The following interesting sketch is partly taken from the Leeds Mercury, England, and was written by
There are few more beautiful parts of England, or, indeed, we may say Europe, than the district in which Knaresborough is situated. . . . But probably the most wonderful hero of Knaresborough was the blind road-maker, Blind Jack, as he was called, whose staff is still preserved in the keep at Knaresborough Castle. He was probably one of the most wonderful examples, in all history, of a man's overcoming what anyone might say were insurmountable obstacles, and rendering the most conspicuous service to his fellows.
He was born in a small but beautifully situated cottage on the banks of tile Nidd, and within sight of the Castle of Knaresborough. A virulent attack of smallpox took away his sight at the early age of six, when he could not possibly have made any observation of the aspects and forces of nature; but he had an intuitive knowledge that quite passes our comprehension. We hear of blind men being — as they often are — most excellent organists and composers; but that is slight work, compared with that of a man who was blind from infancy, but who could lay out roads that were previously unequalled. He had never seen an arithmetic or a slate, but could form estimates of great engineering undertakings, and made literally no mistakes in his calculations. The beds of the roads, whether rock or morass, he calculated for, and even chose the most suitable stone from quarries he had never seen.
