The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-27

for the Blind in an address at the
meeting Of the North Carolina Asso-
citation for the Blind, held in Fay
etteville on June 4, 5 and g., spoke in
part as follows:
The blind Of your State have done
so much that I feel it is presumpt-
uous for NE to come here with any
suggestions.
believe the subject assigned for my
paper is craftsmanship, but as a pre-
Iiminary to this / am going to urge
the blind to try as far as possible to
get into a work that calls for the
use Of the brain, rather than for the
use Of the hands. We have, Of course,
the greatest respect for the man,
blind or seeing, who works with his
hands, and if there is nothing else
he can do, he certainly should work
with his hands, and earn as much as
he can. Many often start to work
with their hands making brooms, ETC.,
but this proves a stepping stone to
something better. If a man makes a
broom, and then learns how to sell
it, he has learned the art Of salesman
ship, and he can go on to something
bigger and better.
When l was a boy my father used
to impress on me the Importance Of
c~ultivating my mind, so that when l
got out into the world / could do
brain work instead Of hand work, for
he said brain work always COM
mand5 a higher price than hand
work" This certainly applies more
to the blind than the Sc ing, for while
they are handicapped in competition
with the seeing in hand work, they
IN mot hnNvn thio I@ - - Nl@
brain work, for their minds are just
as good and often better than the
seeing man in the corresponding posi-
ton.
It is those who drift into this line
Of work among the blind that make
the big successes. We cannot all be
literary like Helen Keller, but many
can and may have a talent along his
line and do not cultivate it. There
IS a demand in the literary world for
good shor stories and the person
VINO becomes a writer Of good short
stories can generally make both
none and reputation with their pen.
or course, if one has absolutely no
literary talent, the sooner they know
it the better. 1 suggest that they
take their first efforts to some literary
acquaintance; (their minister, or the
editor Of their paper), and ask him to
give his honest opinion Of it, and tell
Aheii Wuetnel OF not they nave a
spark Of talent. If they have not,
drop it, but if they have, by all means
cultivate it.
Then, there is the teaching line.
realize the great difficulty today Of a
blind person securing a position as q
teacher Of the seeing, but some have
done SO and made successes, two in
stances Of this having been given re-
Gently in our magazine, as our read
ers will remember. Mr.. S~Wearingen's
great work in South Carolina will dc
a world Of good in convincing the
seeing public what the blind can dc
as teachers. If I were a blind mar
wanting to get into the field Of teach.
Ing, l would certainly make the effor-
to get a position as teacher of The
seeing, rather than Of the blind, fol
the field Is larger and hence tn,
chance better Of securing a position
and one that will give oppcrtunitie,
for advancement.
Then there is the great broad fielt
OF music with it's many branches
teaching, playing at entertainments
etc. etc. and branching from tina
piano tuning, one OF the very hes
works In which the blind can engage
and n from which many a blin'
man has drifted into piano salesman
ship.
Undoubtedly the field Of music of
fers one of the greatest openings TO
a blind person. DR.. Fraser, the bin
principal OF the School for the Blinc
Halifax, N. s., and one of the great
est educators Of the blind in thi
world, says that about 80 per lent Q
his pupils are self-supporting. O
this number SO per cent succeede
through music, Is per cent throne
tuning (one-third Of these sunnIe
menting their tuning work with teach
ing), 5 per mi only succeed at mar
ual labor. and the balance succeed !;
craftsmanship.
The field OF salesmanship is a b
one with unlimited possibilities, an
there is no reason why the blind ma
should not be as great a success
the seeing man.
Where a salesman has the meal
to do SO, it is always advisable
have q guide with him. OF courE
blind men can n do &C alone, b