The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-09

pathy when he is not trying to sell a
mattress or broom. Let him try to- sell
something. Because he Is blind the Gus
toner will expectSa price lower than he
obtains elsewhere and haggle until he gets,
at. This statement is universally made
by the blind shopk eepers. Ii Isl 8
For this reason he is a lucky blind
fshopkeeper who, when the week is ended
finds that he has cleared s7-or So over and
above expenses. Sg#<
The most highly paid among the blind
are the piano tuners and the musicians
These men, who call their highly senSl-
tive ears to the aid of their skilful fingers,
make all the way from $45 to $3.50 a month
The larger figure represents money large
Ily earned by means Of piano and violin
classes. The piano tuners almost inval'ia
bly, conduct several classes.
The broom and brush maker receives
the lowest returns for his labor. Fre-
quently he makes not more than IS a
week. His average is S. Time was when
the small-broom maker could earn $40 a
week. Now the big factories have up to-
date machinery which the blind man,
working alone, cannot afford. and SO he
| is slowly being driven out Of the business.
Gradually he is drifting into paper selling
and mattress making.
: The Blind as Pensioners.
New York is the only city in this coun-
try that encourages it's blind to be self
supporting. To every sightess man and
woman who earns living the city each
year makes a gift of $50 in gold. This
money is used generally to clear off dily
Indebtedness that blind person may have
incurred, and in this way gives him a
clear start on a new fiscal year.
This custom has held In the metropolis
for over fifty years. The man who de-
| cides on the blind who are entitled to
secure annuities is S.. Jerome Bettman
He is known by every blind person on
the island of Manhattan. For eighteen
years he has been investigating their
cases and Invariably winning their es-
| teem 1t Is he who every year distributes
| the annuities. - - s., 5--=".- ~
| But New York despite this pension sys-
| tenn and care of the blind when they fall
| i'll, has found that no inducement can get
| the men and women, stricken blind in
their ma jority, interested in Industrial
| pursuits. This is the experience else
where. s p :. NJ 4A-. :-tE - Z .,.at
| While these persons realize their de-
pendent position. and know that unless
| they have relatives who will support them,
their inevitable end is the almshouses,
| they seem to be unable to cultivate the
| senses Of touch and sound to the point
where they can be put to commercial
profit. Many try. but after few months
| give up in despair and request to be tax
| en- to the almShOuSe.~ S-.r<--.> :f:. =. >
It takes years of training in an institu
ton for the blind to fit the inmates TO
bread winners in the trades that requir
expert use Of the senses of touch an,
hearing. Nowadays no attempt is mad
to teach the boys and girls any other call
ing, for long experience has shown tina
time thus spent was thrown away. TIL
blind themselves recognize that they ar
of no monetary value in an occupation
where sight is absolutely necessary, "bu
in other trades we can hold up our en-,
with the best Of sighted men, they say
And they can. A good blind mattres
maker turns out as many mattresses in
day as an expert mattress maker in fu
possession Of all his senses. ~~