The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-10-01
HOME FOR SIGHTLESS
HOW DESTITUTE BLIND PEOPLE
SPEND THEIR LONG DAYS.

Old Women Find Employment and For
get Their Addiction by Keeping Busy.
What Work Is Done by the Sexes.
On the corner Of One Hundred and
Fourth street and Amsterdam avenue is
situated the Home for the Destitute Blind.
There is nothing about the cheerful red
brick exterior, or the many windows open
ing out upon the broad streets and blue
sky to suggest the night Of perpetual dark
ness in which the inmates forever dwell;
but within the long. straight corridors,
| unbroken by turns or furniture OF any
kind, and the bare walls, devoid of pic
lures, denote to the observer that the pow
er of sight is denied to those who are given
home there.
| / visited the institution one afternoon
and, escorted by the gentle little lady who
| is the matron, went through the building,
and had that often asked question, els life
worth HvingS" most practically answered
| BY the apparent contentment and satisfac
ton these destitute blind people find in
! their existence.
Preceded by the matron, passed through
the door of what she called the "woman's
workroom" A number of comfortably
cushioned high backed benches were ar
ranged in rows through the middle of the
large room. A piano stood at one end, and
a large music box, or organette, was upon
a table by the door. Near the wide fire
place were two or three easy chairs. The
apartment had much the appearance of
children's private schoolroom.
Great windows let in a food of gay sun
shine that glistened on the polished wood
floor; but the busy workers can know
nothing of the merry times the sunbeams
have, and never stop work to look out at
the bits of blue sky, nor find fault if the
shadow of a cloud happens to fall upon
their work. 1t is all alike, sunlight or
shadow, to them-a long, dark night. And
yet the pretty things these blind people
make are delight to the eyes that can see
them.
HOW THEY WORK AND PLAY.
"They are having vacation now" said
the matron. 1.-THE superintendent of the
workshops has gone to the country; when
she returns the work will be resumed"
"Do they have regular hours for workw
asked.
Eyes, the women do" was the reply
"They are expected to come into the work
room at half past every morning and
work until o'clock in the afternoon; of
course stopping for dinner"
1t seems to be unnecessary to regulate
the working hours for the men, as they
show greater ambition for employment.
The men make cane chairs and mattresses.
Their workshop is at the other side of the
building. In a room opening from the
long corridors which connect the separate
workshops of the men and women sits the
superintendent. If any of the women hap
pen to drop stitch in their knitting, or if
a mans fingers fail in the sensitive touch,
the perplexed creatures feel their way
through the corridor to the superintend-
ents room and receive the necessary as
sistance from her. The inmates are al
lowed two-thirds of the receipts of the
workshop, the other third being used Sor
the superintendent's salary, for the ma
terials required in the work and in aid of
the sick fund.
The time of the inmates is not all passed
in work, however Every day they are en-
tertained by readings given by kindly dis
posed volunteers, and the piano and music
box are at their disposal Checkers and
chess, arranged for the blind, are also pro-
vided for their amusement.
When the matron and stepped into the
ing checkers Their heads were bent over
the board as if to follow the moves of one
another, and if their hands had not been
kept so close to the board an ordinary OBJ |
server would never have suspected the real
misfortune of the players. Several other
men were lounging about the room in COM
Portable chairs.
COMFORTABLE SURROUNDINGS.
rbara oi- ~
ment. Upon a table were scattered books |
and papers for the blind. They prefer what |
is called "point print" to any other raised |
lettering. To me the sheets of paper looked |
like the wrong side of a perforated card
board.
For those of the men who wish to smoke
. special room is provided. The floor of
this room is covered with zinc and the
walls are brick, painted white. Against
the wall is long bench. 1t is not pretty |
room. No man gifted with sight could
possibly enjoy a cigar in that cherries
chamber; but it is thus arranged so as to
insure safety from burning matches, and
the blind men are satisfied. Two old men
sat smoking pipes when peeped in.
Up stairs are the sleeping chambers.
Three iron bedsteads and three or four
s.
is all the furniture any room contains.
The sad affliction of the occupants i'm
press the visitor instantly in the absence
of looking glasses and the want Of orna-
ments TO please the eye.
Between the sleeping departments Of the
male and female inmates is located the
chapel, where Episcopal services are held
every Sunday. 1t is bright, pretty room,
with upholstered pews and stained glass
through which the sunlight
sends subdued tiRts of beautiful color If
the sightless eyes were opened just for an
instant in that room there would be an
end of all contentment in their barren
lives forever after.
There are one or two inmates of the in
stitution who are not totally blind. Each
applicant is required to pass an examina-
ton before being admitted to the home
These two deceived the examiners and es-
,aped detection, but they are so nearly, if
not quite, blind that they are permitted TO
although the home is intended
)nly for those who have entirely lost the
power Of seeing
Occasionally the men go out alone, some
lines even crossing the ferries TO BROOKLYN !
Ind New Jersey, but the women are never
allowed out unattended. They do not, the
netrcn said, show the confidence to take
are OF themselves that the men exhibit
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