The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-09
FEEDS THE BLIND
PATHETIC HISTORY OF HEROIC
BRTNKMAN COUPLE AT KOKoMo.
Romano Begun at the Blind Asylum
Now Joins Two Unfortunate,
but Brilliant, People.
oecial to The indianapolis Journal.

Special 10 The indianapolis Journal.
KOKOMO. Ind, May S.-This city has a
blind couple in William Brinkman and wife
who were both educated at the State In
stitution for the Blind at Indianapolis. The
couple keep house to themselves with no
help. Their home at 236 South Bell street
is a model of neatness, everything being
scrupulously clean and tastefully arranged.
Mr.. Brinkman is an expert piano tuner, and
is also an adept at clock repairing and
broommaking. In fact he can turn his hand
to almost anything in the mechanical line.
AS an Illustration of his mechanical skill
Mr.. Brinkman last week repaired the clock
on the courthouse tower that had defed the
best efforts of a number of experts pos
sessed of perfect sight. The big tower clock
is now recording the correct time, and the
County Commissioners were SO we'll pleased
with the job that they hired the blind man
to keep the clock in repair for a year. 1t
was the first clock of the kind Mr.. Brink
man undertook to repair, but he prescribed
the right sort of medicine, and the old fab
ricator now tells the truth every hour of
the day.
The front room of the Brinkman home is
used as a store and workshop. On the
shelves is a long row of clocks the blind
man has mended, and he makes many a
nickel selling stationery and candy to the
school children. Among Mr.. Brinkman's
other accomplishments he has a record as
a Splinter and rides a bicycle. Recently
without any one accompanying him he
walked twenty-one squares in nineteen
minutes, the thoroughfare being crowded
much of the distance, somewhat impeding
his progress. He rides a wheel easily and
gracefully, though he does not venture out
alone. With a companion on a wheel by
his side or in the lead, he can ride all day
and quit as fresh as his partner.
William Brinkman was born May 2, 1864,
at Hamilton. He lost his eyes when five
years old, measles and complications being
responsible. In 1869 the family moved TO
Indianapolis, where his mother still lives,
his father being dead. Soon after attend
ing the school for the blind at the State
capital, a little blind girl named Jennie
Lamb, from Russiaville, west of Kokomo,
entered the same institution. From the
first meeting OF the blind children T oaef
sprang up that resulted in their marriage
fifteen years later. AS they express it; Il
was a case of love at first sight" They
were married in 1892 by Father Rayburn,
of this place, it being the 1,12Sth marriage
ceremony pronounced by the venerable min
lister, who died a short time ago, with a
record of 1850 married couples.
Mrs. Brinkman is an elocutionist OF rare
ability and, after graduating, travelled two
years in the South and Vest, delivering
lectures and Rotations. For a snort Tune
she taught an Indian school in Indian Ter
ritory. While in Kentucky she became an
accomplished equestrienne, riding daily a
spirited horse over the Kentucky Mills ana
mountains with an escort. She is skilled
in fancy needle work and operates 4 sew
ing machine easily. The couple mourn the
loss of their first and only child, u son,
born with perfect eyes, whom the. iona par
ents hoped and prayed could pc spared
them to guide and guard them through, a
lonely and cherries life. Soon after tFe
death of the child, three years ago; alloIher
rofrforf,1nn hafal tho Hind P01nIp lGIr-
ing a spell of sickness Mrs.
was given an overdose of calomel that
left her totally paralyZed. Since then the
gifted blind woman has been absolutely
helpless, lying in bed or in her wheel CHAIR
unable to move hand or foot. In the midst
of all these misfortunes they continue
cheerful and contented. Mr.. Brinkman has
the whole care of his helpless wife, does
all housework, including the cooking, be
sides finding time to wait on customers IN
his little store, answer calls to tune Iianos
and repair clocks and umbrellas and peddle
candy and popcorn on the streers. IN tne
past three or four years when hunGrGds or
physically perfect men by reason or the
close of factories have been supported by
the ounty and public charity the pima
man has supported himself and family,
firmly declining all offers of assistance. .
Blindness is no excuse for idleness.' said
he. Il never was idle a day in my life and
| never expect to be. Because q man is
blind there is no need of his being helpless.
Even in our condition we have much to tie
thankful for. l have no patience VIII. the
blind people in asylums po~ofhouScs ana
hospitals if they are otherwise III posses
sion of their faculties. L don't want any
public charity. l never have ASKED for
help and never will. All l want is work. l
am no pauper." =
The Brinkhams have quite a library of
''point-system' books, including a Bible in
eleven volumes that weighs lis pounds. Mr..
Brinkman speaks two languages, English
and German. He is a skillful shopper and
cannot be imposed upon in buying any
wardrobe or store. Physically he is of
slight build and very active. Lifting his
wife from bed to chair and chair to bed
several times a day is work that he has
kept up constantly for three years in addi-
ton to keeping house and attending to all
his other work. The couple prefer to live
entirely alone and are always cheerful and
happy. They are members of the Mark
I~and-avenue Methodist Episcopal Church.
Mrs. Rrinkman, though paralyZed limb
and body, retains her mental faculties. She
is a brilliant and interesting talker and
manages TO still read with her crippled fin
gers. 1t is a curious sight to watch them
at meals, this being a case of the blind feed
ing the blind, he helping. the. paralyzed
woman TO every morsel of food she receives.
Altogether they are a remarkable blind cou-
pie and their case probably has no parallel