The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-16
Modern Miracles
BY Abbie FarweII Brown of The VgIantes.
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While there's life there's hope!
Never was this saying SO true today.
The achievements OF modern surgery, the in
genious appliances Of modern invention the pa
tent devotion OF teachers in the schools Of re-
construction, offer not only hope but a useful
future to wounded heroes. Many men who in an
earlier age would have been mere pensioners Of
the country in whose service they have become
full!
Once upon q time the disabled soldier was re-
garded as human waste product, How that is
changed! In the present need Of labor and in
the shortage to come when peace is declared,
every man whole or partially so will be needed
Every limb will be asset, If trained to the
limit Of its power Though he may not be able
the most seriously crippled soldier will find a
place. He can either learn g. new occupation, at
good wages; or still better; learn another
himself as a specialist, If he is patient.
Patience! That is what is needed; by the
soldier, by his friends, and by Uncle Sam, who
will be helping him. The need of wor.men is
so great now, that healthy cripple should find
no lack Of employment Of one sort or another.
To carry on" still, and play g. mans part in the
world! That is the hope open to 95 per cent of
the injured soldiers who will be coming home.
But they will be wise not to choose temporary
job, at good wages. They must look to the
future and their friends and families must en-
courage them. to do so. Let them train, as
Uncle Sam will help them to do; let them be
patient for short time, and get control of the
new conditions which need not always hamper
them as at first Let them look to a permanent
Job.
It is truly wonderful how soon an almost
helpless man can become efficient. A course of
five weeks in hand training can give him a
handwriting free and individual. After eight
weeks or 10 in the machine shop he is ready for
re-employment. In hardly more time than 1t
takes his wound to heal he can learn a new
trade in which his sound limbs will do the
major work
Think Of what men in France are doing with
TWO arms gone! They are working in the fields,
with the aid Of those marvellous mechanical
arms, to which spade or scythe, or other tool
can De attached. They are doing secretarial
work with muscles OF steel wire or rawhide
connecting artificial fingers wrists elbows
with the sound, living strong muscles of their
back ana shoulders. Men whose natural legs
are gone are at work briskly LII machine shops,
on tractors, in garages and electrical plants
Blind men are taking up a score Of professions
wherein they have learned to see with their
round congenial Jobs as forenen supervisors
IL. factories where they were once but IiIgkIe6
Iaborers! All because they have perforce begun
life over again, on a new basis; perhaps with a
with a mother nation looking on, to whom thew
had hitherto felt no particular kinship She ia
Watcning them now as her dear sons! They
must make her proud again, as they did when
they got that fearful wound!
In nearly all the great warning countries Of
Europe there are technical schools for this re-
construction. And America is not going to be
behind Give her chance, before the bows
Perhaps they will not ask even for your SYM
paGhy! No stumbling down the social ladder
for them! They are to be taught to climb per-
haps higher than the ninblest fellow with nm
impaired limbs Who can tell in this are OF
miracle?
Wouldn't &c be q triumph true croix de pair
III the returned soldier could date his success
in life from the event that seemed at first an
Undesirable miafOrtnnaq
That is what is happening today in many
Sc llnGraeB of tg9ae Naa1 aeF1u4s old glebet