The Washington herald., 1912-04-28

T has been well said that few men are
perfectly auallied for the work they are
actually doing. In moments Of dtscour-
! agement II might be well for such partial
" qualified workers to consider how
much more fortunate they are than that Ill
fated class Of men and women who are com
pelledl TO work in unending darkness.
We who have good sight may learn many
great lessons in perseverance, and cheerful
ness by reading the stories OF these un-
daunted blind folk Who have pressed on in
the paths Of usefulness Aspite their terrible
GniIction. The mere list Of the trades and
professions that have been and are practiced
with success by the blind is most instructive
and interesting. In the manual trades the
ones most commonly followed are broom
making. basket weaving. chair Gaming. and
rattan work The blind are capable workers
also In the following lines: The manufacture
OF mattresses. cigars. rag carpets. mops' hsr-
ness, and other articles Of the same general
nature. sIghtless people can also practice
massaging and shampooing. One Of the
largest dry goods stores in Chicago has
blind stenoerapher doing regular work salts
factorily.
A report from a Glasgow institution states
that blind men have been able to do even
such dangerous work as the operation Of a
circular saw or a band saw. Blind men have
proved that they can be good BARRIERS. At a
recent date there were in New York City Eve
blind telephone operators. two Of them at
hospital switchboards. two in business
houses, and one In the editorial rooms Of
daily Newspaper. OF these blind operators.
three are women and two are men. One OF
the most frequent occupations for the blind
Is the teaching of music. Piano tuning Is
anothST.
Both Of these lines Of work are especially
available because OF the fact that when the
power OF sight is gone the sense Of hearing
increases in accuracy and in quickness.
Nearly all blind persons are good musicians,
and many OF them have been successful in
giving concerts for money.
Desire Useful Occupations.
The blind have a sincere and ardent desire
10 be not merely busy but useful In this
spirit Helen Keller. pleading for the blind
from out the darkness OF her own threerold
afilctIon. Implores the public not to pur-
chase from the bind any senselsss and use
less knick-knacks. She does not want Us
to delude blind people into thinking they are
useful when they are not II would be better
to give the money outright TO some charity
for the blind.
Many OF them have been assisted by the
free employment bureau for the handi-
capped which was started in New York a
few years ago. Thirty-nlne Of the first 500
applicants were blind and II was not an easy
task to hnd places for any OF them A one
armed man can easily act as Q messenger,
etc: a man minus both legs Il emphoyab!e
a. a gateEnan. and a deaf mute can easily
be q clerk or bookkeeper. but the outlook
for a blind man Il mostly out and not
much " look " nor luck. One case handled
by this employment bureau was that Of " a
man 4s years OF age who had suddenly been
stricken blind and forced TO rellnquish his
trade as q mechanic. Through the efforts
OF the bureau he was placed as an assistant
foreman In a novelty shop where he fully
demonstrated his abilities and Is now con
sidered one OF the most valuable employees.
One OF the most famous cases OF success
won IN lifelong darkness is that OF Joseph
strong. who died nearly two centuries ago
but IS Stin renowned as The Blind Mocha
niclan' Though he lost his sight when
4 years OF age he was 80 clever with his
hands and 30 good a musician that even as
a boy he could make several varieties o.
musical Instruments. He early had learned
TO play upon the organ and at the tender
age Of 10 had the amazing desire 10 con-
struct one.