The Greeley tribune., 1910-05-19
ASKS AID FOR THE
BLIND IN COLORADO

no Waken in the people realiza-
ton that with the aid of funds, the
blind may be so educated that they
viii not be source of drain to the
state but will spend lives of useful
ness adding to the wealth of the
world' there is wide spread move
ment on foot to enlighten the people
on thla proposition. There have been
assoc lations for the blind formed
there Is one here in this county, the
WeId county association for the
blind, OF which Judge Bradheld is
presldent and Mrs. l.. S. Carpenter
secretary. 1t is desired that all who
would assist the blind of the state,
confer with one or the other of these
Officers.
The following communication to
the Tribune is from the pen of Jen-
ME toward, who is herself nearly
blind and who is known the state
over as constant worker for the
blind
Have you ever thought, profess
sional, business, or laboring man.
mother teacher, or clerk, what it
would mean to you if. in the midst
OF your activities and responsibilities
you should be stricken with blind
ness? Or, If this did not come to
you, what if it should befall some
loved member of your household
your wife or husband, son or daugh-
ter, sister or brother? If the light
OF heaven were shut out from you
or from your loved one for the rest
OF your natural life, how would you
feel do you think? Did you ever
stop to think?
Many people seem to regard a
person without sight as a sort of
social and industrial outcast, incap-
able of mental culture, industrial
activity and social pleasure and
many of them become so from lack
of opportunities for being anything
else. Perhaps there are others who
hold the opinion that was once eX-
pressed by a man of state when he
said that, if he had his way, the
blind of this country would be
then as a nuisance, fit only to be
treated as they are in China, by
which as | understand he regards
them as nuisance, fit only to be
put to death. If one has never
known a sightless person. or only
those who are found begging upon
the streets, he may, possibly be eX-
cused for holding such an opinion;
but what of such sightless people as
John Milton, author of Paradise
Lost Prescott, the historian. the
blind man who had a mind that was
capable of directing others and
and using the information which
their eyes could obtain, and so fur
nished to the world the most of its
scientific knowledge regarding the
habits of the bee; Fannie Crosby,
the writer of more than six thous-
and hymns, some of which are the
most popular and best loved hymns
ever written and re sung through
out Christendom: Nina Rhoades
the author of popular books for
children; the Oklahoma senator,
Thomas A. Gore; Robert H. Bah
cock, NJ. D., of Chicago, who is so
much of an authority upon diseases
of the heart, throat and lungs that
, masS. prominent surgeons of the city
. VIII, refuse to perform an operation
in a. critical case without first OBJ.
taining a certificate from DIR. Bah
t cock as to the condition of the
E. patients heart the Colorado man
. whose poetic descriptions of the
I Rockies are said to be eNcelled by
nome, SIT SdllpDell, oH't pAiht
Tennessee boy, who established and
is still at the head of The Royal
r Normal College For Blind" in Eng
land. and whose title was conferred
+ upon him by King Edward; the
. brave little woman who. for years
F, supported an aged father and an
!, invalid sister by teaching music;
: and scores of others who have. or
are still filing responsible positions
: as ministers, doctors, lawyers, auth
!. ors, teachers. merchants, statesmen
! broom-make"s, willow-workers, or
! the still larger number who. in more
humble and obscuru places, are
bearing their own burdens in un-
complaining silence while minister
ing to the needs of those about
them? Is the world no richer for
for their products and their lives OF
patient perseverance and their tri-
umph over apparently insurmount-
able obstacles? Is the race made
no better by such examples of quiet
heroism?
Do you think of blindness as
something entirely foreign to you
and yours? While not so certain as
death, it is no respector of persons.
anu may COlle SuuutuiS anu uHSA
pectedly as the res 1t of overwork
, disease, or common accident. What
If 1t were you who We're thus
stricken? Perhaps. at first, you
think that death were preferable,
but don't you think that after the
first terrible shock was over, you
would still feel that you were free
born American citizen, with the
inalienable rights of life. liberty,
land the pursuit of happiness Do
you not think you would have the
same need of occupation for the
mind as now, would you not have
the same material needs as now.
and would you not desire to use
your mental and physical strength
to provide for those needs. and
would not your happiness depend
largely upon your opportunity for
doing so? When you have put