Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-17
Although Stone Blind,
Noted Musical Com ediara
Continues Stage Work

| NEW YORK.-News that Ben
WEIGH, musical comedian, has lost
his sight but is still appearing in
the musical play. Jimmie" in
Washington, has been received in
New York by his friends. On the
/ Sunday after the company arrived
at the capital. wnch called DR.. Will
mer, an eye specialist, VINO told him
there was no hope for him as the
| optical nerves were dead.
Welch has not missed a perform
ance and seemingly works without
difficulty, few persons, even among
| those familiar with his appearance
| on the stage, have been aware that
| he does not see. No one in the au-
dtences that attended the perform
ances in the Shubert-Belasco the
alter, in Washington, detected his
misfortune, and the fact became
known only on Wednesday, when
Mrs. WEIGH consented to tell her
| friends what had happened.
Sees the Business Side
| When the actor heard that the
rev had been given out he laughed
| and said:
"Well, I'll get a good story on this.
We ought to pack 'em in tonight"
| Physicians in Washington agree
| that the nerves of the actors eyes
| have failed and none of them hold
| out hope that his sight can be re-
stored His sight began to fail last
summer when he was in a revue in
London. When Arthur Hammerstein
engaged him to take a leading part
| in Frances Whites starring vehicle,
Jimmie the comedians eyes were
| bothering him, but neither he nor his
friends believed the affection to be
dangerous. He began his season
| HxTit mr.
ago, in Boston, he became alarmed
when one night he found he could
not see beyond the footlights. Since
that time he has had days of sight
and others of half blindness. In
Washington he stepped from his
train in the railroad station and all
| before him became black. He has
| not seen since.
An understudy was provided, but
WEIGH would not relinquish his role.
Each night in Washington he has
been led to the wings by other mem
| bers of the cast and when his music
cue has come he has been placed in
the doorway of the setting through
which he walks, and he has done the
rest.
A carpet is placed on the floor of
| the setting and the actor advances
to the rug, recites his lines, sings his
songs and does his little dances
without stepping from the rug. In
| this way he is prevented from step
| ping over the footlights or into a
stage set. He walks cautiously about
tho stage in his next scene, guiding
himself by instinct and by the voices
of the chorus girls. His long career
in burlesque and in musical comedy
has enabled him to judge distances.
Led Back to Dressing Room
| When he has finished his numbers
he makes his way carefully to the
| wings again and fellow actors are
there to lead him back to his dress
| ing room.
When WEIGH learned that his name
had not been included among the ac-
tors in Washington who would ap-
pear in a performance on Friday in
the Relasco theater for the benefit
OF starving European children, he
protested. He said he had appeared
on such occasions hundreds of times
land this is no time to fail. l would
feel sighted" he said, IF I were
| left OUT
| Welch is forty-fve years old and
! has appeared in burlesque, vaude-
Vile and musical comedy in Broad
way. Theatergoers in New York
hold him in high esteem.
| Arthur Hammerstein said, EVERY
one will grieve to learn this. Every
| bOGy loves Ben WEIGH"