Evening journal., 1919-02-21
Don't PITY THE
BLIND SOLDIER
Better Look Out or They'll
Get Your Job. and
Girl
THEY DANCE AND
LOVE LIKE VETS
BY T. A. TOMBSTONE.

n. E. A. Special 10 The Evening Joulndl
BALTIMORE. Nd, Feb. 2o.-If you
have tears to she'd. prepare not to shed
them on Uncle Sans blinded service
men. They won't need them.
Instead. If you are holding Job In
some line OF work for which these
blinded boys are preparing to enter,
you'd better look out.
"Hundred per cent. efficient workers
viii be these men with whom talked
foday in a visit to Evergreen" general
hospital No. 7. the only Institution Of
its kind In the United states.
Here are sent all service men who
have lost their sight-all the totally
Z blind, OF those whose eyes are effected
SO that they cannot make a living by
their use.
There Is no room for pity or senti-
mentality at Evergreen" Instead. there
iss happy community Of busy workers
getting ready to overcome the handicap
OF blindness.
The cornerstone Of the work at Ever
green Is the refusal to admit that blind
OF every man. from the remarkable spe-
cialist who heads the work, down to
the last patient admitted to the hos
pital
Lieut.. Col. James Bordley, director Of
the Red Cross Institute for the Blind,
Is responsible. to a greater degree than |
anyone else for the radiation Ct The /
spirit Of good cheer AMI the positive |
character Of the work az Evergreen. !
He is chief Of the division Of physical
reconstruction. in charge Of the rc-edu-
cation OF blinded soldiers, sailors and
marines. There are $50 men at Ever,
green under his care. Eventually be ex-
pects about $50 patients.
Making normal men az blinded,
wounded. sick and discouraged soldiers
higgins at the moment The man Is ad-
mitted to the hospital The-Arst job IS
to md out all about the individual man.
A medical man. an eye man, q psycholo-
glst and a specialist from the educa-
tional department cooperate in a
thorough examination, to set the exact
facts Of his physical ana mental state.
A great many are 'shell-shock" victims.
For the nrst two weeks the men feel
helpless. But they are learning to do
things for themselves-things they /
never thought they could do Result.
Confidence, optimism, resolve TO make |
good"
After that the training Is divided into |
four periods. The first is mostly enter |
fainment. with very little work. Reading |
classes, concerts. minstrel shows. games !
IN the sym. swimming, bowling, ply |
skal e1Sfcises take up most Of the day |
.T1-<fe these men sporting IN the big
tank diving with utmost confidence
bowling with the accuracy Of experts.
Il is difncult TO realize that they are
lind. The FIRST effort IS the hard one :
of all OF them. When a blind man, {
'embling with fear. has nevertheless :
ade his flrst dive into the tank, his 8
ar is gone. his confidence has come. s.
hen. by means Of a guide rail for his e
4 hand. he learns 70 speed the ball q
Nvu the alley and TO hit the pins 81
,larely in the center he has marked q
, q peg IN his self-conhdence that 81
cans much In future training. ii
Preliminary work with braille type q
Titing and hasketry accompany the en-
attainment features. IL
These men do not live In world Of
he blind" said the oflcer who ac-
me, In explanation. This is
no blind community. They live in the z
same world as we do, constantly mixing =
ann working and playing with sighted q
people" 8
Dancing Is q big part Of entertain q
ing the men. Dancing teaches the men e
agility OF movement and sureness Of e
motion that helps them with walking.
And dancing with girls gives the conf
denue that comes from doing a normal, z
pleasant thing in a normal way.
II gets the man ready to go on with
frsinlnc that will enable him to com
pete with the normal men for the rest
On BIS life. and beat them at their own
CANA OF making living
THAT is the whole spirit at Evergreen.
tits figured that q blind man has lost
% per cent. Of his efficiency. The work
,ere is TO restore that 80 per cent. by
raining and extra efficiency OF body
nd mind.
In the second period the men are given
dvanced training in various vocatlonal
ranches. from which they may later
moose an occupation. The third period
one OF specification. They pick their
Iture occupation and learn all there Is
learn about it-more In some cases
an SlgHt6Q ueu WOtAiHe Oh tic uut-
lie. A bookbinder who learns his :
.de here is as rood a bookbinder as
ere Is in the United States.
IN the fourth period the specialization :
carried further. and the mans 8
Sther. wife, sister or sweetheart is =
ought to Evergreen TO be taught bow s
cooperate with the blind man, how s
be helpful and sympathetic without 8
oilng his self-confdence. A number z
weddings have already taken place =
Evergreen. Some Of the first men TO q
received are approaching the period 8
their graduation. All Of them are 8
'e'l ,' on the road TO happy. normal, use 3
z