New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-23
Mr.. Taft Opens Lighthouse
No. l." with Speech of
Sympathy to the Blind.
CHOATE JOKES ON DELAY
Hes the Late President Ten
Days Too Soon" Says Jurist
When Audience Had
Waited an Hour.
.I.ichthousc No. l."

That number one" is symbolic ~ the
sririt Of the New York Association for tho
Blind and Of its found and secretary.
Miss Winifred Holt.
The lighthouse for the blind. the splen-
did settlement house for the siChtIess.
which the association opened Yesterday at
No. III East 59th street. starts on its
career carrying a mortgage of $4,000
and the crying need OF 100000 more to
pay for and properly equip the building.
Yet h~avQly the announcements Haunted
the slogan Lighthouse No. L." and Miss
Holt declared II was only tho first Of a
chaiu ~ beaconS 10 he established to give
the blind light through work"
Md those who heard her believed her.
fc- wasn't II less than seven years ago
that she started the association-such a
little association. with its headquarters i'm
enc room o. her own home?
AMI yesterday President Taft came from
Washington to speak at the opening Of
the lighthouse. having laid its corner
stone last winter. Joseph II, Choate.
Mon. gnor VI. !. Lavelle Bishop Greer.
Helen kollcr. Dr. John H. Finley and
o;hcr well known men and women were
there to bid The work sodspeed and. most
t"'lnS Of all. on the platform and in the
audience were more than a hundred blind
PERSONS. men and women and children.
whom the association in It's classrooms at
No. rs East 59;h street. the house TO
which il moved from Miss Hollis home
has given Tight through work"
Gives Choate Chance to Joke.
Nj Taft was an hour late. If he had
Known What a comfortable chair was
waiting for him in the middle of the plat
FORM special bg-sized mission chair.
made by one n the blind workmen. he
would have hurried. However. his not
coming on time gave Mr.. Choate. who
was chairman. a chance TO make joke al
his expense.
Hes being the late President OF the
United States ten days before he has any
right TO be-" complained Mr.. Choate
Nj Choate had something made by a
blind man. too 1t was a gavel with
which. he declared, he could manage a
room full OF London suffragettes.'
Mr.. Taft's delay gave Miss Keller a
chance to occupy his chair of honor, too.
Mr.. Choate insisted on putting her into il,
and as she sat down she called out sayly:
I'm the first woman President Of the
United States"
But she added, as the President
anne. Il abdicate gladly"
II was o'clock when Mr.. Taft arrived
VITA his military aid. who was really
unnecessary. for weren't there two blind
hoy scouts. AT least thirty-six inches high
apiece waiting on the edge of the platform
20 oe his guard. and six other boy scouts
AZ the door. with Old Glory held aloft.
ready to escort him 10 his seat? And es
cort him they aid without stumble.
b,nd as they We're. In the front row Of
tie mezzanine gallery Of the big room on
the first floor. where the ceremonies took
plaCe-auditorium on state occasions.
workToom on otheTs-Were some more
hoy scouts and some camp fire girls in
their feathered headdresses. straininS
their sightless eyes toward the platform
below. Groups Of little blind girls in white
dresses and white. gauzy wings. actors IN
the miracle play that was TO end the pro-
gramme, clustered at the end Of the plat
form
How Miss Keller Heard" Speeches.
Miss Keller. in blue dress and hat
and carrying a bunch Of violets and one
of roses. sat al Mr. Tafts left after she
sbdicated his chair. and beside her was
her teacher. Mrs. MACY. who held her
hand and gave her. through the play OF
her fingers. the speeches that were made.
And though both kept their gloves on. the
MAY Of Miss Keller's features showed
that she understood IL all.
Miss Holt. IN black. with big black
hat. sat on the other side Of the Presi-
dent. And around them and above them
and below them was a perfect sea Of
faces Every available inch in the big
room was crammed- damned full.
II was "a long programme Of short
speeches" MIR Choate said. Mr.. Tafts
was as short AS the rest
II often wonder when | read the Dec
laration of Independence. he said. when
the roar Of applause which greeted Mr.
chOates introduction of him as the
bestowed President in the world had
DIED GOWN. II wonder what the blind
think OF that sentence. all men'-which.
Of course. includes women-'are created
free and equal.
= deal of thinking must 20 on behind
those blind eyes; that sentence. they
must feel should be subject 10 emenda-
lions. II isn't true that We are created
equal. We are not equal in funds not
vironment That phrase was an inspira-