Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-03-22
and IN response the balls whirlea Ike

mad my
machine that always impresses Wis
i'ofs y IN the mechanical engineering
rooms. II IS designed to show the need
81 accuracy IN fitting the parts Of ma
ehihefs Two great steel surface plates
are pressed together and the line az
junction held to the light II apnears
as one unbroken piece. SO perfect Is tbe
Joining. Then human hair is laid he.
tween the plates. Notwithstanding the
enormous weight, the hair keeps the
Plates apart, and thin line OF light
SHOWS the gap OF separation. That
mar was not more than two or three.
thousandths Of an inch thick: but II
was matter, and science knows that
matter is indestructible
Blind Musicians Delight the Insane
took an evening at the Mendoza asv-
ium the other night, the occasion being
a concert by the orchestra from the
pllnd asylum at GAINESVILLE. 1t was a
company of fifteen, including a blind
girl, Anna Bradt of Oshkosh. who sang
better than many church soloist nm
der pay The boys sat on the platform
OF the new hall, which was crowded
with 450 people, inmates, attendants
and visitors. The patients were as ouiet
as any church congregation. Some-
times there Is eft" or frenzy to break
the good order, but there was none that
night. II is the rule to have The exer-
cises cheerful. Tragic acting or pas
sionate, pathetic music too long drawn
out excites the patients. They enioyed
the music wonderfully laughed heart
lily at the funny songs and applauded
everything.
The blind boys are not all blind. Very
few people are "stone blind" Most can
tell day from night. Some can see oh
jects rear their feet or in a certain line
of vision. One of the boys while play
ing an instrumental solo got too near
the footlights and stepped off. We all
expected a catastrophe. But he knew
what was happening, put his foot out
ana was soon Ginning back to the stage
as lively as boy who could see
One OF the GAINESVILLE musicians par
ticipated. He was tall boy with a fine
face, OF Whitewater a son of whom
any one might feel proud A pretty girl
from the western part of the state
captured the young fellow and went
floating about the hall on his shoulder
as proud as a sprig of royalty, while
everybody marvelled.
Sang Love Songs.
The music by the orchestra was nm
questionably very good The boys have
a good deal of time to practice together.
They sang and the love songs that told
OF "Neliy's blue eyes" and all that sort
or thing were especially sad, because
they themselves can never know the
beauty that lies in womans eyes. In
fact, at these blind schools love mat
tiers are kept in the background, the
theory being that it is better if the mat
rimonial fever never strikes these I'M
fortunates. This is not so much
through dread of heredity, for there
Is very little descent of the afliction,
but blind women are helpless as moth
ers. and the problem OF livelihood for
the blind is a difficult one at best.
The musicians made a tour of the
state institutions, accompanied by SUI
perintendent and Mrs. Bliss, who are
kindness itself. and their music teacher,
an Ohio girl. who has been at the in
stitution for a dozen years.
Proposed Change In Harvey's Plan.
There is no denying that Superin-
tendent Harvey's school reform plan
does not move forward as he expected.
1t was radical departure, and new
things always move slowly. The pa
pers over the state have opposed it,
many of them not understanding it.
Some OF them still think Harvey is him
self to appoint all county superinten-
dents. There is dread of surrendering
any of the powers of the people Z"
which is a good thing to be on guard
against, Somehow a lot of people seem
to think that to have some of the best
educators IN the state appoint these SUI
perinteDdents. instead of having them
win out" themselves at a caucus and
be voted for at the polls, is an encroach-
ment of trusts. Pierpont Morgans and
organized wealth on the rights of the
dear people. Tt is nonsense, but public
sentiment is a hard prick to kick
against, so Superintendent Harvey will
have to try another tack for the pres
ent. If in two, or even four years he
betters the country schools, it will be a
great life work, and entitle him to a
marble shaft as high as the Park hotel.
understand that the bin may be
amended TO continue an elective super
intendency. but to throw the election
into the spring. apart from the partisan
disturbances of fall politics. and es-
pecially to recast the districts to con-
form to the plan of the Harvey bill.
ORLANDO BURNETT.