The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-27
TOPEKA srAru JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
Blu REAU
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
washington n r.
THE HEROES HARDEsT-TRIED.
Washington. D. c.


beautiful suburb of this city known
as Roland Park, is a group of hand
some buildings, surrounded by spa
cious and delightful gardens. Gloom
never pervades this place; no darkness
enters it but the friendly darkness of
night. Yet those who live here have
eternal night for their portion.
1t is the estate of Mrs. T. Harrison
Garrett, a wealthy woman of Balti-
more, which, for the period Of war,
has been taken over by the govern
ment as a hospital for blinded soldiers.
1t is known as General Hospital No. Z.
There are now twenty sightleSS pa
tients at the hospital.
If the veteran who has seen much
| of war, who has fought with his COM
rades dropping about him, who has
beheld from all angles the cruel suf-
fering wrought by war-if such a sol
der were asked what he most feared,
very likely he would answer:
THAT 1 may lose my sight,
1t may be that these men who are
now in the hospital at Roland Park
held something of the same fear in
their hearts. 1t may be that realiza-
ton came to them first with terrible
and overpowering sense of helpless
ness. But if they had grief, they hid
it well, and now they have genuinely
lost it They spend their time learn
ing things which will fit them for the
rest of life, not desperately, but cheer
fully, and with cheerfulness not born
of stimulation.
A middle-aged man. accompanied
by a young woman, was leaving the
hospital a few days ago. Before pass
ing thru the gate the man spoke to one
of the medical officers
George is happy" he said, almost
with a smile. "At first I thought he
didn't want US to know how badly it
hurt him. But now I believe he's
really happy
He spoke of George Calvert of SYRIA
cuse, who lost his sight in the fighting
of early June. His father with a
daughter was in Detroit when a noti-
fication from the war. department
reached him that his son had been
blinded and was invaded home The
Journey to Baltimore was filled with
heart breaking misgivings. He fan
cied his son crushed under the Attic
ton which had befallen him. He
pictured him hopeless and helpless for
the rest of his days. He found him
confident, cheerful with boyish
eagerness to display the things he had
learned in the hospital. These things
viii form the means of an Independent
livelihood after his discharge =
without exception, this attitude Is
true OF all the patients. Dependency
often disappears after the first week in
the hospital. This may be caused by
I
ed, or by the realization that they
may regain place as useful members
OF society. Perhaps it is both.
A visitor offered his arm to one of
the patients who was going from a
barracks to the mess hall
You needn't do that" said the SOL
der gently. ct can show YOU ANY,
where in the hospital"
Among the patients at Hospital No.
z, Is Sergt. William H Zimmerman.
the first American soldier to be blind
ed in action. He was in charge of a
truck which. was taking supplies to
the front line, when the truck over
turned and pitched him into a she'll
hole. Most of the truck fell atop of
him.
I'll never see again." said the SER
geant, but hope it won't be that I'll
never work again. There's a chance
Tor me to get back into everyday life
ana mean to make that chance good.
When I went over L had a girl. NV
frst thought when they told me I was
pilnded for good was that I'd have to
give her up. I didn't know blind men
could make a living. I'd ALWAYS
| thought of them as selling lead pencils
and shoe laces."
1t has been said that "adversity
makes strange bedfellows" 1t might
better have been said that common af-
1nction makes for closer communion
between