Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-01-03

Among the many Interesting features
of the recent session of the Wisconsin
Teachers association at the capitol
was the exhibit Of the Wisconsin
school for the blind, in connection with
the manual training exhibit. display
ing articles made by the blind pupils
iii the course of their instruction at
the state school at GAINESVILLE. The
exhibit was under the ettioIent charge
Of Superintendent Lynn $. pease,
whose earnest work with the unfortu-
nate children Under his care has made
The school at JancSville ore Of the
institutions of which the state may
well be proud.
| In the handicraft department the
boys are taught lHg-caIpet and rug
weaving. as was Illustrated by several
pieces of very preltily designed and
CNcellenuy woven carpet, together
with line OF rugs prepared from in
grain carpet. This school made its
first exhibit of this line of work at the
Columbian exposition and deServedly
received a medal. A prominent fea-
turo of the display last week was an
elegant silk curtain woven by total
ly blind boy on Il rag-carpet loom.
Truly this work was wonderful. An
other leading trade with the blind is
hammock making, and akin to it is
fish netting, horse netting. etc.
| BroomS of various shapes and weights,
| together with brush broomS, large and
small and cane-seated work for chairs,
give evidence of the possibilities chat
lie beneath nimbe fingers even when
unguided by the eye.
The trade of mattress making has
been recently introduced into the
school. A hair mattress made by a
blind boy after only six weeks in
Struction, and finished in perfect
shape, gives additional evidence of the
capabilities of blind men.
However. the work accomplished by
the blind girls offered the most inter
csting feature of the exhibit since the
nature of their work is such that the
public can better understand and
thereby appreciate the necessary del
icacy of touch and heXibllity of fingers
essential to securing the results
shown. How many of our lady read
ers would think of cutting and fitting
II very pretty dress and do all the nee
csarry sewing by machine and hand
without using the eyes? Yet such
work is successfully taught to the
blind girls in the school. The sewing
on the garment exhibited was as nice
ly accomplished as though the worker
had been in full possession of her
sight. Alongside the dress We're va
! rious pieces of intricate knitting, cro-
cheting and fancy work.
| But everything seems possible to the
blind when we learn that blind girls
can be taught to cook, and cook nearly
everything, certainly much larger
variety of dishes in meats, vegetables,
bread ana pastries than is nIual in
| family life. The exhibit includes
canned fruits, pears, peaches, and ap-
pies, jellcS and pickles, bread, (whitc
and brown rolls, cookies, lunches. cake.
fruit cake AM Il mince pie This is an
entirely new department established
by Supt. PcaSc two years ago. The
Wisconsin school is a pioneer in this
/ line, and its success is leading other
schools to follow in its footsteps. ''he
Michigan school has copied its work
this year and established course in
cooking.
Piano tuning is another industry in
/ troduced into the school two years ago,
which is being successfully taught,
but no results could be exhibited.
/ In the literary department the pupil
is given full common school educa-
ton. In addition the school affords
the four years scientific high school
course as offered in the free high school
of this state.
The musical department gives in
struction in vocal and instrumental
music including the violin, piano and
organ. The orchestra from the school
has given several concerts within the
last year with signal success, Several
successful music teachers have been
graduated.