The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1914-12-02
WILL SHOW WoRk
Of The BLIND
Exhibition of Work Done by Blind in
Baltimore Workshop Soon to be
Given in Cambridge.

The first step towards educating
the blind of Maryland was taken,
when, in 1858, nine pupils began
their school life under the direction
Of, t%e teachers, in -small house in
Baltimore. The Maryland School
for the Blind, now situated at Over
lea, Md, with its four cottages and
imposing Administration Building,
superintendent residence,a and COM
plete central heating and lighting
plant, makes it's own adequate COM
mentary upon the growth of that
work.
Since sixty out of every one hun
dred blind persons, however, lose
their sight after school age, there
were, necessarily, many beyond the
reach of the school, who were thus
doomed to miserable years of en-
forced idleness. Let anyone imagine
himself suddenly deprived of sight.
still entirely normal in all his hab-
its, energies, and desires, still under
the necessity of earning a living;yet
inexorably set aside, useless, because
he knows how to do nothing with
out the aid of sight-let him once
fairly face such situation and he
will see a condition which no school
intended for the education of chill
dren can successfully meet. AS
solution of this problem, the Mary
land WORKSHOP for the Blind was es-
tablished in 1908, at SOL W. Fay
cite street, Baltimore, under the
management of Mr.. G. w. Conner.
There men and women are taught to
read and write in the embossed print
used by the blind and receive in
struction in that line of work for
which each seems best adapted.
Among the industries taught there
are mattress and broom making.
chair Gaming, hammock weaving, pi-
ano tuning. basketry, weaving of
rugs, and smaller articles, knitting,
|crocheting, and sewing. The Shop
is not a home for the blind any more
than the school is, as so often mis-
named, an asylum. The one hun
dred and fifty men and women en-
ployed there go to work daily from
their homes and boarding places, not
necessarily decorated with the"hap-
py smile," which, according to most
newspaper articles, seems to be the
accepted accompaniment of blind
ness. but earnestly thankful for the
opportunity which sighted workers
take as a matter of course, of giving
ton.
But, in spite of the work that lis
being done In school and shop, there
is still a class of the blind of our
State which has not yet been reach
ed. This class comprises forty per
cent. of the total number of blind,
and includes those who lose their
sight when over fifty years of age.
To place them amid wholly unfami1-
lar surroundings and force them in
to competition with younger persons
would be to add another, and, per-
haps. greater, handicap to that
which we would seek to overcome.
In order, therefore, that these peo-
pie may be taught and still remain
In their accustomed environment the
management of the Workshop de-
sires to send out teachers who shall
visit them in their homes and there
give the much-needed instruction.
Enough has already been done to
prove, beyond question, the advisa-
bility of such measure. During
the past two years, Miss M. E. Cava-
naugh, herself without sight, has
been carrying on the work of home
teaching at Salisbury, Crisfeld, Prin-
cess Anne, Marion and Westover,
with marked success. Miss Cava-
naugh visits each pupil at least once
. week, and gives instruction in
reading and writing, and in canning,
basketry, hammock weaving, knitting
or whatever may be best suited to
the taste and ability of the learner.
The change which the weekly visit