The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1908-01-22

I without fatigue. and soon the blind
will have as many books as they can
| desire. This then will come to pass!
We shall be able to impart to the
blind a high culture. and shall profit
| by their teaching. They will be de-
barred only from studies demanding
the use OF the microscope and the
telescope, but in the empire OF
thought they shall be kings. because
they will be free from distraction
Monske and I developed our plans
after prolonged consultations. / asked
| our first oculist how many blind peo-
pie were in Roumania, and when he
informed me that there were 10000
was astonished. We soon became
| conscious that 1t was impossible to
proceed as in other countries. In my
| native town of Neuwied Is situated
the blind asylum for the province. 1t
| contains only 10 inmates. and 1t cost
G25,000 in round figures. But hero
| we had absolutely no money. only the
knowledge that we had valuable
| commercial asset In the machine.
Neither TheodOresco nor Monske
wished to make any personal profit.
although their patents might have
brought to them enormous wealth.
We decided to deliver the machines
| at extremely reasonable prices. re-
tanning only small profit for the
cause of our blind. Business began
during October, 1906. We could have
made deliveries much sooner IL we
had gone to foreign manufacturers:
but to this would not agree, as /
wished the money to remain in the
country. Thus we had to practice
the virtue OF patience. but the call Of
the blind was impatient. Just at this
time our exhibition was opened; and
we had an exhibit. mounting both an
old machine and a new one. and hav-
Ing both manipulated by blind opera
tors. thereby showing to the world the
| superiority of our invention.
have never felt within me a SEN
sation of greater pride than when I
wrote upon one panel Of wood Print
ing Machine for the Blind-old Amer
lean System" and upon another:
New Invention by the Roumanian
Theodoresco" Monske refused abso-
Iutely to take any credit to himself.
His sole desire was that to Rou-
mania should come the glory of the
invention and that the name of
Roumanian should be pronounced
blessed by the world. And when tho
article had been exposed to public In
spection. offers flowed in like a swol-
len torrent In short time our cap
itaI was $4,000, but what was this
when we had to consider 10000
blind?
Our plan developed. We deter
mined to found a colony Of the blind.
city of the blind. where both those
with and without sight might dwell
together, for the greater number of
the blind were married. or wished to
be.
A lady presented me with field of
80 acres. and we laid this out as n
garden. We built all around 1t email
cottages, and had for all a common
kitchen, SO that the women might be
free to work without burdening the
blind husbands with the care OF the
families. We started many indus
tries-a rope and Irvine making de-
partment, a brush factory, shot
foundry, and others which are suited
for blind operatives. We established
school. presided over by blind mas
tiers. We taught music, one of the
blind teachers being an expert violin
list, and he mastered the piano so as
to convey instruction in that instru-
ment also.
Our city of the blind promises to
be bright and its inhabitants happy;
hence / have christened 1t 'Vatra
Luminoasa." the Home of Light.
Many women are like walking dolls