The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-18
tChicago Tribune.

1t has been we'll said that few men
are perfectly qualified for the work
they arc actually doing.
In moments of disbursement il
might he we'll for such partially quail
fled workers to consider how much
more fortunate they are than that ILL
fated class of men and women who
are compelled to work in unending
darkness.
We who have good sight may learn
many great lessons in perseverance
and cheerfulncss by reading the sto-
ries of these undaunted blind folk
who have pressed on in the paths of
usefulness despite their terrible afflic-
ton. 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-mak-
ing, basket weaving. chair Gaming and
rattan work. The blind are capa BILE
workers also in the following lines:
The manufacture of mattresses. cigars
rag carpets. mops. harness n other
articles Of the anne general nature.
Sishtless people car also practice
massaging nj shampooing. One of
the largest dry goods stores in Chica-
go has II blindstenographer doing reg
ular work satisfactorily.
A report from A Glasgow institu-
ton 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 five blind telephone operators.
two of them at hospital switchboards.
tN-n in hIyciy,nec 1n,tcrc o,HI 49, ~ ~
editorial rooms of a daily newspaper
OF these blind operators three are wo-
men and two arc men. One of the
most frequent occupations for the
blind. is the teaching of music. Piano
tuning is another.
Both of these lines of work are es-
pecially available because of the fact
that when the power of sight is gone
h of hearing increases in &C
curacy and in quickness. Nearly all
bin persons are good musicians, and
many of them have been successful in
giving concerts for money.
The blind have n sincere and ardent
desire to be not merely busy. but use
full. In this spirit Helen Keller. plead
ing for the blind from out of the dark
ness Of her own threefold affliction,
implores the public not to purchase
from h blind any senseless and USE
less knlck-knacks. She does not want
US to delude blind people into think
ing they are useful when they are not
1t would be better to give the none,
outright to some charity for the blind
Many of them have been assisted by
the free employment bureau for the
handicapped which was started in New
York a few years ago. Thirty-nine OF
the first five hundred applicants were
blind. and it was not an easy task ia
find places for any Of them. A one
armed mar can easily act as a mes
senger. etc. a maj minus both legs il
employable as a gateman. and a deaf
mute can easily be a clerk or a book
keeper. but the outlook for a blind
mar is mostly out" and not much
look" nor luck. One Ease handled by
this employment bureau was that OF
"a man 48 years of age who had sud-
denly been stricken blind and forced
to r%elinguish his trade as a mechanic.
Through the efforts of the bureau he
was placed as an assistant foreman in
a novelty shop, where he fully demon
strated his abilities and is now con.
sidered one of the most valuable EN-.
ployes."
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 still renowned as
THE Blind Mechanician." Though