Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-23
Editors Letter Box
A Blind Mans Appeal

Editor kennebec Journal:
NV object in giving this brief sketch
Of my life is two-foid: To help those
who are burdened with the same handl-
cap as myself; and to bear grateful tes-
timony to the vital part which the
Maine Institution for the Blind had III
remoulding my life after the loss of my
sight. For 40 years | had as perfect
sight as anyone need ask for. and tor
Is years have been as blind as anyone
can be although my eyes look perfectly
natural For l6 years l followed the
sea, sailing from the frigid to the tor
rid zone from Maine to Africa. l haNe
also seen many places in Europe anu
South America. l can we'll remember
seeing my old friends Croker and Ryan
going about Bangor alone, and many
time l have helped them in difficult
places. And when ! had gone, | found
myself marvelins at their ability to get
along so we'll though blind, and wonder
ing if / could be as cheerful as they II
l were in their condition.
And let me say right here that only
by passing through the experience OF
blindness can one fully appreciate the
! difficulties which a person without sigh
must meet and overcome. This may &C
| count for the fact that very large
! number of people with sight regard d
blind person as a freak and incapable Of
! thinking for himself. The majority #
persons having charge of lnstitu-
tons for the blind. especially those for
the adult blind. treat them like lot OF
! children thus causing constant friction
and trouble.
7 1t is beyond the power of words to de
scribe the awfulness of the shock which
comes upon one who. having had sight
much of his life, awakcs to the realiZa-
, ton that this sight is gone. and that ne
must face blindness for the remaining
years that lie before him. There is but
one thing to do; be reconci!ed to Your
fate; and make 4 couraGeou struggle,
to make good under Your handicap. Bat
1t is like beginning life all over again.
| came to the Maine Institution for
the Blind as soon as possible after los
! ing my sight, determined to learn some
thing which would help me to help my
self: and l feel that ! have accom-
plished something along this line.
II
where / learned to rescat cane and pith
chairs. l next took up mattress MAX
ing, first learning how to take a mat
tress apart. Then ] was shown how to
set UP the table on which the cheaper
mattresses are made. and later how 20
spread the filing properly. | next
! learned how to lay off and measure n
mattress so as to get the tufts in the
right place. After this | took up the
t-esses that are filled by hand This $
by far the most difficult part of the
trade, for the material must be placed
smoothly ana evenly. When a blind
man has completed this trade, he can
, earn his own living provided the public
: will patron;Ze him. Give him the work
and there will he no such thing as
charity. Besides, to any self-res pecting
Lind person. a dollar earned is far
preferable to dollar given.
If our leg slators would investigate
the needs of the blind through the blind
I themselves. they would have little diff
! Guilty in deciding how much money the
Maine Institution or the Blind should
have for the next two wears; and they
would also know. that the amelioration
Of the blind would be greater as the In
! s,itution now is than under entire State
control If the state really wishes to
practice economy, t will not change
the present status CT the Institution AMI
will give it the necessary financial aid.
George L. McGibny