Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1921-12-21


Trier high school Saturday night is
to bring in more than $1,000
COR much needed equipment.
1.-THE university" has nearly ninety
pupils, nearly all of whom are blind.
One lives in Alaska. another in Shang-
hal, China The others are scattered
between Boston and San Francisco.
and the studies range from elementary
lessons in raised type reading to
short-story writing and psychology.
All the work is done by correspond
ence.
"BIind Leads Blind
1.-THE university" is Prof. William
A. Had:ey, 913 Oak street, Winnetka,
for sixteen years a teacher at Lake
View high school, He lost his sight
six years ago, and was forced to re-
tire on modest income.
Prof. Hadley soon found that the
state schools for the blind offer little
beyond the training in Braille reading
for an educated man in his condition.
Basket weaving, for example, was
rather unattractive to a university
graduate who is a master of several
languages.
*One day. recounted Prof. Hadley,
"a friend and l began discussion of
what the blind could do to teach the
blind. The question of teaching by
correspondence came up. We thot it
could be done"
"Invents Teaching system
"For a year this stricken teacher
carried on an investigation of the
work which was being done in teach
ing the blind He found that such a
correspondence course had never been
attempted before, and that he was like
an explorer in new country in work
ing out his study courses.
1.-The Braille grammars, for example
which were in use in the state
schools. were designed for children in
the seventh and eighth grades. and
much of their subject matter seemed
unnecessary for adults. This he elm
| mated 1t was the same way with
other courses.
His first pupil was obtained thru a
notice in one of the publications for
the blind. She was farmers wife in
Kansas who had gone blind after
marriage. She was able to keep house
satisfactorily because of her famil
iarity with the surroundings, but was
barred from any sort of intellectual!
enjoyment.
"Learns in Seven Months
"She began in November, 1920
sad Prof. Hadley. "The work was
slow for we were both evolving new
idea, but in June she was able to read
books in Braille.
1--WE were overjoyed. l felt that
my idea had been proved a success
and that l was ready to expand it. The
case of the adult blind in the small
towns is so pit:able that knew this
could be worked out to help them"
$50 the correspondence school was
started. Pupils were recruited thru
more notices in the publications fol-
the blind. and Prof. Hadley worked
out the additional courses in Braille
as the call came for them. It wa!
purely a labor of love on his part.
$50 few of the blind have any in
come" he said, that the work had tt
be free if it were to aid them"
"Wife Aids Labors
Nov the school has grown to suc1
alone is too much of a tax on its blint
founder: He corresponds with hi
blind pupils on a special Braille type
writer, corrects their answers mucl
as does an ordinary teacher, AM
works out his studies with the aid o
his devoted wife. But he needs ;
stenographer; a printing press for tn
blind, and one or two other necessit
les which will make the strain less Sc
we're on him.
$50 the Winnetka citizens are on
to endow their university The
feel that his work is as worthy as any
thing they know of. Among those VIII
are interested in the fund raising ar
Mrs. Donald Forgan, Mrs. Ernest [
Ballard. Or. e. 2. L. Brown, PER-,
Dunlap Smith, Harry S. Moses an
John w. Scott" =. -
During the past six years, sine
Prof. Had:ey lost his sight, he and hi
wife have fought hard battle t,
maintain their home and keep thei
two children in school,, The olde
girl is in the University of Illinois an
will soon graduate from the cours
in chemistry. Prof. .Hadley's worl
!. in opening new possibilities to til
blind will prove an enduring blessing
q TO many Of these unfortunates Of thi
and coming generations. In fact
seems a line Of work that should not b