The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-12
ASKS $tM,MQF0R THE BLIND
MISS HOLT SAYS THAT ONLY
5000 rs LACKING.

Adds % 900 to tho Fund-Ameteur
Lions end Society Dancers Besides the
ProfesdonaIs-Biind Work On View.
With professional and amateur ooopera-
ton there were two benefit performances
at the Hippodrome yesterday from which
the New York Association for the Blind
will get. It Is expected. 5000 OF $1,000.
which will ena BILE the association 10 carry
onits WORKING schedule for several months.
The association, however. hopes that a.
a result Of yesterdays entertainments
and the inoid ental enllehtennaer. :5ssSs
OF the blind will contribute toward q psr.
manent fund for the conduct Of the asso-
oiatlon's work.
MOI only did Miss winifred Holt appeal
for this fund. giving details OF condl-
tional promises which had been made
to furnish the greater part Of IL. but Miss
Helen Keller. In q letter which WAS read
after the entertainment, asked financial
aid for the association and told why It
was merited.
Ono thing that the management was
wondering over last evening a what
the final effect would be OF the introduce
tory to the programme drawn for the
occasion BY Edwin H. Blash!eld and con-
tributed with his good wishes. Its
motto wal welcome and Thanks and
the central figure held at her generous
bosom a circular receptacle labelled BOZ
Office Receipts from which sprang
gentle reminders in tho shape OF bills
marked 500, $50. $40 and 80. The pro-
gramme itself sold for half a dollar.
Very different from the old days Of the
Hippodrome basement jungle, whore
were elephants. lions and other Wild
beasts. were the two junglss Of yester-
day on the balcony floor, in q OF which
were blind people at their various indus.
tries and the other Of which was thronged
with men and women who wanted TO buy
of the programme or afterward.
The regular company Of the Hippodrome
furnished the most part Of the enter
tainment. but far from the least inter
esting part was that supplied by the
amateurs collected for the occasion and
that given By the blind pupils q a,,a ths
Signorita Bigastuf CThomas w. Slocum)
exhibited her trained. lions. BY H. 9"
Quimby, H. W. Gould, G. Z, Kneeland,
W. r. Steinway, W. H. Adams, F. B:
MoNish, r. H. Hubbard, 8. Barker and
A. Parry, while as clowns and strong men
Evert w larsen Wendell paoi Jacob s,d ~e afSsr.
distinguished themselves.
The most ambitious OF the amateur
contributions. however. vas the Butter
fly Dance organized. by Mrs. Jacob
Wendell, Jr.. In which some forty naids
and Ave matrons distinguished hem
selyes in a dance,
Richard Watson Glider, president Of
the association, introduced Miss Holt
as a heroine too busy to ascend yet. Miss
Holt exhibited lantern slides illustrating
some Of the accomplishments Of the blind
who had q chance at industrial education,
and she had the closest '~attsntion when
she declared that -One half Of blindness
is Immediately preventable,' threw upon
the screen a picture Of children unnee-
cessarily blind. and added: The New
York Association for the Blind is only
three years old. 1t aims to prevent blind
ness and to help the blind to help hem
selv
Miss Holt said that only a little while
ago the idea &as laughed at that the
blind could take UP massa &c. and then she
threw upon the screen the likeness Of a
man at his work who had just been APP
pointed masssur in a hospital. Miss Holt
said that the association depended abso-
lutely or voluntary contributions and
n6cucu 1tOU,UDV 40 u pol u biNA.
tss, 600 Of which had been pledged con-
ditional upon the association raising
the wanting 81. 600. She hoped those who
had come to the entertainment would
make up this sum; else the SIS 900 would
DO lost to the association. She then read
the following letter from Helen Keller.
typewriter by Miss Keller and signed by
her.
To THE pEorLE or NEW YonK: l con-
graduate you warmly on having such q
faithful, efficient agency as the New York
Association for the Blind. 1t Is doing
great work. necessary work, practical
work. 1t IL tho only organized power
in your State that is trying to help the
sightless to help themselves and to prevent
blindness. 1t pursuea economic methods
to alleviate existing hard conditions and
also strikes at the root OF the evil,
There are about 5000 blind men and
women in New York who need the associa-
ton, and the association needs you. II
needs your sympathy, your friendship
and you financial aid.
Miss Holt continued:
Il must read you another letter which
has Just come from a blind man in a poor
house in a ne%ighboring State. He was a
busy, happy man until at 30 he lost his
sight. He writes:
-GENTLEMES: Having listened to an
article read from a ma ga zine regarding
the ability Of blind people under proper
teaching l would like to get into an eduoa-
tional institution. There is no place in
this State except a school from which l
am debarred by age. being ~ years old.
s. Il have been In business all my life until
Ave years ago. Since then l have become
total ly blind.
This being the poor farm as well as the
hospital the life here Is very lonesome
and monotonous. The change from idle
ness and morbid thoughts would be a most
happy one for me. Dependency caused
three blind men to commit suicide here:
the tension was too strong.
you will understand hat 1 did not come
to this place until ! had spent my last dollar
In trying to regain my sight. but now l
will have to travel In darkness the rest
Of my life.
80. gentlemen. II you can advise or help
me into some place away from the drsary
waiting here l shall ever remain CRATE
fully yours. ."
This letter is one Of hundreds like It
which we have received at the association.
II is the cry OF the blind throughout the
country for opportunity, for justice. not
charity"
Army and Navy Orders.