The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-12-05
nnLHN KEL1ER Ar rnE EAIn
How This Wonderful Girl Did the Great
Exposition.

HELEN KELLER AT THE FAIR
How This Wonderful Girl Did the Great
Exposition.
lima sa'liran IN December 81. Ni.ho'da
Helen Keller spent three weeks in
Chicago during the exposition, "and
bad perfectly splendid time" Thous-
lnds and Thousands OF American young
ioik will share her enthusiasm as they
recall the delightful days at the won
dariul show, when, seeing it all aad
hearing all aboutit, they took in pleas
ure andinformation ut every turn. But
tile Helen Keller can neither see nor
near Everything is blank TO her I'M
til an impression can be made, either
through her Imagination or through
the deaf and dumb language oil the
hands and fingers; and even then, IN
Helen Kellers case, the words are not
seen but felt by her own palm and fin
GERS as they lightly hold the hand that
IS making these sigma OF words and
etters.
The president and the managers OF
the exposition were exceedingly KIND
10 her, and did all in their power 10
make her visit pleasant and Instructive:
So widely is she known, and SO general
is the interest in her, that wherever she
went che received loving attention.
The task of describing things to her
was made lighter by the helpful SPIN
pathy Of the chiefs OF the departments.
They gladly permitted her to pass her
fingers over the exhibits whenever 1t
vas possible, and cheerfullY gave her
all the information they could. vi
course l interpreted everything to
Helen by means OF the manual alpha
bet. She was allowed even to climb
upon the great Krupp gun, and It's
workings were explained TO us by one
OF the German officers. Everywhere
The showcases were opened Ior her,
and rare works OF art were given to her
Tor examination.
At the Cape OF Good Hope exhibit
the great doors we're unlocked, and
Helen was admitted to the realms OF
diamonds, where everything was care
July explained to us about the precious
stone; how it is mined, separated from
the matrix, weighed, cut and set.
Wherever it was possible she touched
the machinery, and followed the work
being done. Then she was made very
happy by being allowed 10 find dla'
mond herself-the only true diamond,
they assured her, that had ever been
found in the United States.
But the French bronzes afforded her
more pleasure than anythingelse ct the
lair. The picture which she presented
as she bent over beautiful group, her
eager fingers studying the iRces or fo!-
lowing the graceful lines OF the figures,
in hereAort to catch theartists thought,
was the most touching and pathetic /
have ever seen. And, strange as it may
seem to those who depend upon their
eyes for the pleasure which they de-
rive from works OF art, this little blind
girl, who has not seen the light since
she was nineteen months old, rarely
failed to divine the thoughts which the
artists had wrought into their work.
Constant practice, indeed, has given
10 Helen's sense OF touch dellcacy and
precision seldom attained even by the
blind. Sometimes it seems as il her
very soul were in her fingers, she finds
so much to interest her everywhere.
People frequently said to me at the
fair: "Sle sees moro with her fingers
than We do with our eyes" And in one
Of her letters she says: II am like the
people my dear friend DR.. Holmes tells
about, with eyes in their fingers that
spy out everything interesting, and
take hold OF it as the magnet picks out
iron filings.
Descriptions are to Helen what paint
ings are 10 us and her well-t-ained i'm
agination gives the light and color. One
evening, as we sat in q goGdola, tried
10 tell Helen how the thousands OF tiny
electric lights we're reflected in the
water OF the lRgoons, when she asked:
docs it look as if shower OF golden
fish had been caught in an invisible
net?" Is it any wonder that DR..
Holmes says of her, 'she is poet
whose Tyre was taken from her in her
early days, but whose soul is full Of
music"
So We see, pathetic as Helen's life
must always seem TO those who enjoy
Tho blessings of,sight and hearing, thai
it is yet full of brightness aud cheer, OF
courage and hope.