The Detroit times., 1913-12-05
Highly Developed Sense of
Touch Makes Them Skillful
Operators
THREE MILWAUKEE, GIRLS
START UP IN BUSINESS
New Phaze of Vocational Train.
ing, Now on Trial, Promises
Great Success

hevcd to be unique with the Milwau-
xeo public schools and which Is at
tracing unusual attention il the
training OF blind girls to become pro-
fcssional masseuse. The training IL
given in the down town business es-
tsblishment Of the instructor. the
school board paying for the training
Of each blind girl having the inclira.
ton. aptitude and ability for this line
Of work.
Three OF the graduates are estab-
lished in business and are selfsupport-
Ing, one OF the girls being the only
inasseuse In the city OF Kenosha. She
IL Miss Sara Won Wald, the first blind
masseuse In the state Of Wisconsin
and believed to be the Hrst one Ia
the United States indebted to the
public schools for her training.
1t was her desire to take up this
iine or work. believing 1t to be pro
fession In which she could become
proficient and In which she would fnd
the opportunity for service to others
instead Of being herself Q burden. that
led to its adoption by the Milwaukee,
school board.
After graduating from tho state
school for the blind at Janesville
Miss Won Wald entered one of thu
Milwaukee high schools for the sak(
or the daily association with seems
pupils. which Is feature of the edu
cation or the blind in this city. She
vas we'll. she was strong and she had
the delicacy Of touch which is 30 es.
sentiai to success especially in thu
treatment OF nervous patients.
MISS Won Wald went to Miss Car
RE Levy, supervisor of the work FOL
the blind In the Milwaukee schoolp
With her ambition. How was she I'd
get the necessary training without
money? There was no provision toi
such instruction In the school fund
so Miss Levy went to G. g. Pcarse
now president of the Milwaukee Nor
nal school, but at that time city su
perintendent of schools.
Mr.. Pearse saw the school direc.
tors and they voted to pay for Misr
Won Wald's training II q suitable In
structor could be found. AS the re
suit of the search which followed
Miss Ellen +. McEvoy was selected
to undertake the experiment.
Some OF the latter's patrons. prom1
ment IN the city's social life, becam,
30 interested In the blind girl tina
tney volunteered as patients for prac
| tics work.
So remarkable was the development
OF Miss Won Wald in self.reliance, II
preadth OF view. and in eagerness Il
shoulder responsibility instead O
lodging 1t. as well as in professiona
skill that the school board voted e
extend this phase of activity. The re
suit Is that In the last two years
three blind girls have received diplo
mas and one Of them. Miss Ethel Tyr
reil. has been employed by Miss Nc
Evoy as one Of her assistants. Miss
Won Valid Immediately after her grad
uation opened on ONCE in her home
city OF Kenosha. where she works un
DER the direction OF several of the
cfty's physicians. Miss Emma Bent
zein IL establishing a private practice
In Milwaukee. finding her way from
house to house without escort In spite
OF the fact that she il totally blind
The first thing which the blind
student must be taught is to forge:
self-consciousness and self-pity," sayl
Miss McEvoy. The blind girl us
ually comes to me with the most i'm
practical view of life. She has al
ways been cared for, especially II she
has attended an institution for the
Dlind, and somehow or other, though
she doesn't quite know how, she al
ways expects to be. She has beer
pitied and protected because of hel
affliction and when she "a called upou
to face the realities OF life Il IL like
u cruel awakening from her dreams
Even though she IL not willing TO he
como burden on relatives or friends
easy for her.
The nrst thing I try to do Is Ia
arouse the spirit OF self-reliance and
to make her realize that blindness Il
not the only aKliction in the worm
Try TO make her see, as kindly al
possible. that nearly every one faces
the battle Of life with some handicap
ana that olindness is hers. The heavi
or the handicap the bigger the effor,
must be to win success.
When she begins to pity other neo
PIE instead OF herself, az she 1. al
most sure tn do through association
with the sick, and TO realize that
other people have troubles of thai,
own and cannot be expected to shoul
oer hers. the first important step has
ceen taken. 1t Is not long before she
begins to wish to help Others instead
OF expecting to be helped herself. and
as soon rs she Is really imbued with
her. W
POSSIBLY the hardest thing 70
.each the girls Is to conquer or hide
tnet Representatives, which n ne
cu!lar to the blind and to carry them.
selves In such . manner that neither
they nor those about them will he
constantly reminded Of their afYliction
The successful masseuse must he
self-forgetful, sympathetic, tactful
cheerful and helpful. willing TO give
her vitality to those in need Of II and
to be the burden-bearer for them.