, to the fortunate contestant & Healy There is only one condition in regard to this piano and that is, you must be in the market for a piano. Any one who desires a new piano is eligible to contest. There is no red tape of any kind, and the one who gives the best sentence will receive the prize. Letters will not be judged for literary excellence. A letter from a child will stand as good a chance as a letter from an adult The expressions will be weighed strictly upon their merits by the judges and the 20 words or less which seem to be the best answer to this question: "Why Does She Want a Piano?" will bring to some borne an instrument that will give pleasure and satisfaction for a lifetime. If you have no piano, by all means you should send in an an answer. Simply fill out the coupon in the corner so we may send you one of our new Design Book Catalogs and on a separate sheet of paper write your answer. If you have bought and paid for a Lyon & Healy Piano while this contest is on, and if you win the prize you will receive $350 in cash. Some timple sentence of five or ten words may win the prize. All communications should be addressed CONTEST EDITOR To it mttacKtJ ( yomr lattmr gimt COUPON Lvon & Healy, Chicago Gentlemen: I soon hope to be in the market for a piano. Send postpaid free the design book I have checked. Pat cAca im immrm for ooom rm maml Design Book U Player-Piano Design Book Name. CHICAGO Address. LYON HEALY PIANOS ARE SOLD BY WARREN'S MUSIC HOUSE High Grade Pianos and Players WE are factory agents, selling direct from the manufacturer to you and have pianos priced for every home. No matter if you want the higher priced standard makes or the cheaper ones, we can supply your needs on easy terms and every one sold is guaranteed by us as well as the makers. WE SELL THE FAMOUS KNABE, VOSE, KIMBALL, STARCK, SOHMER, STROH EER, ANDREW KOHLER, FAYETTE S. CABLE AND MANY OTHERS. You can get a good piano here as low as $ 10.00 down and $6.00 a month. Edison. Victor and Columbia Phonographs WE HAVE THEM AS LOW AS $1.00 DOWN AND $1.00 A WEEK. COME IN AND HEAR THE NEW EDISON DISC. We have all the late records for all machines. Stringed, Brass and Reed Musical In struments and Supplies. Standard and Popular Sheet Music. Instruction Books for all Instruments:. i m . nn. " mm 6 mm g nn iilrdOliS 814 Main Street. Telephone 524. Pendleton, Oregon iiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiitiiimiiiiiitiiitimiiim I THE STORE THAT ADVERTISES PENDLETON I The Rexall Store Rexall Service Rexall Quality The Pendleton Drug Company FiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiitniintiuitiiuuiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifiiifiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiitiiiiiiiitiitiiiKK.
