MARKETPLACE
NEWSLETTER
PAGE 4, SEPTEMBER 30, 1974
lin explanation: The following letter, written by hand, covers ten pages of monarch
size tablet paper. We are reproducing this letter exactly as it was written. We sincerely
believe, after you've read it, that you will agree not only is it tremendously interest-
ing and very suspenseful, but even more, that here is a grand writing talent heartfully
portraying an adventure to benefit his fellowman for all to treasure.)
August 5, 1974
Marketplace,
185 North Wabash Avenue
Chicago, Ill. 60601
•
Gentlemen:
I hope that you will see that this letter is published the way that you see fit.
Not being much cf a story writer myself, I will give you the facts and you can dress up a
story the way you know how.
•
•
July 26, '74, I decided to take a little vacation , no nlace in particular, but
somewhere. I started east on Routes 5 and 20 . Stopped in Waterloo, H.Y. and called ahead
to Syracuse to Angelo Delaport to see if he was going to the races at Vernon Downs that
evening. He said he was going and he would wait until 5 P.M. Well, when I got there about
4:45, he had already left and left word to meet him at the track •
Well, I wasn't too familiar about how to get there, so I didn't bother going.
Instead I took Rte 81 south to Rte 20 and turned east again. My friend and I kept driving
along wondering where we might go that was interesting. I looked at the map and noticed
that we were not far from Cooperstown , N.Y., the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, so I
mentioned to my driver, let's go to Cooperstown.
We had never been there so we followed the route along Otsego Lake (a really
beautiful lake nestled between surrounding mountains). We arrived there Friday nite about
6:30 or 7 P.M. I stopped at a gas station and inquired about a motel or hotel. About all
the information I received was that if I secured a room I would be lucky.
Well, I soon found out that the gas station attendant knew what he was talking
about. No rooms available. But as I was driving slowly around town I noticed a small sign
in the window of a nice house, "Room for rent". So I stopped and went to the house to in-
quire about the room. A very nice lady who, I later found out was named Polly Congear,
said I could have the room but the man who owned the house would be back in a few minutes
and I could pay him. She also informed me that he was blind and that he was taking his
seeing eye dog, "Skoot", for a walk.
Well, the owner was back in a few minutes and, sure enough, he was blind. I
introduced myself, pa.id him for the room and we talked for a while on his porch. Well,
what he told me I am going to put down on the next page, the facts. When you read them,
I'll bet you won't believe me. These are the facts about:
Horace C. Weeks
33 Lake St., Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326
Born - December 28, 1886
Been blind since 1941
Received first seeing eye dog - 1944
Received second seeing eye dog - 1952
Second dog died in 1964. He went to Morristown, N.J . for third dog and was re-
fused because of his age. Ile came home, took a stray dog off street and trained his own
dog. Walks about 4 miles around town every day with dog he trained himself.
(Not bad, huh? You ain't heard nothin' yet . )
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