Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-07-08
THIS BOY Is A WONDER.
A PENNs YLVANIA LAD WHO IS AS
REMARKABLE AS HELEN kELlAR.

When Five Years Old He Had No More
| Intelligence Than II Good-Natured PUP
py-How His Drowsy Little Brain Was
| AwalSened--Is Active and f-keliant.
The fame of Helen Kellar has to an
extent overshadowed that of Tommy
Stringer, although in his way the lit
tie Pennsylvania boy is quite as inter-
esting and quite as remarkable as the
| little southern girl.
Just year before the kindergarten
| for the blind was opened in Boston, on
the Sd of July, 1886, Tommy was born
near Waynesbury, Penn. He was like
any other healthy, happy baby in his
| first few months. But soon after the
death of his mother he had an attack
of spinal meningitis, and on his re-
covery, when he was hardly 2 years
old, he was found both blind and deaf.
His father was workingman with
small means, and he felt absolutely
powerless to help his afflicted little
| boy. After a time the blind and deaf
| child was taken to the Allegheny hos
pital. He was a healthy little ami
NAL apparently, with no more intelli-
gence than a good natured puppy In
this condition he was finally brought
to the kindergarten for the blind In
| the spring of 1891.
Here he was at once put in the care
of a special teacher. whose duty it was
to give all hef time to him. Although
1t seemed an almost hopeless task,
an effort was to be made to rescue him
from the prison into which his deaf
ness and blindness had thrown him.
He had never yet walked upright In
spite of his years he crawled along,
pushing his way with his hands and
feet, and he always moved backward
to save his head from coming in con-
tact with unexpected obstacles The
only sound he ever made was pitt
full moan, which sounded the same
whether he meant it to express pleas
ure or pain. At times, when he felt
especially disturbed, he would scream
loudly and would strike out with his
hands and tear his clothes.
Before any effort could be made to
reach Tommy's mind his body had
| W De put III OldtI. IJAttSloOo Wei Z
given to develop his flabby muscles
and build up tissues. At last the ef-
forts were rewarded. He could move
about unassisted, could feed himself
and even dress and undress himself.
Unlike Helen Kellar or Laura Bridg-
man, Tommy seemed very dull and
apathetic. He was unwilling to make
| off fp hi r1co1f anh his fpaph-
ers often feared that in the end they
must give up the attempt to reach his
mind.
Many many months passed before
the drowsy little brain grasped the
fact that things have names, and that
these names may be represented by
the letters of the alphabet made on the
fingers. But at length, by constant
repetition, by infinite love and pa
tience, the first section of the bridge
was built. Tommy began to realize
| the outer world. He walked over the
bridge, and began to take an interest
Soon he was one of the brightest
children in the kindergarten. He un-
derwent systematic training at the ba,
sis of which was Froebel's principles
of natural development" Today, al
IA years Of age, Tommy compares ia
vorably with other boys of his years
He is tall, straight and strong. He
has well-shaped head and his ex-
preston is bright and cheerful. His
mind is full of information, and he is
constantly asking for more, more
knowledge.
But he is not a mere lover of books
use his hands to better advantage than
most boys who can see and hear.
A year ago last summer, for exam
pie, Mrs. Quincy Shaw (Agassiz
daughter) gave Tommy sloyd bench
fitted with all the necessary tools
Tommy was already fairly expert in
sloyd, because instruction in manual
training had been an important part
of his education. But when he learned
that the bench was to be sent te
! Wrentham, where he was to spend the
summer, he Immediately said: Nov
| shall take all the care of Mr.. Browns
house" Consequently even on the
hottest days, he was to be found al
his bench He replaced worn dooJ
sills with new. made new barnyard
gate. He replaced loose boards in the
flooring of the porch, made a hand
railing for persons going up and down
the steps. An old smokehouse which
was given him as his especial domain
he improved wonderfully. He took
out the sliding windows, made new
frame on them and swung them or
hinges. Then he put strong bars
across them to prevent the COWS
breaking the glass with their horns
He invented a clever device for open.
ing and shutting another window. He
put up shelves for holding tools ant
other things connected with his work
He repaired a stone wall near tn.
smokehouse, and in other ways i'm,
proved its surroundings. He is a busy
energetic boy, and generally make:
his own plans for work, and the plan.
that he has made he always carrie.
mt Before cfa1.tiup for lo,,,a