The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-11
'swant to buy a broom ?'

'Want to buy a broom?'
 Looking past the small. negro boy who asks this question at your door, you see blind man with dozen or more brooms The blind man carrying the brooms and led by the little negro is a familiar figure in different parts of the city, and he has an interesting story
 His name is W. S Johnson, and he has lived in Birmingham nearly all his fife. He was a schoolboy here, attend ing the Paul Hayne in the 90s. When he was in the fifth grade he went one Fri day afternoon to spend a weekend with relatives who lived on Red mountain Someone in the family had a new gun and of course the boy was interested in it. It discharged in his face blnding him.
 That marked the end of his life as an ordinary active schoolboy. Mir. Johnson says he was dependent for long time until he became accustomed to the change He has done this admirably, for he has pleasant cheerful manner, with no discontent.
 Leaving school here he entered the Talladega institute for the blind. Having once had his sight he could more readily comprehend the instruction, and as soon as he learned to read by touch he pro- giessed rapidly. Besides broom making. he learned chair caning, mattress mak- ing and piano tuning.
 Returning to Birmingham from the in- stitute, MT. Johnson went with the Eagle Broom company. This was in 1906, and he has been in this work since The Eagle company was owned and operated by Lewis Musselwhite a blind man, who had learned broom making in the Mis- sssippi school for the blind. Three years ago MT. Musselwhite sold his factory and returned to Mississippi, and Mr. Johnson then started his own factory
 The factory is on Sixth avenue, between Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth streets MT. Johnson has assistant in the factory while he spends part of his time at work making the brooms and part of it sell ing. He has also wholesale trade His business has increased in three years from 10 dozen brooms day to D dozen, and he Is planning to enlarge the scope of his work. At present he makes four grades of house brooms, varying in weight, hearth brooms. long handled wall brooms and two kinds of warehouse brooms. These are made of split straw and are bound with wire. They are used on the streets, In warehouses and for other heavy work. MT. Johnson plans to add floor mops and feather dusters
 He spends almost all of his time in making and selling brooms. He Is inter- ested in all work connected with the blind, and is posted on current matters of their activities well as other general matters.
 According to MT. Johnson, there are 327 blind men in Alabama. There are 100 in Greater Birmingham. Of the latter, some are children who attend the Tala- dega institute during the school term and arc in Birmingham only for the summer The others, about 25 men and women, are members of the Birmingham Association for the Blind. The association has two main objects One is to act as an intelli- gence bureau and to exchange information regarding employment for the members, and the other Is to maintain the library for the blind.
 This library now consists of 300 or 400 volumes in raised print, at the central library at the city hall It belongs to the Birmingham association, but it's cir culation is not restricted to the city. Any blind person in Alabama may secure these books, having them sent by mail or par eel post and returning them In the same way. The books in raised type are so expensive that comparatively few are owned 1ndlVldually. While the library cir culating through the state gives all the blind people an opportunity to read scores of books.
 The success of this library has been due largely to Mrs. Going, formerly Miss Ger trude Jones of Avondale, who has worked earnestly to establish and maintain it.
 Further assistance has been from the society of the blind, a local organization of persons cooperating with the associa- tion of the blind
 Books for the blind. said Mir. Johnson, are printed in Boston and in Louisville These are the largest establishments in America printing in raised type The Louisville company is owned by the gov ernment Two magazines are printed and sent free to the blind all over the United States. One of these is the Matilda Zeig- Ter magazine, financed by Mrs. Zeigler of New York. The other is the Christian Record, published in Nebraska.
 Reading and music are two of the chief pleasures of the blind, as most all other occupations require sight. Mir. Johnson oaid with a smile that there is an erro- neous idea that those who are blind n- I-1- L.