Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-22
BLIND BOYS LETTER
Describes Field Sports At Perkins In
stituton At Boston.

James a. MOranS, son OF A. W..
Morang, superintendent of the Gardi-
nec and Randolph bridge, has written
home a very interesting letter des-
cribing the outdoor contest in which
he was a prize winner, held last Sat
urday by the boys at the Perkins In
stitution and Massachusetts School
for the Blind. The letter was writ
ten on a typewriter and the spelling
and composition were very good.
The letter is as follows:
Perkins Institution,
South Boston,
May II, 1908.
Dear Mother:-We had a field meet
yesterday as you will see in the paper
if you read it and for three weeks 1
have been training for that meet any,
where from two to four hours a day.
l am we'll rewarded for my labor for
l won the silver cup that was offered
for the contest.
First prize in each event counts five.
second prize counts three, and third
prize counts one. In the shot put I
won the second prize, which gave me
three points. The shot is round
ball, just like a cannon ball, made OF
iron and weighing u pounds. A fell
low by the name of Fred Viggers won
first prize in this, which gave him
five making him two points ahead for
that event. The next event which 1
did not go into, was won by Cara
CHER, giving him five points, thus
making two boys two points ahead
of me for those two events.
In the next event I lost everything.
The first prize in this event was won
by Carragher, which gave him alto
gether 10 points, while 1 was but three.
In the next event 1 got there a little.
In No. 1 won second prize, which
gave me altogether six points to the
other fellows 10. In No. 5 l got good
start for in this event 1 did not ex-
pect to do anything at all as in prac-
ticing / was the last on the list. But
L got up and jumped and did pretty
well for the first time so 1 stuck to it.
l still had two more turns. In the
second jump 1 did nothing extra. In
the third l ran too far before leaving
tho ground and went clear off the sand
pit that we were supposed to land in
on the hard ground, so that the judge
could not measure it. So he gave me
one i, orc turn. This time 1 jumped
Is f. t, four inches. This gave me
first prize for the running broad jump.
If they could have measured the third
Jump it would have been at least IS
feet This prize gave me II to Car
ragher's Is, for he had then won three
first yrizes. In the dash, which was
event No G, won first prize which
made me IL points. In the football
throw Carrasher lost and I won third
prize, which made me II points to
Carragher's Is. This was the last
event that we fellows took part in SO
I had the day. 1 was the youngest
prize winner in the school Cara
CHER was 90. Viggers was % and Ray
81. Carragher made Is points. Wig
gers made IA, Ray made II points and
last of all I made II.
We got news from the is schools
that took part in the contests this
morning and found that we did not
win a single point in the big contest.
But l won the silver cup and will show
it to you when you come up. 1t will
have my name on it and the event
that L won it in as well as the date.
1 shall take it down into the dining
room and put it on the table there.
The fellow that won third prize sits
at my table too, so that we will have
two prize winners lat that table.
There was quite a little competition
among us to- know which table
should have the honor of having the
boy that won the cup sit there.
We are going to have another meet
in June while you are up here and
YOU can see it. We had little band
yesterday, but we are going to get up
a bigger and better one for the next
time. They marched into the grounds
in great old shape. Your loving son,
JIM.