Middletown transcript., 1916-02-05
INDUSTRIES OF THE BLIND

these has been falling off of public
interest and patronage; during the past
holiday season when other commercial
interests were reporting increase busi-
ness TO the extent of forty to fifty per
cent. the business OF the Blind-Shop
fell off ten per cent. We cannot believe
the public is out of sympathy with
their less fortunate citizens who with
zeai and ambition strive to rise above
their great natural handicap. But un-
assuming and diffident the self-respect-
ing blind retiring indignifed obscrulty
do not protrude themselves upon the
public eye and are put out OF mind as
nrovided for. Alas, the last winters
lob does not provide this winters need.
The mendicant on the corner is ever IN
the public eye and reaps its harvest
daily. Can it be that degenerate
public sympathy lends itself to the en-
couragement of this prostitution Of hu-
man defects and their exploitation for
material gain? The beggar on the
street works three or four hours day
and takes in many times the income OF
the widow whose mite swells his cof-
fers. Can he thus be reclaimed to self
respect and industry?
Again the blind are very much like
the seeing, by and large, not all who
have the ability and the chance for
self-respecting livelihood avail them
selves of their opportunity. Many are
twice blind, physically and morally, and
others have far greater defect in in
ebriety. The workers for the blind in
the past have attempted to carry these
double detectives and raise them to
plane above both defects, in several
cases naturally failures have resulted,
and some who have proved themselves
amply able to earn double their Twins
cost, have retired to the hospltable care
of the public or to be a burden on fam
lily or friends. These cases have been
Iamented but their elimination has
purged the industries of the blind of
embarrassments and left the work to
more deserving and sincere claimants
for the great boon so freely given by
the state. city, and public patronage of
self help and industrial independence.
Nearly every one of the great manu-
featuring plants of our city has given
all it's business to the Blind-Shop in
their line; and many of our great office
buildings have generously patronized
the plant, the department stores have
sold their products, and still there is
great lack of work for our shop. This
lack is found in the support of the gen
eral public. If housewives would ask
their dealers for blind made brooms or
rugs this deficiency of work would be
quickly supplied. Further it seems to
be forgotten that the Blind-Shop is
State institution, and numbers among
its beneficiaries those from Sussex and
Kent and rural New Castle as well as
Wilmington. Yet outside Of the city
the work seems to have been forgotten
entirely, little or no support comes
from other parts of the State.
One of the many societies and organ
izations who have been interested in
the uplift of the blind, The Cynthias
Helpers of The Sunshine Society alone
have remained faithful to this good
cause. Their members have been ac
tive in securing work, their donations
of delicacies have been gratefully re
ceived, and on January II they gave q
beautiful concert at the Blind-Shop
which was greatly enjoyed by the blind
and their friends. At this concert the
solos Of Messrs. Frank Mason and
Edgar D. Smith, and Mrs. Eleanor G.
Kemery were greatly enjoyed, besides
these the blind soloists were Miss Helen
Bye, and Messrs. William Stevenson
and Elmer Vogts, the latter performing
upon the piano. The accompanies were
Messrs. N. C. Morgan and E. w.
Mauldin and Mrs. c. C. Bye. Refresh
ments were served by The Sunshine
Society and a royal good time was en-
joyed. The Cynthias Helpers have also
interested themselves in a defective
child, Charles Montruchio, an Italian,
who was sent to the Arthur Home for
Blind Babies. Professor Abbott was
brought here by the society and gave
Shakesperian lectures in private homes
for the benefit of this case. $340.2
was thus raised and transmitted through
this commission to the managers of tbs
home.
The field worker or ''home teacher
Of the commission found much OF his ac-
tivity confined to work at the shop, al
though many visits We're made through
out the city and state, much of the out
side work being the supervision of the
work of the blind at their homes. Dur
ing the past three months three new
cases OF blindness were discovered. One
lady cordially appreciated the efforts OF
our field officer, and was introduced to
Moon type and otherwise encouraged to
meet her altered condition of life. One
man was brought to the Blind-Shop and
is now Gaming chairs successfully. The
third case was gentleman living at
Milford, who had lat-ly suffered the
loss'of eyesight by an accident. One
visit was made and the pupil introduced
to the Braille system of tangible print
and his future instruction carried on by