The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-05-07
sfata Hiuh Schools Meet Eyeless and Handless
So. - ------ But Writes
One of the Wonders Of the Train.
ing Provided for Victims of
War

War
New York, April 19-The first letter
ever written by one blind soldier with
out hands to another similarly Grip
pied and afflicted has just been re-
ceived by an American soldier in a.
New York hospital. It was a message
of good cheer written by Alan H. Mich
OILS, of London, a British solder, to
show his American comrade and fel-
low sufferer that "a mans man for
a. that
A copy of the letter and Of another
dictated by the sightless and handless
British soldier have been received by
The Associated Press from Sir Arthur
Pearson, newspaper publisher and
president of the British National In
stitute for the Blind, Of London, Eng
land.
One letter was written by Nichols
with artificial hands on a specially
constructed typewriter keyboard. Its
purpose was to encourage all war
cripples and to show them that no
matter how terribly handicapped they
might be, they could rise above their
deprivations and conquer the giant
despair. This blind but cheerful and
happy Tommy Atkins informed his
Yankee fellow in affliction that he was
still able to. dance, swim, ride horse
back, play dominoes with his n"se):
! feed himself; carry a cane: take his
handkerchief from his pocket and do
almost everything a man with w"
eyes and two hands could do except
roll his own cigarettes and strike a
. match. He uses taper.
i Sir Arthur in a note accompylng
the missive, said he supposed it was
the first case IN record where man,
suffering the tremendously severe
handicap of blindness and the loss Of
both hands" had been able to write
unaided, to anyone. The original letter
lhe said, was sent by Nichols from the
1 Blinded Soldiers and Sailors Institute,
Known as st. Dunstan's, to the wound
led American soldier whom the Lon
j don publisher had seen in a New York
hospital.
Here, is what is believed to be the
/ first letter ever written by a blind man
without hands:
I 3 New Street,
st. Johns Wood, N. w.
18th March, 1919
Dear Mr.
Enclosed you will find rather
lengthy letter which 1 dictated for
you, but I am typing this one myself
to convince you that this is practica-
able.
"I understand from Sir Arthur
Pearson, that you are free from other
physical disabilities and in this re-
spect you are more fortunate than I.
''In September 1916 I received my
little souvenir and I still have quite
number of pieces Of shrapnel in my
chest and legs which cause me no little
annoyance at times.
.'In September 1917 an operation
was necessary to remove some of the
shrapnel from my chest and three
weeks later another operation result
ed in the removal of portions of ribs
and still more pieces Of foreign matter.
AT Brighton where I was sent to
one of ST. Dunstan's AnneXes I soon
found myself getting fit and it was
during my convalesceucc that Sir
Arthur arranged for me tc rakc les
sons in elocution which ena5ics ;le to
earn my own livelihood.
''My work is most interesting and
consists Of speaking - tdc work Of ST
Dunstans and the National Institute
for the blind. 1t will surprise you l
know, when I tell you that in addi-
ton to this I control and organize the
lantern slide department which IS the
advertising medium of tho y. /. f. and
ST. Duistans.
I'm conclusion permit me tt eX-
press the hope that you have not Civ
en- up the idea of ever doing anything
when T feel sure there is so Muc;l for
you to do.
'Yours sincerely,
ALAN II. Nichols" I"
In his dictated letter Nichols as
sured his American fellow cripple:
When you are fit and we'll and able
to run about you will find there is still
plenty in life worth living for. When
became like this" he continued, Il
could not sec anything that was likely
to interest me on this earth. l was in
clined to think was the most unfor
ttunate person on earth. In short I was
often contemplating a method of quit
ting this life. At that time I never
/ dreamed Of the possibilities of q pair
Of artificial hands and can assure
you that l now surprise everybody but
the one surprise most is myself.
II can take off my hat, carry walk
ing stick and attache case and feed
myself with a spoon and fork. I have
a specially made cigarette case similar
in appearance to metal match box
which fits in my waistcoat pocket.
can take this from my pocket and
help myself TO a cigarette. l have not
yet accomplished the feat Of striking
match but this is overcome by having
what we call on this side spills. strips