Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-04-15
BLINDED SOLDIERS
SENT TO SCHOOL
Hartford Villa Converted Into Inst.
Stitution for Instructing Sight
less English Soldiers
PLACE OWNED BY AN AMERICAN

Correspondence OF the Aasoolated Press
Z LONDON. March 10 One 81 the deep.
est personal tragedies Of the war. ~
brought home 10 the British people. 4
Tho louw list Of young soldiers and
sailors who have lost their eyhaight Al
~. DunHtan's Hostel for blinded soldiers
and sailors there are al present abo.t ~
students. officers and men. representing
Canada. England, Australia, New zsa.
land and Belgium. In addition there
are a number Of men In annerfs At
Brighton and Torquhy whose wounds
thus far have prevented their taking
up work NJ g. DunsiAns
Never before IN British history have
~ many young men. who are Otherwise
able bodied. been brought together In thf
helpless state Of tijudpees. and the prob.
lem Of handling them 10 entirely differ
snt from tbat presented IN y home for
people who have lost their sight through
disease or like Causes and new methods
must be applied to meet the situation,
g. DunStan's IL a place u beauty and
full Of historic interest once tic wills
N the third MARQUES on lleHford tba
"Htsyne" Of Vanity fair u IL nov the
London home of otto Kahn. The Amer
can financief. who has loaned u 10 the
blinded soldiers ana sailors care com
mlttee. under The chHlrinansbip ~ q
Arthur Pearson. publisher md presl
dent Of the national Institute FOR the
Blind. About the spacious villa are NJ
teen acres Of weil.kspt lawns. tfees and
shrubbsry An arm ~ Regents Park
Lake runs Into the gropnds, thus A.
fordlng facilities for boating All this
IL IT the dlsposal ~ the blind men mi
they have been surrounded BY ~ atrn0s.
phers that is distinctly homelibe.
Pearson n blind Wan,
Mr. Pearson, a man ~ magnetic per-
sonaiity and the moving spirit NJ the
hostel, lost hls sigh few years ago
and the bright philosophy Of life which
he has developed for himself psrysdes
the place Mr. PosrsoBa theory ~ con
Quoting NJ, punatsna WIS expressed by
him 10 representative ~ the Asa0s
eisted Press thus.
THE main endeaYor here IL 70 get into
the minds Of tho blinded men the root
principle that they are handicapped, moi
afflicted The latter word IL used far too
freely IN connection with blind folk Tell
n man that he is afflicted and his mental
outlook on life will bear thai stamp But
tell him he IL handicapped and " he IL
. good fellow At heart his sporting spirit
will assert Itself ana he viii adopt ap
the means that ara shown him 10 enable
him 20 catch up with the follows 10 whom
circumstances have given q start"
Hlnce tho school work nj ~ Dunstans
began thrty.flvc mon have been Rradu.
aied. having learned one Or more oceu
pattionp. such az boot repairing, massage.
Matchmaking. basket-making ioinerg.
poultry farming and market gardening
Virtually All Of these men read and write
BraIlls and typewrite with the ordinary
machine All are now said TO be earning
good incomes
There are seventey.two teachers. all
hut twelve of them voluntary. and each
pupil has Individual intruction. Many u
The instructors themselves are blind,
Tho feeling OF tepleasnesa which over.
whslns strong, healthy newly blinded
fFN{ts hHlH h1Es ffAfFRitf ~ HNifUfRt9
relieved when he finds that the one Wh9
IL 10 instruct him IN some profitable en-.
ployment IL suffering from the same
handicap as himself"
Tho working day IA divided hetw The
class rooms, workshops and trimming
rchools 80 that each man ACQUIRES an all
round education. Al the students learn
TO read and write Brallie. and some Of
them are studylng music 4 number Of
men have learned Tho difficult art u
reading with the finger tips IN two weeks
seventy-three have passed the typewrlt.
ing test. which means that they can write
4 letter without mistake at fair rate
~ speed When q man passes this en.
animation he receives prize Of typo.
writer.
One Of the most remarkable fcaturos
Of the school IL the progress being made
by some Of The men In learning Braills
shorthand They operate on little mn
chine OF seven keys which punches the
characters on strip Of paper These
characters later can be read with the
finger tipa and transcribed on the type.
writer, Several Of the men who were
secretaries before joining the army are
learning shorthand and typlnE TOR the
purpose of resnmlnR their former work.
Men Learn Quickly,
In the shops men who have never
handled tools become adept quickly. A
few weeks practice enables many ~ them
70 acquire such skill that the articles they
produce are saiahle, poor,mats. baskets
~ every shape and Size, bookcases. pic
tnresfranlee and many other thlnga ara
turned cut IN the work rooma With a.,
cuFaey and finish.
Near the workshops Is the noultf, farm
where those men vino desire TO 1--we In the
country are taught poultry keeping, ana
Simple market gnaenug The men
quickly hocome proficient. learning %
distinguish The different breeds ~ fowl
e tell The welEht ~ bird. TO manaas
iHeuhAtofs and al the raat that kuss
with poultry falHluE
Ar Pearson believes that the massage
business j. liself 10 prove the nost
lucrative n lbe occupations tausht a
= hanslana PRIMARY Instruction IN
AHsiaHf end phNalelaEt IL Kiyen Al the
hnsisl. ard AhFA ihe primary stAsa i
rassea lNiiiun is continued n ths Wa
aAHe department st the National insit.
tats ~ ne blind
Amens ne students In she massage d.
rAFsmeni ia Nniha MaeAeutle aan ~
~ Thomas Nssseasle hsh enmmis
slensf % Ass Zealand eialbs Naekeu
sis - AAft'f MeFa thsn q aaF, hat he has
saasRisa iaa luasllahlf aasffailY ana 4,