Show blind 57 5 7 years Y ears 9 yet built city gen A H R johnson of burnet tex one of the figures of the civil war IS STILL HARD AT WORK t eighty eight he ha looks back over i practically all of the history of texas lost eyes in battle in kentucky austin tex blindness Is a serious impediment to most men but it did not prevent gen A it johnson of i burnet tex from accomplishing whatever purpose he bad in mind aind and he has had bad many purposes after he had bad lost the sight of both eyes the general built the city of marble falls made several trips east to interest capital and succeeded built a water power plant a school house a shoe factory a cotton mill secured a railroad tor for his town fought indians and raised and educated six children he never ewer had seen he also has taken a prominent part in texas politics and civic work since losing his sight eight the general la Is now eighty three years old and Is as enterprising as ever brilliant war record johnsons John sour record in the war between the states was as brilliant as his work after the conflict had bad closed it was along in 1684 1864 that he be lost his sight eight from explosion of a shot johnson Is ai r nt f the few remaining generals of 1 ti ca and has been a resident of texas tor for more than sixty years yeam when johnson came 0 to o texas before the civil war kentucky being his native state he had charge e 0 f a section of the overland mall route one on a of the links in the butterfield mall mail route between new york and san francisco the comanche indiana often attacked and killed the station agents and la in the fights with them johnson always took a hand band when the war came he hurried to kentucky and joined general forrest johnson had two brothers in the federal army and having been absent in texas so long it was supposed his sentiments were similar and so he obtained valuable information for forrest it was wag at this time that johnson earned the sobriquet stovepipe johnson learning that there were NO GOO stands of guns at newberg ind he took but 80 30 men across the ohio river found some broken down wagons md and joints of stovepipe mounting the pipe on toe the wagon wheels he be was able tto his to deceive the people at newberg into thinking thin kleg that be had bad several powerful cannon trained upon their town tend find when he be demaL demalder demaud ded ed of the federal officers lint alint they surrender their supplies they did so promptly lost in battle the general lot loit loi t ills his sight during a fight at grubbs crubbs cross roads ken and was left for dead upon the battlefield ills obituary was published all over the south but the federals picked him up lip with will other wounded and sent him to boston harbor prison later lie he was as exchanged and spent the remainder of the war period filling fillin ff cartridges after lee surrendered johnson and his wife returned to texas where lie he still found ills old enemy tile lie Co manches on the war path and he accompanied several expeditions pe editions ions against them then lie began ills his plans to build marble falls liking the location because of the falls in the colorado river tit at that r point and tile natural dam thus the blind D lind mans town with its fine water power plant bind and factories became a reality the general though living at gurnet burnet a short distance from marble falls takes great interest in the welfare of if the projects begun by him film and Is still planning new enterprises |