New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-03
S|CHTLESS CELEBRITIES
Men and Women Who Are Fa-
nous, Despite Blindness

A short time ago the Baroness Won hrd-
nichfeld miriam Gardner, an Ehshsh
woman. died I'm Bucharest. This lady, VINO
vas ona OF the Queen OF Rumanias PEI
sonal friends, was writing poem one day
when mist suddenly spread over her eyes,
and she thus became, in her fiftieth year.
totally blind. In spite OF her advanced ase'
however the baroness attended an hhsisn
school 10 learn the alphabet ana the use Vi
the typewriter, and in the end triumpheo
over her affiiction to the extent OF peins
able TO make her own clothes ana mats
without any aid whatever.
The story of this sghtless baroness re-
minds one that there are quite numoer Vi
Hind neople in the world to-day. VINO nave
eo-red name and fame in spite OF their
aeiction. Thousands Of sightless beings owe
q debt of gratitude TO DR.. +. }. CaHlpoe',
the blind principal of the Royal Norman
College for the Blind. at Norwood, VINO lost
his sight in his fourth year. Whiie at play
a thorn ran into his eye, and by the care
Iassness of a doctor he lost the slght OF
both eyes. Nevertheless he became spieh-
did musician. and ultimately establlshed
the ROYAL Normal College for those who
dlIlcIeu dS TIC iS ~
pupils may learn how to earn good I'VE
lihood and enjoy life in spite or the ddrh
world in which they live. Dr. Canpoeu
himself not only INDUCES in rowing riding
and cycling, but Is such skilful ana az
dent mountaineer that Professor Iyhodli
once said to him in Switzerland: LOOK
here. Campbell are you really blind or only
humbug?
The blind pianist Mendel. who has APP
reared with such success on the Londoh
and provincial stage, won a scholarship Oh
GO a year at the Royal Normal college
Mendel has repertory Of more than one
thousand pieces, including all the classics
and modern compositions. and his repro
ductive and extemporlzing powers are not
the least wonderful of his faculties.
For the last seventeen years The Mid
dlesex Chronicle" has been edited by blind
journalist. John Whall, who occupies the
editorial chair Of that paper, is now fifty
five years old, and has been blind since ne
was thirteen. He was formerly an organ
ist. but became associated with Journalism
about twenty years ago. He has long been
a familiar figure at the meetings or mu-
nicipal bodies, and his reports are noted for
their accuracy, as well as for their high
descriptive qualities.
In America there is remarkably large
number OF blind men and women holding
positions Of prominence. Apart from the
wonderful case Of Helen Keller-who has
become so learned in spite of the fact that
when a baby she suffered an illness which
rendered her not only blind, but also dear
and dumb-one might mention Miss Fanny
Crosby Mrs. Alexander Van Aystyne), of
Connecticut who has written more than
five thousand hymns. including that grand
old favorite safe in the Arms Of Jesus"
The irony of fate is we'll illustrated by
the case OF DR.. Emile laval, the famous
French oculist, who became sightless at the
age of sixty-two, and who now devotes his
time to teaching others how to perform the
operations for which he was famed on the
Continent. Another famous blind man In
France is NJ Camille Lemaire, the French
architect, while NJ. Rigganbach, professor
Of theology in the University Of Basic, IS
also sightless.-Tit-Bits.