Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1908-01-30

Some years ago young man who
had just finished his period of con-
scription entered my service. He was
a capable stenographer, and had COM
mand of several languages. l had en-
gagged him that he might tighten
somewhat the arduousness Of my
work by copying manuscripts for
publication, but principally that
might intrust to him the manage
ment of many minor matters.
Very soon cruel Fate struck him
blow after blow. The death of his
first child, then of his wife, and
finally of his mother-one loss sue
ceeding another with sad swiftness-
overwhelmed him with grief and de.
spair. l have always found that in
great sorrow work is the supreme al
leviator. / decided that if l could
give him work up to the limits of his
physical endurance | should make it
possible for him TO support his af-
fiictlons and sustain him in his soil
tude.
Just then I heard of Nowak's in
vention for the blind, and l had some
of his machines procured. 1 had for
long time sought to aid the blind
in my own and other countries in a
manner that others had not till then
attempted. l had found that those
who instructed the blind demanded
not enough of brain work and too
much manual labor, which deprived
their hands of that fineness of touch
which helps them to perform the
functions of eyes for those bereft of
| their visual organs.
The machine did not justify it's rep
utation, and | had another sent from
America, very heavy and expensive
printing machine, which cost almost
C 120, and the manipulation of which
was SO fatiguing that a vigorous
youth could not operate it for longer
than three hours each day.
We had established an asylum for
the aged AS | traversed its passages,
whence opened little rooms where the
patients were already installed two
in room, / passed youth wearing
dark spectacles and with the gait of
blind man. l asked about him He
was blind. But" replied, '.he is still
young" My remark suggested that
he ought to work, and that home
for the aged was not his proper place.
| | was told that the youth had been
a typographer in a newspaper office,
earning about GS month even
when his sight had begun to
fail, and he had finally become blind
| But his employer died, and the youth
who was married, was driven to beg
ging. Charity is not always wise
Some charitable ladies, thinking to
succor him, parted him from his wife,
and placed him with one of the aged
inmates.
If l cannot see far, God has placed
in my heart eyes that can see at
once when prompt help is needed
When | had returned home l babe
Monske hasten with all speed and
hire small house, where he was TO
install Theodoresco and his wife.
The blind man began at once to
make proofs of the pages which
Monske then printed, and they
worked in harmony in a little garnet
in my residence. Again Theodoresco
earned his bread and lived happily
with his amiable young wife, thank
ing God daily for his fortune. In the
summer we went to Sinaia, while The
odoresco was sent to tho waters, as
he suffered from muscular atrophy,
probably caused by lead poisoning, to
which typographers are subject. Soon
after our return Monske came to me-
Il think that Theodoresco has diseov.
cred something" And he explained
that his blind friend had passed the
summer months in trying to invent a
better printing machine than that he
was using. He had decided that the
Braille characters made upon paper
could be mounted on paper cylinder
in such manner that to take fur
Their impressions was easy. Only q
practical typographer would have
solved the problem thus.
Monske worked day and night
making experiments upon paper, upor
card, upon wood, and finally, upor
metal, until the invention owed moth
ing to Theodoresco except the frs
divine inspiration.
We patented the machine in the
principal countries of the world
Monske worked necessarily. Christ
mas, 1906, he presented me with {
dainty little model but when WORKED