The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-08
TRAIL OF BATTLE
so CLEAR EVEN
Blind MAY SEE
Vivid Description of Scenes
at Front by Sir Arthur
Pearson

the British National Institute devoted
principally to men blinded in the war.
Sir c. Arthur Pearson, of London,
was recently a most interesting visitor
at the British front. His enthuiasm
for all he saw" was unbounded, and
he declared he would take back to
the sightless men at home new words
of encouragement as to how their
army was carrying on.
Sir Arthur climbed the Viny Ridge
and to his great delight some German
shells broke so close they splashed
him with mud and the party had to
take temporary refuge In a dug-out.
"A man doesn't have to see to know
when to duck, does he" laughed Sir
Arthur in relating the incident that
night. ct also find" he added, that
1t doesn't take long to know when
they going and when they are COM
ing
That is always a great source OF
entertainment to visitors in the fight
ing zone. At first the shells that are
going over from the British guns
swish along through the sullen air
with noise that is quite startling
enough, but the sightseer fortunate
enough to hear a sierman missile
coming in" soon finds it sings a
somewhat different song. Sir Arthur
aptly described it.
"Our shells,p he said. Ego with a
bang and a whiz; the Germans come
over with whiz and {. bang. It all
depends upon the position of the
whiz.'
Sir Arthur was deeply impressed
by the work of the guns. He re-
NAMED with some of the batteries for
long time and listened to their noisy
mutterings with a keen appreciation
OF all that was going on about him.
He was particularly delighted TO near
above the reverberating echoes the
songs, OF larks-always TO be remem-
bered by the soldiers on this front
as their ever-cheerful companions of
trench and battle fields
Trudging over some of the older
batt1efields of the Somme, walking
through the trenches, and standing in
the higher places where the panor-
anna of the battle spread below him,
Sir Arthur drank in the atmosphere
CT the war-the meaning of IT ALL He
saw" the tanks" in repese and
heard them at drill, he stood outside
prison cage end visualized the
handicapped Germans within the
barbed wire barriers. He asked a
guard If any of the prisoners ever
attempted to escape
Escape, sir?'' replied the old SER
geant; '.why, sir, you couldn't drive
EN- away; they likes being prisoners
sir, they does
The ruined cities of the Sornme,
Bapaume and Perrone, affected Sir
Arthur deeply
wish the whole world-an blu,
the Germans who already know VIVA,
they have done-could come and
stand in the grand squares of these
cities as did today" he exclaimed
and see and feel the desolation and
the wanton destruction. They arc
ghost-ike. these cities of the dead. ]
knew them on motor trips in other
days, when they were alive and !
could see, and could picture the
scelee today as If were looking at a
painting. The Germans will find
however, the day of reckoning is near
at hand. I shall take back words OF
great cheer to the men at st, Dun
stalNs."
Entertained by officers of ali ranks
Sir Arthur declared his days and
nights at the front had been filled to
overflowing. No visitor ever followed
. the workings of the vast British army
machine with quicker, keener appre.
citation and understanding than he
He was gratified to find in the army
similar interest and appreciation In
the work at ST. Dunstan's for the
blinded soldiers and sailors.
Sir Arthur told of the resentment
he felt when unthinking people re.
ferred to ST. Dunstan's as a .forne'
for the blind as If the blind were te
be segregated there for the rest o.
their days.
! ut is not home for the blind" hs
protested, "and do not believe In
homes for the blind st. Dunstan'.
Is an institution where those wht
cannot see are helped to equip them
selves to retake their places in tbs
/ ordinary walks and affairs of life
often respondent at first. they are SCI
some simple task and when they FIND
how easily it is done, a spirit of re
generation seems to come over them
They catch the spirit of accomplish
ment and thereafter nothing is to-
great for them to attempt.
| zone Of the most respondent n1e1
with whom we have had to deal wa.
blinded Tommy who had been Z
sort of steamfitter. or house health,
expert. None of the ordinary trades
appealed to him and he felt as If h,
We're altogether done for. Suddenl,
asked him how he would like to e,
back to his old trade. He shook hi
head sadly. It couldn't me done.
told him we would see about that.
wrote to his old firm, and one of tn,
partners came to see me I asked i
they would take Tompy back. wa
assured the firm would like to do so
but they could not see how a bin,
man could fill any post in their bust
ness. I obtained promise, however
that If could assist the soldier t,
such an extent that + felt he was en-
titled to a trial hey would do So
| Immediately sent for all tn
available textbooks on house heat
ing I could find. I even got two vol
umes from America. The end of tn
story is very simple. 1 had a lette
from the firm few days ago sayin;
Tommy was receiving nearly doubl
mis- old salary, was of more value I
them than he had ever been, or, the,
believed, ever would have been"
BERIIN'S TAXES INCREASED.