The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
HELEN KELLER At
IGORR0TE VILLAGE
Fnioys Seeing Sights of the St.
Louis Fair
SHE DELIVERS A SPEECH
Famous Blind Girl Draws an Immense
Crowd to Congress Hall and She
Afterward Goes on "Siaht-
seeing" Tour.
SHE DELIVERS A SPEECH

ST. Louis, October Especial with
eyes that could not see and ears that
could not hear, Helen Keller has by the
sensitive touch of her hand and the Won
derful sympathy of her intellect realized
all the sights of the great Worlds Fair.
She was accorded an honor at st. Louis
that belongs to no other living person
that of a special day at the exposition.
The event was one of the most memoir
able of the many recorded in the last
six months.
Long before the hour for the opening
of Congress hall, where the exercises
were held, the crowd began to gather. 1t
came in the early hours of the morning,
at first by tWos and threes and later in
groups. AT 10 o'clock 1t was a solid
mass of pushing humanity all intent
upon reaching Congress hall. Those who
were first to arrive crowded the hall to
its utmost capacity and the guards kept
back the 50O to GOO surplus people eager
to enter The windows had to be guard
ed, for some enterprising individuals had
secured step-ladders and climbed in, a
number of very sedate old gentlemen and
ladies coming in by this entrance, while
the window seats, at least eight feet
above the lcor were all filled.
The front seats In the hall were re-
served for the children of the blind, deaf
and dumb schools, and the afflicted ones
formed a pathetic contrast to the mass
of not too well-mannered men and women
who pressed forward.
The guards were unable to manage
the crowd, and President Francis, pilot
inc oil WaG ohIf0a1 n oil u
work his way to the front. Miss Keller
seemed blissfully unconscious of 1t and
as happy as a child out for a holiday.
She followed, one hand clasping that OF
her friend and teacher Miss Sullivan.
her hair curled about her face and her
pretty flower hat was somewhat awry
from the ordeal through which she had
passed. Her dainty pink and gray linen
gown was crushed and pulled Her face
was flushed from the effort, but there
was a smile upon 1t as she took her place
on the platform.
President Francis occupied very little
time in his address of welcome, but after
a few touching remarks, in which he
showed how earnestly he appreciated the
situation, he introduced Miss Keller.
Helen Keller Speaks.
With a smile upon her lips she adj
vanced and breathless silence fell upon
the audience. AS Miss Keller spoke in
a low voice natural to her, Miss Sullivan
repeated the words:
II had been asked to come here tdvnay'
she said, "and lend my voice to what
is being done the world for the uplift-
ing of those who struggle in unequal and
untoward circumstances. All these great
halls of machinery, power and art are
the achievement of the strength of man
when his arm is firm and his spirit un-
bound. In The midst of SO much mighty
achievement the presence of our conven-
ton here demonstrates that on his tri-
umphant way man has not forgotten his
weak brother. The many thousand peo-
pie who have been invited to come here
have been asked because of learning skill
or contributions 20 the wealth and duty
of the world. /. come not for aught that
have done, but for what has been done
for me; to raise me to the level of those
who see and hear, testify to what the
good and strong have done for depriva-
ton and infirmity. I bring my evidence
that able men and women are doing their
best to unstop the ears of the deaf, open
the eyes of the blind, put speech on dumb
lips bring light and intelligence to dark
ened minds. I enter with you into the
communion OF living speech and in the
joy OF speech, express my heartfelt graf
itude that the impeachment of dumbness
has been removed from my tongue. Such
is my brief, but earnest. message to
those who rave asked us to come here
and those who sit before us.
THE message Of this exposition Is to