Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-07-15
Give SICHTLESS
Equal CHANCE
Placed on Same Footing as See
ing as Result of Doctor
WheeIer's Observations.
NO LONGER AN EXPERIMENT
Blind Are Taught to Wind Electric
CoiIs-Effect of Being Sef-Sup-
porting Keeps Them Healthy
and in Good Spirits.

New YOrk.-So many of the war.
blinded have found work in the cleo
| trical manufacturing plant a means Of
supporting themselves, rendering them
Independent Of any charity or philan-
| thrOpic assistance, that special atten-
| ton is being directed to the work Of
| DR.. Schuyler Skaats Wheeler, who
made possible this new field Of gain
full occupation for the sightlesS.
There is nothing new in the en-
deavor to enable the blind to work or
even in the effort made to find a ready
market for their product, but in the
| Crock Wheeler cOmpanyS factory
the unseeing work on an exact par
| with the seeing, their goods" there
| fore, being placed in the open market.
Doctor Wheeler's interest in the
problem of the blind, starting some
years ago, became intensified when the
war brought their numbers, both here
and abroad, to a highly increased
total. In going through the various
departments Of the cOmpany's electric
al manufacturing plant at Ampere, N.
j., Of which he is president, he noted
the fact that girls skilled in winding
wire coils performed their work with
out watching the movements Of their
hands, as a touch typist or a piano
player ignores her fingers The coil
winding girls chatted and laughed
among themselves as they worked, and
their work was satisfactory. Doctor
Wheeler then blindfOlded himself and
attempted to wind a coil. He proved
to his own satisfaction that here was
work which, with little practice, the
sightless could do on a par with nor
NAL workers.
Proves a Success.
The Double Duty Finger Guild was
the direct result That is the name
given to the department. employing
only men and women without sight.
This department has been in success
full operation for three years in the
Croker Wheeler factory, and it has
ceased to be considered an experiment
or even an innovation.
At first special instructors were en-
gagged and a small group of blind were
set to work at winding the wire coils.
The members of this first group were
paid during their apprenticeship 10
cents an hour, and, after four weeks
instruction, were given places in the
shops. Later the hourly rate of pay
for trained workers was changed to
piecework plan and this proved more
interesting and stimulating to the
worker. At the factory it was said
that a skilled blind worker earned
from So to 81 a day at piecework.
More startling than the work in the
cOil-wndng rooms is the handling of
various kinds Of machinery by the
sightless At the notching machines
they put in metal plates and stamp
them with the desired nOtches. Blind
men also stack these plates, or punch
ings," and weigh them.
Sightless typists and stenographers
also are employed by the company. In
the iobrOom special system Of indi-
vidual records keeps track of more
than 1000 jobs in process. Here a
blind StenOgrapher handles the phone
calls coming in at spaced plugs down
the length of the room, using SIM
pie chair and typewriter stand on
rollers in which she travels up and
down the line.
A Blind Secretary.
Miss Jessie Lewis, secretary to Mrs.
Ida H. Clifford director of the Double
Duty Finger Guild, handles the stenO-
gl dphic work and filing in the guilds
office. She is a graduate of the Per
kins Institute for the Blind. Miss
Lewis is the creator of the American
Braille shorthand system. All her
cards and records are marked in
Braille and she turns to a desired pa
per with the ease and promptness of
a skilled sighted worker.
Most of the successful bind appli-
cants for positions in the factory
come from independent sources rather
than institutions The age limit IS
supposed to be forty-five, although
older men from the state of New Jer-
sey have been accepted Two persons
must guarantee one months board and
return carfare, in case the applicant
does not make good
The worker stands absolutely on his
own merit and soon learns to take
pride in bringing his work up to the
standard required by the factory in
spectors.
Marked independence is shown by
the sightless employees in handling
their work and in moving about the
factory and grounds. The effect upon
them of being self-supporting and en-
gagged in work which is the same as
that done by normal persons and
which must pass the same tests of in
spection. works wonders in keeping
them up to a healthy standard OF
good spirits and courage.
Mammoth Sunfish.
Kew West. Fla.-A mammoth sunf1sh
weighing 1.7O6 pounds was brought