Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-25

or willow ware with the coat Of arms Of
Wisconsin and inscribed with these words.
independence through industry, you will
know that 1t comes from the Wiscttsin
WORKSHOP for the blind. started in 1904
which is not only transforming paupers
INTO wage carnsrs on business basis, but
mas created a demand for the cultivation
farm.
The Michigan Employment Institution
Tor the Blind-entirely separate from the
State School for Blind Youths-was or
ganized in leo4 and Is doing work similar
TO The Wisconsin institution. One of Its
most notable cases has been a man both
blind and deaf, found In the Wayne county
CDetroiD poorhouse who today sews
brooms. canes chairs and uses a typewrit-
err what Michigan is doing in this state
institution is being attempted in Indian
apolls by a private one-the Indiana In
dustrial Home fer Blind Men. The most
progressive experiments in this field are
being carried out at another private insti-
tution-the Experiment Station for the
Trade Training of the Blind In Boston.
Really marvellous work has been done I'm
teaching totally blind men and women to
make rugs. curtains. screen panels. table
and pillow covers. In variety OF colors
and designs, which are worked out with
an eXactness which would tax seeing per
sons. miniature Of the old loom which
might have been found In any country
house nour grandmothsrs' time has beer
mustered into use. until a more suitable
mechanism can be devised. Each loom has
four pedals. by the of which the
threads are lifted at the win Of the weav-
er In groups which are as definite to tie
touch as are the black notes Of a piano.
-
The patterns are designed by a seeing ex-
pert and then dictated to the blind weaver
who reproduces them either by throwing
shuttlas with different colors between the
separate groups of warp threads, or by
tying the colored threads: each color of
course being put in a separate place around
the groups or threads which have been
raised by depressing the pedals After
making particular pattern few times
the blind weaver. having committed it to
memory, Is actually quicker in performing
the work than the seeing assistant who
then only needs to occasionally look at the
work to mend broken threads. II Is the
idea Of Mr.. Campbell. superintendent of
this experiment station, that the real field
OF permanent employment for the blind
lies In the ordinary factories An investi-
CATION OF twenty-five factories In Boston
has revealed processes which very sim
pie and which the blind can do-wrapping
pill boxes. putting ferrules on small tools
turning. Spo6in Rand thread ding the wheels
OF baby and doll carriages, parts of work
in constructing electrical goods. etc. Time
and again employers have told the super
intendent there was nothing In their fac
tories which a person without sight could
10, bfig 10 AUNT tue contrary on going
through their plant with Mr.. Campbell The
result is that a number Of men are at work
today In Boston establishments.
The Massachusetts Investigations show
that to teach blind boy to read does not
In Itself solve the problem. The agent OF
the commission found in one town a group
of men who had learned. some at school
some from the home teaching system car
ried on in massachusetts,, how to reseat
chairs. After they returned they also
learned 10 their sorrow. that il Is one thing
to reseat chair and quite another to fad
the chair to reseat. Not one of the men
had regular employment. Some local
women became Interested. Two rooms
were rented. one for mattress work and ono
for chairs, aad the men set to work The
interested women got the first chairs to be
caned, and now the group OF workers seems
in a fair way TO build up good business
IL Is by such interest and backing In local
communities that the problem OF livelihood
for the blind can be worked out once the
man who loses his eyes is taught to work
in the dark.