The Greeley tribune., 1910-05-19
or sinks into a dull apathy.

Wuut cHanSe might be wrought
II. in the midst or such depressing
circumstance, the burdened one
could be visited by sympathe etic
friend who had passed through the
same terrible ordeal but who had
learned that life still holds much
brightness and some opportunities
for usefulness which render such
an existence endurable and may
even make life seem worth living.
Such IA friend would bring the
cheering news that patient culti-
walton of the fingers enables them
to take the place of eyes to such an
extent that the BRAN is given a
new medium of communication with
the outer world and many tasks can
be performed which had seemed
impossible.
There is national printing house
and n national fund for printing
embossed literature for the blind
which is furnished to the state
schools, there is society, main
tanned by donations. for providing
evangelical literature for the blind
which provides them with the Bible
the international Sunday School
lessons, and many good books, and
some of the state schools for the
blind have their printing depart
ments where many embossed books
are printed. There are various
state and city libraries that have
collections of these books and any
institution or library can. by a
special act of Congress, send it's
books as loans to readers in any
part of the Uuited States and have
them returned through the mails,
free of charge. Mrs. Matilda Zieg-
Ter of New York City gives $4,000
annually of her private income Tor
the publication of an excellent
monthly magazine which is sent as
a gift to anyone in the United States
who can read it and a religious sect
of our country furnishes free
monthly magazine.
There is an appliance for writ
ing the tactile print which puts the
blind man in touch with his fellow
blind and the ordinary typewriter
serves as means of communication
with his sighted friends; but what
use are these appliances, good books
and magazines to the man or woman
whose fingers have never been train
ed to use them? When an adult
in your midst is deprived of vision,
to him unless he is fortunate
enough to have some personal
friend who is sufficiently intelligent
and sympathetic to come to his aid.
and such cases are rare. Your state
school for the blind is not open to
him and there is no society to which
he can appeal, no helpful one to
come promptly to his rescue and
save him from sinking into state
o depression and idleness from
which it will be hard to rally.
When the national government,
societies and ind :viduals have so
generously provided for their intel
lectual needs, is it not the plain duty
of the more fortunat' of each state
or county to see that their sightless
neighbors have the instruction that
would make this literature available
asd thus bring into their lives a
great factor of hope and cheer?
In many cases it would be a hard
ship to the sightles one to leave hi
own home for instruction, so sent
the instruction to him, and let it be
one who has travelled the same
rugged pathway and conquered the
same difficulties that confront him
Such helper can stimulate. encour-
age. and cheer as no other can.
Besides opening up field OF
pleasurabe occupation for the mind,
the hands can often be trained to
perform work that is of the greatest
service in the home and sometimes
becomes the S urce of an income
that is much needed in the family.
A few of the people of Greeley,
having had their attention called to
the subject have banded themselves
together and undertaken to gather
information regarding the blind,
their needs, and possibilities with
the view of doing something to i'm
prove conditions for the blind in
their own county. We hope that a
much larger number will become
actively interested in this good
work.
ANY one knowing of blind people
in the county would assist in this
work by sending the names and
addresses of such to Judge George
Bradfield. President of the Weld
County Association for the Blind
Greeley, or to Mrs. l.. S. Carpenter
Greeley Secretary of the same
association.
JENNIE CAWARD.