New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-10
BLhCKWELL'S BEAD WORKERS.
Old. Halt and Blind to Have Sale Of Work
Proceeds for Burial.

A. ,ba East Side Settlement House. East Seventy
sixth-st and East River will be held on april IA
one OF the interesting sales that This city OF
bazaars has ever seen. II will be interesting TOT
SO much because IT VIII bring together an assem-
blage of bead work which. for artistic beauty ara
novelty has probably been equalled In this
city but because these beautiful chains and side
bags and card cases are the work OF blind men ana
women at Backwelrs Island. Of one-legged men
and paralyzed men. and aged couples to whom the
making has brought happiness and hope
II all came about through the efforts of Mrs
William H Kelly wife of the headworker OF the
East Side Settlement House. and Mrs. Peter ger
kIns who has made II her life work TO carry cheer
to these prisoners of fate
"A year ago." said Mrs. Kelly. these poor people
were simply waiting for death. They used to SIT
sII day long. day after day. month after month";
their hands folded idly before them. their minds as
vacant as their faces. Since We taught them bead
work you find them sitting in little groups, working
away and laughing and talking. Sometimes those
who can't work read aloud out Of book or news
paper.
Don't you think this is a pretty PATTERN one
old lady will say her neighbor.
~ would the pattern prefer IL you the small
beads that you through had used returns
the neighbor, critically.
How long did it take you TO learn that rosebud
PATTERN enc old one-legged man wants TO know Of
another old one-legged man. holding his loom be
tween his paralyzed left hand and his chest and
fitting purple bead into the Wall of Troy pattern
that he is working on a milk white ground And so
it goes. They brighter and happier Tor having
this work TO engage their interest
Now the point IS to dispose Of the beadwork
that has been done Nobody cares to keep working
and working just for the sake of having some
thing to do. We have trunkfu OF lovely things
and we want sell them. Many OF these OLD
people are irving to raise little buual fund for
themselves so that they may not so to their long
rest in the Potters Field and they depend on their
beadwork to place them beyond that fear. Already
they are growing dscoutented and restless because
they see the fruit Of their industry accommodating
without any financial benefit to themselves. If we
cannot sell their beadwork it will undo a great deal
of the good we have done"
The Blackwelrs Island colony Of beadworkers
has not been contented to take the little looms
reproduce the patterns that come with them Ihey
make their own looms and their own patterns.
MANY OF these incurables and blind men were car
penters or machinists before misfortune overlook
them. While their fingers were manipulating needle
and bead, their minds stirring to the new
appeal made by the primitive looms on which they
were working They decided that the looms looms were were
not wei adapted 10 the purposes for which they
were Intended. and they set 10 work TO improve
them They increased the length OF the loom, 20
obviate the constant changing OF the threads; they
be woven on it in TWO pieces: they enlarged the
cylinders on which the completed beadwork is
rolled as II IS done. and they substituted metal
pins for the wooden pins that wear out.
one would never guess what these new pins are
tedtb o. u rs a metal conabNvyouid make much
hrmer and and permanent pins around which
to tie the threads, provided the comb could be in
serted in the loom. than the wooden pins which
come with the looms. To-day combs form a part
OF all the Blackwelrs Island brand Of looms. Also
they are equipped with trough which catches the
beads that dropped and that used To fall on
the floor the annoyance and loss OF the workers
Some Of the most beautiful patterns used by The
beadworkers Of Blackwelrs Island have been de-
signed BY a few OF the men who had no knack
with the beads themselves The butterfly belts. Tor
example that will be offered at the sale, are
about two inches broad and have butterflies in
purple and gold woven "A ground or opalescent,
transparent beads. They have been made ~
middle aged man with a dislocated hip. A chain
OF forget-rne nots in blue, with gold centres. each
flower distinct. the chain being alike both
sides was designed the island and made
BY an invalid who has been In bed thirty-three
wears. In all there between forty and 1fty
persons who MAKE the beadwoFk.
Among them William BTynes and his wife
who will have been married 1fty-four years this
month Mrs Byrnes is partially blind. and
confined in the blind ward until Reconnaissance
Folks brought the aged couples who could get
along tremendously. und who had been separated
/ in various wards. together under one roof. While
William was in ward and his wife in another
| he used spend all ais time with her. Ignoring
the rules which do not permit the patients IN
the women's wards. he used 10 slip in side
door and spend the day reading 10 her. talking
with her and ninister1Ng her small wants The
happiness Of the old couple thus reunited is beauti
full 10
one man who had been at tho island eighteen or