The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-04-21
BLIND NAN At COLLEGE
NEBRASKA STUDENT TO RIVAL
HELEN KELLER.
NOW SENIOR AT UNIVERSITY
Wonderful Work OF William Leroy
Clarke, Who Lost His Sight In
Youth and Who Has Attanded
School at Lincoln for Five Years.


School at Lincoln for Five Years.
\ young man, blind almost from
birth. senior In the Nebraska state
university. has begun career that
promises to be ms noteworthy as that
of Helen Keller. William Leroy
Clarke is his name, and his age Is %,
He won the gold medal In oratory at
the Palladian Literary society and IL
one of the squad of fifteen from whom
will be chosen eight men who will up
hold the honor of the university in In
tercollogiate debates.
Clarke lost his sight when four
years old as the result of severe III
ness, lie was sent To the state school
for the blind, and made such use of
his opportunities that at the age of
II he matrlculated In the university
His work here has been so good that
had he not been compelled to work
his way through college he would
have graduated a year ago. Last sum
men he sold pianos for a local music
house and took subscriptions for
magazine, earning enough money to
pay for the years course.
81 have about succeeded In making
myself forget that | am blind" he
said. 81 go right ahead Just as II |
had my sight. | soon discover that
people forget, too, that | am blind,
and then we get along all right am
getting n great deal out OF life and
hope to increase my capacity still
more"
Hires Man to Read to Him.
Clarke's studies have been restrict
ed to some extent by the lack Of
books printed In the point system, but
he has supplemented his reading of
those textbooks by hiring men to read
10 him. He studies geography. trigo-
nometry, Latin, geometry and mathe.
MATES from point books, but is barred
from the sciences because OF his in
ability TO handle apparatus. His book
studies have included English and
English literature, philosophy, pollti.
cal economy and sociology, which one
can take up by merely having them
read
Preparing written lessons Is a com
paratively easy task. Young Clarke
has bought a typewriter and uses it
with success
He has learned to write the point
system SO that he is able to take notes
at lectures as readily as fellow stu
dents with perfect eyesight.
A wooden "slate" is employed
This has two narrow strips of metal
arranged to slide up or down at will.
The paper is placed between these
and held In place by clamps. The top
sheet has five rows of holes about a
quarter of an inch square running
across the page. Instead of pencil
sharp pointed awl is used,
The lower plate is filled with little
dents When the operator desires to
write he takes this plate, places at
the top and by the use of an awl
makes indentations in the paper. by
this arrangement the awl is driven
almost through the paper When II
is desired to read these notes the
paper is turned over and the index
finger is passed swiftly over the in
dentations
The point system is something like
shorthand. so many dots representing
letter or combination of characters.
BY the use of the awl almost as great
speed at writing can be obtained as If
pencil were used 10y person with
eyesieht
In studying geography most of the
knowledge is conveyed by means of
relief maps. These are usually about
three feet square and stand on easels
The states or countries are in detach-
able models of plaster Of paris, so that
the student can take any one out and
examine IL To get an idea of its buun-
daricS There are smooth creases for
the rivers. tackS for cities and small
cones and series of cones for the
mountains
Likes Football,
Clarke Is an enthusiastic sports
man Every football basket ball or
base ball game finds him among the
rooters. He understands the games
and is able 10 discuss the abilities OF
the players. \ friend tells him the
plays as they are made. He sits as
GREATNESS as hardened fans at the
crisis OF the contest
He is an excellent taller and has
command OF language, being remark
l. ,..N4 1