Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1917-08-04
mo N6 l.oR4S
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
lby a former soldier who lost both
hands in the war. Jean Baptiste Led
Irans is the man who has overcome this
handicap. When war was declared
ILedrans was young handy mechanic,
accustomed to repairing plows and
Ireapers At the call to arms he re-
joined his battery as cavalry ser
Igeant. He distinguished himself by
manning a bomb mortar and advancing
with the infantry TO the attack of
lstrong redoubt This exploit earned
him the rank of underlieutenant.
After fighting safely through many
battles, Ledrans was wounded near Ar
Iras and upon his recovery was trans
lferred TO the infantry, says corre-
lspondent of the Chicago News. In his
new position the young underohicer,
I because of his mechanical ability, was
assigned to the grenade section, where
he soon became proficient. Finally
he became an instructor.
1t was while instructing some young
soldiers, about to leave for the front,
that Ledrans received his terrible
Iwounds. A new recruit produced an
Experimental grenade from his pocket
land gave ii to Ledrans. The instructor
began his lesson, releasing the fuse
Tighter which, unfortunately, was con-
lnected with loaded grenade, and not
lone 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
land his two hands carried away.
This was in 1916. In spite of his In
ljuries, Ledrans' fiancee remained faith
Iful. and two months later received
letter written by her future husband.
In January, 1917, they were married
and Ledrans is 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 en-
able him almost tc ignore his mutila-
tion. 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
Iand manage team as well. The whip
passes through a ring in the right arm
equipment.
BY means of special harness Led
rams can work in the fields as well as
anyone. A steel plate strapped on the
body, and supplemented with feathers
for the arms, support the interchange
Iable 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
Tor shovel slides like through the hand.
THE right arm is equipped with sock
let and set screws in which the tools
can be placed and fixed. There is
complete assortment of farm tools and
special hooks.
The farm work done, the brave ex-
soldier 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.
ICombing 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.