News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-05-22
POOR SIGHTLESS WORKERS.
HOW BLIND PEOPLE ARE TAUGHT TO
SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.

lIUUn OlUlI IIOO W OIIALltO'
HOW BLIND PEOPLE ARE TAUGHT TO
SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES
| The Many Resources of Those Who Have
Lost Their Eyesight.
Two PALE slender young girls and a
small, nervous old woman, with their
arms closely interlocked, walked rapidly
I'D a Philadelphia street late the other
night. At a crossing they wandered some
steps away from the flag stone; and when
they reached the curbstone they stumbled
slightly and moderated their pace, as if
in doubt. A moment later they seemed
satisfied what they should do, and hur-
ried forward directly against police
man who was standing at the corner of
the building. The collision was a mere
touch, and recoiling little the three re-
sumed their walk in the centre of the
sidewalk.
The policeman watched them. At a
house gutter they stumbled slightly, and
they several times ran into front steps
and awning posts, but never with
violence. The officers curiosity was ex-
cited and he set off at his best pace to
overtake and question the little party.
"What's the matter with them ?' he
was asked ON his return.
"Blind All three of them blind 1t
took me all of heap when I stopped
them and asked them what they were
knocking along that way for to see how
pale they grew. If they hadn't been
holding to each other so, believe they
would have tainted. Just as soon as l
spoke 1 saw what was the matter, for
they turned their eyes to me. There was
no light in them. Never mind said,
as quick as l could. I asked them if L
couldn't help them, and the old woman
said no, they knew the way. I thought
at first that the old woman and the girl
on the inside had the middle girl in their
power somehow for no good; but I was
all wrong and I wish I had begged their
pardon.
''Where are they going ?"
81 didn't ask that. They are able to
take care of themselves, but they
shouldn't walk so fast. I don't see how
under the sun they help hurting them
selves.
The incident was described by Phila-
delphia Times reporter to 81. l.. Hall,
the blind superintendent of the Penn
sylvania working home for blind men.
"The blind" he said, "can find their
way about with an ease that must seem
wonderful to people who do not appreci-
ate what resources they have in their
other senses and in memory. On the
street, for instance, blind person knows
when he comes to corner by the wind
that sweeps around the house, or, if
there is no wind, by the sound of
wagons, street cars or footballs. When
he is approaching an obstruction he re-
ceives a warning from the increased
pressure of the air between him and the
object, slight as the change is and deli
cate as must be the sense of touch to
detect it. In the house the greatest of
aids is stationary and permanent sound,
such as. the ticking of a clock on
maEtel-piece. One knows where the
clock is, and he knows the relations of it
to all the rest of the house, and, in fact,
the whole city. Were I to go to sleep
in this room, would instinctively take
my latitude and longitude from that
time-piece; and while might not know
what time it told, 1 could travel from it
wherever might desire to go. A clock
is made for the eyes of those who can
see, but it is even greater aid to US who
| have no eyes"
"You have not always been blind,
have you ?"
"No. [ have been blind only little
over twenty years-since the third year
of the war. l get around with a good
| deal of ease, but those who have been
blind from infancy are more rapid and
graceful in their movements. Their re-
naming senses are more acute"
(Which are the more cheerful, those
who have always been blind or those
who have become SO after enjoying
sight?"
''Of course to lose ones sight is
dreadful calamity, and until the unfor-
tunate person becomes accustomed to
the new order of things, he is apt to
abandon himself occasionally to morbid
thoughts. But he gradually finds that
his usefulness is only slightly reduced.
| He learns to find his way about and to
| do great many other things for him
self, and finally he finds there is work in
the world even for the blind. In my
own case, am deeply interested in this
institution, and its prosperity is a con-
slant source of happiness. The truth is,
that to be .usefully employed is enough
to make anyone cheerful, and even those
who can see are miserable if idle. We
! have two men here who are both deaf
and blind, and they are among our most
capable and cheerful hands. One of
them earns more money than any other
man on the roll, not only paying his
board and lodging, but laying up $50 or
more every month. Several of our men
support their families"
''Do they live in the building?"
mo; we have three classes of men.
Those of one class live in the home
here, paying each s. so board per week;
another lot come in daily to work, going
home at night, and to the third class we
send out the work. We have ninety
men at present, but expect before a
great while to have 200. We have got
the ground room now to add large
building, and to turn part of the present
factory in dormitories, bath rooms,
reading rooms and the like. Nearly all
the inmates of the home can read by raised
letters, and they are very fond of playing
chess, dominoes and checkers. Some of
them play the piano and organ admir-
ably"
"Do all the men earn their board ?"
"Finally they do; but some are very
slow at learning. You see they some
times come here after many years spent
in idleness and darkness, and their
minds are weak almost to the extent of
lunacy; but they all learn to make iv-
ing sooner or later. We have a man
here now, who has just earned his first
money. He Melted $15 during March.
He came from the almshouse and was
utterly devoid of pride and ambition. I
talked to him and did ali l could do or
say. Finally he was guilty of bad con-
duct and 1 sent him back to the aims
house. Before long he wanted to come
here again ard I gladly took him. He
behaved properly after that, but made
little progress at his work. Last winter
I succeeded in awaking little ambition
in his heart, and last month strange to
relate, he earned $15 aboYe his board.
Now he is jubilant, and he really seems
a new man. Instead of being poor de-
pendent he feels he is his own master
and one of the most useful men in the
world.
| care the men easy to manage?"
Every. Except some who are in
temperate, there has been no occasion
for discipline during the last three
years. We have discharged some men
for drinking. This is not an asylum.
1t is a factory. 1t is not intended to
support the blind, but to afford them an
opportunity to support themselves, and