The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-08-24
SCHOOL FOR
BLIND SETS
BIG RECORD

The following report Of the pro.
gress Of the Oklahoma School for
the Blind, located at Muskogee, has
been received from 0. w. Stewart
superintendent.
within thirty days our pupils
return from their homes to enter
upon another years work. The open
ing in September will be the largest
in many ways in the history Of the
School for the Blind We shall have
a larger enrolment OF pupils, and hay
ing recently completed an addition to
our main building, our facilities for
effective and more pleasant work
viii be increased one hundred per
cent The institution youngest
in { he state-is considered by ex-
perts in work for the blind to be
model of its kind. Boys and girls be-
tween the ages of six and twenty-one
who are unable to attend schools
for the sighted, are received here,
and are trained fo~ life Of useful
ness. A prospective existence in a
world Of darkness and idleness is
changed to an actual life of sunshine
happiness and useful activity.
IN the School for the Blind in
Oklahoma, the literary courses EN-
brace all the grades below and in
Guiding the standardized high school
Those who are at all gifted are
taught music, both vocal and instru-
mental The girls with and without
sight are taught sewing and cooking
the course in cooking is practical it 4
being our aim TO train them so that |
when they return to their homes
they may be Of material help to their
mothers and to others who may re-
quire aid in the Kitchen. Last year
our girls, besides mendng their own
clothes, helped to repair garments .
sent over from the boys cottage T
and considerable Knitting was done
for the Red Cross Our boys are
taught piano tuning, broom making
and kindred trades II is with pride
that we make a brief report of what
the first graduates Of Oklahoma's I
School for the Blind have accomplish
ed
There were in our first gradual
ing class -four boys -who left the in
stitution in one year One of these
boys, totally blind, is an instructor
of piano tuning in a school for the
blind, receiving $4,000 per month
He recently Travelled alone to Phla-
delphia where he worked in a piano
factory to qualify himself more thor
oughly in the knowledge of the piano
The second boy attended a university
paying his way as he went by piano
tuning, and realized $4,000 above all
expenses. The third boy accepted a
opstion with a music house at
salary of $1,000 per month; and the
fourth has done stenographic work
by means of dictaphone in the
state headquarters of the w. S. S. at
Muskogee This boy will go to Bos-
tor in September, where he will en-
ter New England Conservatory OF
Music, as he expects to become a
director of music, either inthe schools
for the sighted or in school for
the blind. All four of these boys re
ceiyed high school diplomas, and as
viii have been observed, all were
given vocational training which have |
enabled them to become self-support- /
ing In addition to these graduates Of
the high school, we have had five or
six pupils to finish industrial courses
who are engaged at present in profit I.
ably following their trades
The School for the Blind cores
ponds with adult blind Of the state
who are not received for instruction
in the school, but who are. through
correspondence and personal inter-
views, taught to read with their fin
gers, and are aided in finding suit
able employment The superintendent
wishes to have the names and ad
dresses of every blind person in the
state, that the benefits of the school
may be extended to every one. Cata-
logs, information sheets. and special
correspondence viii be furnished
upon request to any one Interested in
the work for the blind. Such requests
should be addressed to o, w. Stewart.
Superintendent. Oklahoma School for
the Blind, Muskogee, oklahoma.