The sun., 1918-07-17
CRIPPLE'S HANDICAP
ENDED BY RED CROSS
Freddy Bauer, Former'Newsie,'
Now Regular Motion Pic
ture Operator.
HAD INSTITUTE COURSE
Received Same Instruction as
That Prepared for Dis
abled Soldiers.

The item that Freddy Bauer. the
crippled newsboy" of Fourth avenue
and Twenty-third street. stepped yes
terday into job usually occupied by
young men whose legs and arms are all
they should be is of particular moment
just now. For Freddy Bauer's rise in
life under great difficulties Is but an
struction work through which the medi-
cal department of the army and the
American Red Cross. laboring together,
Intend to make our crippled soldiers
self-supporting citizens again when they
come back to us from Europe.
Freddy, who had been crippled In both
legs bv a disocation Of his hips. de-
cided when he was Is years o,d-taE.
was twenty-five years ago-that despite
his physical drawbacks he was going to
earn his living and not be begging
Hopper" He decided upon the corner
of Twenty-third street and Fourth ave-
nue. as the proper site for the founda-
ton OF his fortunes and there set him
self up as newsie.
Freddy Holds His Own.
In time along came little Mike and
little Ike and various other covetou,
newspap who tried to Dust
crippled Freddy from his chosen stand.
cripple was a cinch--so the raiders
thought up to but not including the in
slant they tried to drive Freddy from
his corner Morning. afternoon and
night Freddy wolloped the interlopers.
stood them on their ears and sent them
skidding up and down the block.
Once when he was In the midst of a
mixup. in which II was all Freddy Bauer
from the first smash to the final WALTON
the late Jacob Ri!s happened along and
saw the grevsome details. The philan-
thropist of loving memory and Freddy
had a chat and later on the story Of that
sidewalk scrap was told in the pages Of
the Century MdOdsine by Mr.. Riis.
Freddy married in time and three
children were born to the young couple
From his newsie business he saved
enough not only to bring up his children
properly. but also to send his younger
brothers. three OF them. to school. one OF
the brothers now being a stenoyrapher
another a mechanical draughtsman and
the third a chauffeur in the National
Army.
New Avenue Is Opened.
Put content with his lot did not rest
on Freddy. Not long ago Freddy began
to notice the dozens OF crippled youths
and men came to his corner daily and
climbed the stairs in Fourth avenue
just q door or two above F'reddy's corner
Freddy made inquiries. The Red Cross.
he learned. had Just opened gloriously
equipped mot furnished euuipped)
rooms on upper floors which they called
the Institute for Crippled and Disabled
Men.
Up the stairs hobbled Freddy Bauer
also one day recently There. so he
found. armless men and legless men
were learning to operate motion picture
machines. typesett!ng machines. to make
artificial legs and arms for other Grip
pies, manufacturing innumerable things
The course In operating motion picture
machines appealed mostly to Freddy
wherefore after finishing his days work
selling papers Freddy went to school
each night
He learned all the details of movie
operating quickly and passed his eX-
aminations for a certificate. Yesterday
he got his Job. Beginning to-day the
crippled newsie" becomes Motion Pic
ture Operator Fred Bauer, in the employ
Of one OF the leading motion picture
firms. and henceforth--like the recon
structed" crippled soldiers already here
or on their wayne will be n wage earn
ing man among wholly sound men.