The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-12

J. s. L
 Blind member of legislature from providing school for a
 
 products they made were paid in wages $52, ,23s. .67. The products of the broom de- partment alone in one year sold for $25,- 900. I will mention a few of the princi- pal trades that can be taught: Piano
 tuning and repairing, broom making. chair seating, mattress and hammock
 making, net, carpet and rug weaving, ba sket and hampers and many other use full articles
 Some Personal Experience
 T hope I make take the liberty of men I tioning some of my personal experience 1 in helping to instruct the blind. After | holding the position of medical director l in the Louisiana State School for Blind 1 for six years, I was called 31 years ago l to Alabama to take charge of the musi- l cal department of the State School for I Blind Children, located at Talladega. This 1 position I held for Fl years. l introduced piano tuning and repairing. the study of I stringed and wind instruments, orchestra
 and band work. A large number of grad I uates from this school are now and have l been for years making a lucrative sup port by teaching music and especially by l following the profession of tuning and l repairing pianos, are located not only in l this, but several adjoining states. have l had in my employ in my music stores l for several years young blind man whom I taught piano tuning and repair l ing. He is earning enough not only to support himself, but is rendering sub l stantial assistance to his brothers and sisters In helping them to obtain an edu- l cation. It is well known fact all over I the world that blind people excel as piano tuners, and piano factories in this l country as well as Europe employ many ] blind men. This industrial school and workshops will also greatly benefit the graduates of our present state school for I blind, who have already learned trades,
 but are unable to make any practical use of their skill after leaving the institution | because they have not the means of pur- chasing an outfit and material; but this I industrial school and workshop will fur nish them with permanent work, thereby enabling them to become self-supporting
 and not a burden on the state
 Blind After Age of Twenty
 l According to statistics. large per cent l of blindness occurs after the age of 20 l This industrial school will enable some l adults to become skillful in the use oi 1 the typewriter, thereby enabling them to l hold positions in office work. In my store l at Talladega I operate a typewriter and l carry on all my business as well as socia l correspondence The blind are also taugh l to read what is called the Braille as well I as several point systems. These systems
 are so easy to learn by touch that blind l people 50 years of age can readily learn l to read We have published in those sys l tems a monthly magazine which gives
 current events as we'll as entertaining stories and will compare well with any | of your best periodicals. This book and all other literature for blind by an act l of congress is sent free through the mail l Boston has a large circulating library of embossed sacred literature and tex' I books are furnished by the American Printing House for Blind at Louisville Ky. All this literature. Is sent to any l blind person in the United States. abso q lutely free of charge. The world as { | rule knows little of what has beer I achieved by educated blind. Do not thinl | Homer and Milton are the only blind mer
 who have accomplished anything in life Thousands of blind men since their time have made marked success. Nichola I Saunderson, an Englishman, who lost hi' i sight in infancy, became celebrated as 7 I cla ssical scholar and mathematician. Cam l bridge university honored him with thu degree of ILL. D. and for years he wal l professor of mathematics in that grea I institution of learning. One of England postmaster generals, a. blind man, intro Fl duced and perfected some of the greates reforms ever accomplished in that office , One of my instructors. Dr. D. D. Wood of Philadelphia, blind from infancy, wa recognized as the greatest pipe organis rfI xrctf o1 fnf1 poser of national reputation. For 50 year was organist of St. Stephens Episcopa church in Philadelphia. South Carolina III state superintendent of education, Johl Sovereign is a. blind man and receives his early education in South Carolina School for Blind. Years ago a Tennessee blind boy, Francis Campbell by nama after receiving an education in the Ten nessee School for Blind at Nashville, wen to Boston to complete his musical educa tion, which he did by his own efforts il giving music lessons.
 ''The Perkins School for Blind at Bos ton which is one of the. best of it's kin, ir the world recognizing .young Camp
 bell as man of unusualsability. elected him musical director of that institution After holding this position for some year he went to England and established Il | London the Royal Normal College fo Blind. Notwithstanding Europe has fo years pafQ d SEestt uedl Ol dtteutioH U the education of the blind, MT. Camp bells school was recognized as having standard above all others. for which tn King of England honored him wit knig hthood, and our Tennessee blind bo is now Sir Francis Campbell
 "Woodrow Wilson, the greatest Presi ident we have had since the days of Wash ington, does not scorn to take into con sultation on grave national issues blin man Senator Thomas P. Gore of Okla homa. Regarding Blind Beggar
 Allow me to call your attention to deplorable fact. which is hurtful to tn ,uccess of education. industrious, an worthy blind man. namely. the blind beg gar. This same blind man you are nor familiar with than the respectable bln man, the blind beggar would be begga and worthless citizen if he had a doze \ eyes. As a rule, the blind man is proud sensitive and where he has had no or portunity of any kind of education. h | shuns the world.