Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-12-23
YULE1|DE Cash
TO 603 Blind
New York Priest as Santa
Claus Gives Each Person
q Present Of $26
Bent Woman Of 80 Said She
Was the "happiest One
in All the World"

New York, Dec. 22.-That one need
not see his Christmas gift in order to
be made happy by it IA demonstrate
ed when SOB blind person, all resi-
dents of New York, received cash
presents from the city. Father Knick
erbockeF, acting as Santa CLAUSE
gave $26 to each OF the 603.
81 am the happiest person in all the
world. God is certainly good to me-
declared a gray haired, bent should
cred woman Of eighty years when her
share was slipped into her nand, She
has been totally blind for more than
half a century. yet she manages to
find pleasure in living.
From half-past ten O'Clock until al
ter neon a steady line of sightless per.
sons .groped fits way along East
Twenty-sixth street and through the
little Office on the department of
charities. pier. In a way tsat seemed
almost uncanny each Appeared ITO
know just what ann of person was
nearest him in the file Of gift seekers
and they chatted with each other as
gayly as school children.
On Michael J. Drummond, commits
sioner of charities, and Miss May
Shelly and Miss Catherine Egan, in
vestigators of the department. wac
sat behind the metal lattice. work,
we're poured Merry Christmas" wish
es and blessings until they were NOV
ed almost to tears.
A Jew of tWenty-One years, who has
been blind almost from birth, receiv-
ed his first bonus from the city. He
applied for aid last year. but was
ineligible because under age. After
passing six years in a school for the
blind he entered a high school, and
now he is working his way through
college. In his odd hours he teaches
music, and his pupils by way of pay
ment, read his lessons to- him. In
this way he is now studying for his
first examination in the arts course.
Paul Paulsen, his wife Gertrude and
Peter McCann, who share a little
apartment, were singing happily when
they walked away arm in arm, the
trio $7S richer because of their visit
to the pier. Mrs. Paulsen is a figure
familiar to the crowds in the Sixth
avenue district, where almost every
day for years she has sung popular
songs for the pennies an occasional
shopper would give her. Mccain,
who also sings, goes to other dis
tricts, while Paulsen remains at home
and "keeps house"
"Im afraid this is the last time l
shall be able to call on Santa Claus"
Palsen said yesterday, for / am not
very strong these days. But my wife
will be able to sing for a long time to
come. Her voice can be heard and
recognized for two blocks"
"Her apartment is one of the tidiest
I ever saw" remarked one Of the
young women investigators when a
woman of 20 passed the window.
Blind as she is she is able to sew
and idon, and by this way she makes
enough money to keep herself COM
Portable. She rel goes around wash.
ing windows, and she does a more
thorough job than very many women
who would be able to detect specks on
the pane if they ould only look for
them" ...
This same woman passes a part of
her, time in putting circulars in en-
velopes for a downtown firm. She al
so operates one of those machines
which make raised impressions on
paper enabling others afflicted most
remarkable of all, she makes all her
own clothing, and her clothes are neat
and attractive.
Better put your mooey in your
pocket before you go outside" Mr..
Drummond cautioned the eighty.year-
old woman, who had declared she was
the happiest Of all Gods creatures.
cts in no danger" she replied
lightly. ~ shan't let it slip through
my fingers"
julius E.. Lindballe insisted on
taking his turn at playing Santa
Claus. He gave the paymastar a
copy Of Little Eva's Dream" a book
he has written.
Only one applicant went away emp
%ty-handed. John McSweeney, % years
old and blind eighteen years, was dis
qualified by going to Franklin, N. Y,
in search Of health, last year, not
having lived in the city two years
continuously.