Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-10-04
No HANDS, WORKS
Manned Soldier Goes Home and
Learns to Do Things.
Designs and Manufactures Apparatus
Which Enable Him Almost to
Ignore His MutiIation.

One French farm is being cultivated
by a former soldier who lost both
hands in the war. Jean Baptiste Led.
rams is the man who has overcome this
handicap. When war was declared
Ledrans was a young handy mechanic,
accustomed to repairing plows and
reapers. At. the call to arms he re-
Joined his battery as cavalry ser
geant. He distinguished himself by
manning bomb mortar and advancing
with the infantry to the attack Of
strong redoubt. This exploit earned
him the rank of underlieutenant.
After fighting safely through many
battles, Ledrans was wounded near Ar
rus and upon his recovery was trans
ferred to the infantry, says a corre-
spondent Of the Chicago News. In his
new position the young underoficer,
because of his mechanical ability, was
assigned to the grenade section, where
he soon became proficient. Finally
he became an instructor.
II was while instructing some young
soldiers, about to leave for the front,
that Ledrans received his terrible
wounds. A new recruit produced an
experimental grenade from his pocket
and gave it to Ledrans. The instructor
began his lesson, releasing the fuse
lighter which, unfortunately, was con-
nected with a loaded grenade, and not
one as used in practice. The grenade
exploded, killing six men and wound
ing several others. Ledrans was
wounded in five places; rib broken,
right eye put out, one eardrum pierced
and his two hands carried away.
This was in 1915. In spite of his in
juries, Ledrans' f1ancee remained faith
full, and two months later received
letter written by her future husband.
In January, 1917, they were married
and Ledrans liz now cultivating his
father-in-law's farm.
Putting his ingenuity to practical
use, the former soldier has been able to
design and build apparatus which Ell
able him almost to ignore his mutila
ton. He can hitch up and drive
horse, driving by sitting on the loop
of the lines and guiding with his ar
ranged forearms. He can load and
unload the wagon, care for the horse
and manage a team as we'll. The whip
passes through a ring In the right arm
equipment.
BY means of a special harness Led
rams can work in the fields as well as
anyone. A steel plate stripped on the
body, and supplemented with feathers
for the arms, support the interchange
able tools which are needed to per-
form various operations Of farm work.
On the left arm. is carried a ring
through which the handle of the rake
or shovel slides like through the hand.
The right arm is equipped with SOCK
ct and set screws in which the tools
can be placed and fixed. There Is n
complete assortment of farm tools and
special hooks.
The farm work done, the brave ex-
solder takes off his working arms"
and his wife adjusts pair Of elastic
gloves which accommodate the smaller
articles of daily use. With these gloves
Ledrans can write, shave, eat and
dress himself. He drinks by taking the
cup between the two elastic gloves.
Combing his hair, brushing his teeth
and adjusting his collar become simple
operations to this injured man, who
has solved, for himself, one Of the
great problems of the war.