Norwich bulletin., 1916-04-20

stan's began. thirty-fve men have
 been graduated, having learned one
 or more occupations, such as boot re-
 pairing, massage, matchmaking, basket
 making, joinery, poultry farming and market gardening Virtually all of
 these men read and write Braille and | typewrite with the ordinary machine. All are now said Co be earning good | incomes.
 There are 72 teachers, all but F of them voluntary, and each pupil has | individual instruction. Many of the | instructors themselves are blind The | feeling of helplessness which over
 whelms a strong, healthy, newly
 blinded man., said MT. Pearson, ''Is ! incredibly relieved when he finds that
 the one who is to instruct him in some
 profitable employment is suffering from | the same handicap as himself"
 The working day is divided between | the class rooms, workshops and train | ing schools so that each man acquires | an all round education. All the stu
 dents learn to read and write Braille. | and some of them are studying music. | A number of men have learned the dif- | ficult art of reading with the finger
 tips in two weeks Seventy three have passed the typewriting test, which
 means that they can write a letter | without mistake at fair rate of speed. | When a man passes this examination
 he receives a prize of a typewriter. | One of the most remarkable features
 of the school is the progress being made by some of the men in learning
 shorthand. They operate on a little | machine of seven keeyS which punch
 es the characters on a strip of paper.
 These characters laert can be read
 with the finger tips and transcribed on , the typewriter. Several of the men
 who were secretaries before joining the army are learning shorthand and
 typing for the purpose of resuming
 their former work
 Tn the shops men who have never
 handled tools become adept quickly. A few weeks practice enables many oi them to acquire such skill that the articles they produce are salable. Door mats. baskets of every shape and size bookcases. picture-frames and many l other things are turned out in the workrooms with accuracy and finish. Near the workshops is the poultry farm where those men who desire tS , live in the country are taught poultry 2 keeping. and simple market gardening r The men quickly become proficient 9 learning to distinguish breeds of fowl l to tell the weight of a bird, to man
 age incubators, and all the rest tha'
 goes with poultry raising.
 t MT. Pearson belives that the mas 5 sage business is likely to prove uht lmost lucrative of the occupations { taught at St. Dunstan's. Primary in 9 strUction in anatomy and physiolog, } is given at the hostel, and when thu s primary stage is passed tuition is con . tinued in the massage department a - the National Institute for the Blind. { Among the students in the massag' ] department is Clutha Mackenzie, sol s of Sir Thomas Mackenzie, High Com Q missioner of New Zealand. Cluths . Mackenzie is hardly more than boy - but he has accepted the fnevitabl Y cheerfully and is studying assidousl, s to master the ways of the kingdom O e | darkness. He is but one of many fin a teresting young men among the stud E ents.
 = The average duration of training a r St Dunstants is probably about st e months. When the men leave the hos = tel great care is taken to see that the,
 settle in suitable localities where tn