Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-04
MAN
!. TELLS HIS
!. LIFE STORY
Henry Noting, Jr., Type
writes Interesting Letter
& of His Experiences.

i A. remarkable letter, telling of the
struggles and achievements OF Il
blind man, has been written by Henry
Noting, Jr., of this city in response
to ssain inquiry sent out from Superin-
tendent b. P. Chapple of the state
wishes to compile material throwing
light on the work which can be done
BY returning soldiers who nave lost
their sight i'll battle. MI. Chapple had
asked former pupils to give their lite
story so as to indicate the exact ma
ture of the things which can be ac-
complished by men who have been de-
prived.o their sight.
Henry Noting, Jr. who lives at the
Y. M. C. A. in this city. does not con-
slider his blindness a hardship; it is a
blessing. he says.
In his letter, composed and neatly
as4well as correctly written on a type.
writer. Mr.. Noting tells the story of
his life. He says he was born in Kan
sas "a years ago, and in 1901 came
to this state with his family.
~ OF the accident which resulted in
the loss of his eyesight, he says:
Pltchfork in Eye.
ct remember, the day $ o we'll. My
older. brother and I had been scout
ing the prairie for horses when [ met
with this unfortunate adventure. My
brother carried a pitchfork. In u
search we approached a fallen-down
wood pile under which we had seen a
gopher take refuge. My brother am
bitiously appropriated the fork handle
in ,rousing the animal from its place
ofphiding. I-sat on my launches di-
rectly behind him. Both of us were
evidently too interested in the gopher
to think of each others movements
when suddenly my brother violently
drew back the fork, and one tine en-
tered my, left eye.
1--WE consulted the local physician
who consoled me with hopes Of early
recovery. but after about six weeks
had passed, my world of eight years
had ,,begun to grow dim before my
vision. One day and night lay in
pain when the neXt morning ushered
me into perpetual darkness. was
taken to Minneapolis where l was in
formed that my case was beyond rem.
edy."
Helped or tho Farm.
+ Mr.. Noting then goes on to tell how
he returned home and helped doing
york on the farm until his fifteenth
year: During these years." he says,
Il sustained no injury by encounter
ing objects except a little scar on my
left, cheek from the kick of a colt"
A great desire for music and har-
non took possession of the young
man. and as as soon as the school for
the blind was thrown open, he
thought that this would be the place
where he could acquire an education.
The superintendent and the staff Of
the institution where Mr.. Noting was
for eight years. are highly praised for
their patience and their high efficien-
cy, and he thanks them for all they
taught him in violin. piano and cor
net playing as we'll as piano tuning,
hammock, broom and basket making,
beadWork, etc.
4 Goes Easily About Town.
Last summer Mr.. Noting received
his diploma from the school and went
on a tour with another pupil of the
school for blind. On this tour, Mr..
Noting rendered violin and piano So
los. and in the fall he arrived in this
city for the purpose of studying music
In the Wesley College conservatory.
This city" he says in his letter.
has a population of about $4,000
people, yet l reed no assistance in
getting around. When I first came
here l met a school-mate who is also
2. piano tuner. Being familiar with the
city he assisted me for a few days.
You may we'll ask, as the Philosopher
ct the New Dispensation asked two
thousand years ago: Can the blind
g the blind? But his is really
what happened to me during the first
days OF my residence here"
Blindness Il Blessing.
That Mr.. Noting considered his
blindness in no way a hardship upon
him is evident from the following
lines:
!. II will not draw this out any long
or. only l want to say that I consider
my blindness a blessing. I do not feel
that it is a handicap. To me it has
meant education. M now my ambi-
ton Is that of any other progressive
person. ! am going to improve the
talent which I have. Violin PLAYING,
either in concert Or private. shall be
my vocation, piano tuning my avoca-
ton. The impressions which l get
from touch. sound and personality
shall be as great a social asset. ven
'ture, as that realized by men having