The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-11


More lighthouses for the $4,000
blind people in this country AID
for the war blind Of allied nations
are to be built in the near future.
Two million dollars IL now being
raised by the Committee for Men
Blinded in Battle and the money
is to be used to build lighthouses
here and abroad like the three now
in existence In New York, Paris
and Bordeaux.
France came out Of the war with
5000 blinded soldiers-an excep-
tionally large number. due partly
to the fact that in the beginning
the French soldiers wore red caps
which made their heads brilliant
targets. The Italians have 1000
war blind. Compared with these
the 66 blind American soldiers
seem small in number, and these
66 are being rehabilitated by the
military organization.
But a. these men 90 out from
the hospitals and schools to be
civilian workers they will become
a part Of the $4,000 blind popula-
ton and then they will stand in
need Of some place where they can
learn new ways Of amusing them
selves, where they can get books
and magazines in Braille type, and
get assistance il work proves hard
to find. This is the work Of the
lighthouse.
Different states and communities
have their special schools or homes
where sightless children are taught
or the aged blind can find shelter
but on the whole, very little is done
to bring light and cheer into the
lives Of the $4,000 men who can.
not see.
All sorts Of ways to make the
blind feel in touch with the world
have been tried out in the New
York lighthouses, and in the
French lighthouses for blinded sol.
diers. Something to do IL wha,
the blind want most Of all. This
does not mean that they are salts.
fed to cut squares Of paper on dot
ted lines, unless the paper has
some serviceabIe purpose. They de
not want to work merely for works
sake nor to occupy time. Wha'
they do want is what any other nor
NAL human being wants-to be o.
some use in the world and not have
/ to sit idle and alone all day.
| Blind WORK.
Fortunately, there are q number
of occupations in which sight is MOI
indispensable. Telephone switch
board operating. piano tuning
stenography, tipping. selling rea
estate, are q few Of the lines o.
work in which blind men and wo
men are making good. Some ar,
also successfully engaged as law
yers, writer's, teachers, and must
clans. aAd others learn some Graf
or trade.
These are all useful occupations
but as matters stand now, they ar,
not always gainful for the blind
People still regard the sightles.
man with mawkish pity when hi
really needs sensible cooperation
That is one thing that the light
houses are trying to make right
A lighthouse is in the main I
school. But it also may serve q
a club, library, a clinic. employ
ment agency. and a store wher'
articles made by the blind are sold
1t is not, however, . home.
| The lighthouse in New Yorl
teaches the blind of the city an.
occupations for which they ar
suited and then it tries to shoy
the public that here are skille'
4 workers worthy of patronage. II
New York popular interest hi
been very successfully aroused
especially among some Of the veal
thy people who make = point o
employing lighthouse workers whe1
possible. The need for a NOR
sensible attitude toward the blin
artisan or professional worker ma
be readily seen from the estimate
based on census figures. that two
thirds of the blind men who wor
make less than $500 q year. Mos
of them are worth far more.
| The lighthouse recognizes tina
besides a chance to work the blin
need amusement. Being read /
} and taken to walk used to con
stitute the pleasures Of the sight
loco As result of n lack Of Ar