Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-08-29
SICHTLESS MAN
KNOWS HIS WAY
ABOUT 8 TOWNS
Frank Chaves Well Known
Figure in Albuquerque, IS
Only Self Supporting Blind
Man In the State.

Oily OCli SuJlScl tIiIS Oi''N
Man In the State.
He is a well known figure on
the streets of Albuq Ierque, as he
finds his way down the streets,
cane thrust out before him, as he
advances not swiftly, but steadily
and surely. He knows every street
and every building in this city, and
he can find his way from Barelas TO
old Albuquerque, and from Martin
ez Town to the Alvarado p atform.
Frank, as he is known, is not n
beggar. He has not seen since he
was three days Old, and he confess
es to remembering very little of
what he saw then. He has no fam
lily and lives with another blind
man, "Donacio," whom he leads
about, literally the "bl nd leading
the blind" but in this instance with
no disastrous results, as Frank IS
more sure-fOoted than many with
Two eyes.
Frank went to school for seven
years at the AlamOgordo school for
the blind. There he learned to play
the piano a little and to tune n
piano very well a'tliousl ne ~"
not graduate az that traue; as ia pe,
fore ne couid 40 so ne n"u l''9.-s ~
the age I'm [ lof P"pII9 ~
school Frank SPEAKS hhS'Eh ~,
most as perfectly as 10 accent ",n,
grammar, HIS thlh' "Sc',ic t't
lights with pleasure "heh ne III IN, trn
new friend. ana ne Spe1NH ,t''','l'
and eagerly, cVlic'I Il nI' ~. A. a.
tive MIND, his eyes W til ~ IT,, IT,,
quite closed, petfay lHelr S'S'''''7'
cohdltlon. .,,,;or
Possesses AmM'io"'
Unlike many blind, Frank Is am
bilious. He wants to prov de FOR
himself, and he enjoys doing things.
He has learned to play the accor-
deon. and plays so we'll that he IS
much in demand at bales around
Albuquerque and in other PAGES.
lust now he is on his way 10
Mountainar where he will play for
dance.
Those in charge Of charitahI"
work in this city say tha' theFe re
great many bnhd p'fau.S ne
who are quite helpless. bona az,
Franks friend. at one me E,',''
pencils and gum In front OF "lat
was the Golden Rue store II was
decided by the bureau OF chaf'l'I,H
to supply Donaclo "itn as Illut'I
as he made there in day ana 10
remove MN from MS y, %, 80 ,J,a+j,
lives with Frank is quite aoathetic,
his mind asleep. His chief distress
is that, should he go out hIol'e,
some building may nave pee"
erected on what was formerly a w.
cant lot, and he would not kho"
how to get around II.
There are others here VINO nave
become blind in the last rev years
and VINO are therelple illoi n.y. tnl,,
less than those who nave peGn
blind from birth. They are uhap'o
to do anything for themselves.
Frank tries to inspire lhese, ana
tell them that they can 90 So.i.g-
thing. 81 have ambition, ne says
''and | like to see what can se'
out of life"
Knows FIVE 'llleS'
Frank knows his way about Ros-
well Santa Fe. Alamogordo, Albu-
queruue and Clovis, as well as many
smaller places. If he were set down
in any one of those places, he
could identify some building wh en-
would give him starting point
from which he could find his way
to any spot to which he wished to
go.
The atmosphere of different
places feels quite different 10
him, Frank says He gets tired OF
this place and has an lrreslS'lbIe
urge to go on. When ne taxes a
walk he does not want to walk
around the square, but likes 10 60
on long excursions, to the r.Ver, 10
the mesa, to the AlVarado station
platform.
voices are my world, he say - :"
81 know a voice as you 40 l'ce'
and at this moment as IL 10 prov
it, in came some one VINO s it,, ,,
those in the room, not seems " '.No
who said immedlatey' nov al
you, sir, nave not seen w
think, for two years or NOR
Have you any ldea What
looks like FRANK was asheu. No,
cannot imagine what yt Ia
looks IKE. | nave never w Nv i'o,
anyone's lace Anu ! e',n. t,raoi,
of what color WouIu pe' oi''S ''''o
| know. ,,.,
NO Scnooi LOT ho" rnmrorv
The pathos OF thls iast , lTl''d -.
was not lost upon lne puD',r , o
flcial VINO was preseh. az Wy ., " bo,. y
coilNersa'lon, Wy .himgs for Tho
h T of Tho state" he said. "The