Show i Blind Utah Pioneer Pione r Waits Restoration i- i Sight After 19 1 9 Years f. f S Surgeon Takes Cataract Cat Cat- From Sightless Sightless Sight Sight- I less Orb 13 By BILL FLYNN utah's oldest Mormon pioneer Rober Rob Rob- Ir er k s sweeten eeten 94 94 Thur Thursday day was in a at at t SIL It Lake teke City h hospital sP tal room t 1 covering his sightless right richt f vas was happy happ A doctor operated lib Thursday morning to remove a cat cat- 1 et ct t that at veiled this eye He lost his hist ft t eye leye 22 years ago There is a 1 hance ance that he may be able to see tor or the first time in 19 years ears He will know now no in 10 days das ir I The minded rugged man who i tome to Utah in 1847 arriving in Salt iT take ke City October 1 of that year has hasben ben been t totally tally blind for 19 years ears ike M As he recovered from the effects operation Thursday he was al al- al wondering what the world lW would uld look like Jike to him after 19 years oC darkness if the skillful fingers of the the sur surgeon eon and modern surgical in- in S had been successful in their effort to return his sight He fie didn't talk much as he lay Jay in in the darkened hospital room But the few w words he whispered indicated that h ho he was awaiting the result of the opera opera- lion Uon with ith anticipation m World War Raging When his eye no longer loncer would mir mir- loi tor the world to him the world wa war wars w was s raging There were no modern streamlined automobiles s. s Airplanes Airplane ere rere still stilt in the experimental stage Women's gowns were vastly d different Irian ihan they arc now suits that men wore re were not much like Jike the modern male le attire Highways weren't paved ribbons o of speed that hat they are arc now The he radio was radio as unknown even in m the wildest wild wIld- est esl t dreams of the layman I If Mr Sweetens Sweeten's sight is restored there is much in store for him He knows it His mind has remained ac ac- ac Stive through others he has heard o of thc progress that the world has made mad but but he wants to see it iL iti i t. t Mr Sweeten would have been r among mong the first group o of Mormon r pioneers that came through Emigration Emigration Emigration Emi Emi- gration canyon canon and arrived where they built Salt Lake City on July Jub 24 1847 had it not been for illness in his family during the winter and spring the pioneers camped at Vinter Winter Winter Win Win- ter Quarters in Nebraska Left XaU oo He had left Nauvoo Ill III with Brigham Young and gone to Winter Vinter Quarters and intended to be a member member member mem mem- ber of th the first patty party that left for forthe forthe forthe the territory of Utah But he was delayed for tor several months After Alter spending several years in Salt Lake City Mr Sweeten moved to Cache valley in 1859 and later to Curley valley in Idaho There ho he was instrumental in the establishment establishment establishment establish establish- ment of oC the town of oC Holbrooke Idaho Idalio Mr Sweetens Sweeten's left eye cye was as lost 22 years ears ago igo During the next three years ears the sight of oC his right eye cyc continued continued continued con con- to fail S As the he world grew dimmer and dimmer to him he realized that soon he be would no longer be able to see But when his friends thought he was blind he still could distinguish between daylight and dark But the disease was progressive I Soon he could not tell night from day dllY But once a member of oC his fam farn- U fly ily turned on an electric light near him The beam from the thc globe shot directly into his eye S He saw the light faintly and in In- In distinctly but he saw aw it Later Liter his son and daughter Mrs Chloe Garn 37 East North Temple treet with whom he made his home borne during the winter in Salt Lake City experimented and found that the theold theold theold old pioneer could see sec a beam of ol light if it was cast directly into his remaining eye ee But they thought that he ho could sever never see again Two weeks ago they foty heard o of the reputation of a Salt Lake City eye specialist and consulted him He lie operated Thursday morning Perhaps in 10 days das Mr Sw Sweeten eten willa will tee ee a again aln p- p i i S i Ms rt 1 fk t j ji r k-i k kib b bW W e 7 i 1 S. S si J W X 0 Robert Sweeten |