Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-04

Love For Music Proved Bright
Spot in Life If Young Inn
migrant From The Lonely
Steppes Of Russia; Grand
Forks Man Tunes And
Sells Pianos.

III -4-@4ggI .rr #Nt-a s-'rr-.I 81 ..-. a . 4E.-
just another life 81 Quiet heroi.n,
\ haAdAeen that Of Michael Koorenv.
\ piano salesman and tuner, who makes
! A!s hotne at the Grand Forks Young
Men'S Christian Association.
Atfl1cted from early infancy with
hkne greatest of human handicaps. to-.
s9sal btindness, he has from day to day
n year to year zone his simple way,
striving At>all times to better himself
4 ana his relations with the world he
\ cannot sees
deprived almost wholly of one Of
greatest blessings, human COM
J panionship. Michael kooreny has nei-
\ Their sulked nor pouted, but has work
ed on and on with the hope that some
day his efforts will be rewarded.
Mike" as he is affectonateIv.
known to his few friends, was born
on the frozen steppes of Russia 20
years ago. His parents were poor.
\ At&the age of three he was seized
with the dreaded smallpox. The little
! chappwas violently ill and recovered
! only after a prolonged sickness. But
the scourge had left its mark, he was
doomed toHbe totally blind for life.
Loves His Music.
While the boy was still in his ten
der years the family came to the
land of liberty" settling on the vast
farming lands of Dakota. Later Mi
chael was sent to the state school for
the blind at Gary, S.. d. There he re-
manned for five years. following which,
be ,eptered the North Dakota. state
school for the blind at Bathgate,
where he spent six years.
This completed his education.
While at school the lad discovered
, his liking for music. IT was there he
\ learned the profession'o of piano tuning,
In 1912 Michael left the school for
good. He had not a penny. An in
%structor had given him II engraved
cards bearing notices common in
American schools. These h., sold for
E,25 cents each n with the SO pur-
CHASED 100 pictures with the intention
OF HeN9ng them to anyone whp would
The sales Melted him a small
profit and he bought more pictures.
All that summer the young man trav-
eled alone from place to place selling
his wares. When fall came he had
saved $s5, enough to purchase a set
OF tools for piano tuning. e
Days Of Hardship.
\ It wal in the spring of 1913 Michael
first came to Grand Forks to ply his
trade.
II was penhiless when I. got here,
he told a Herald reporter. II had to
sell papers on the street to keep alive.
People had no confidence in my abil-
itystcotune pianos. What few Jobs I
T did get I worked at during the day.
T used to lie in bed late in the
i morning at first SO I would not have
to buy any breakfast, eat a meager
lunch at noon and & to bed early in
the evening to avoid buying dinner"
$ Noror Eceoosvad Hn1,,
That winter and the mex the blind
i, a sworked III the Holland Piano
factory at Menomonie, Wis. His sum
mers. he spent in Grand Forks. Gradu-
ally he began to widen his scope and
journeyed from one North Dakota
town to another tuning pianos. In
1918 he obtained the agency for Hard
nsfn and Harrington pianos, and a
Photograph. Today he is still selling
these intruments n tuning pianos
travelling from place to place in q
I small automobile driven by a boy.
But I am far from being on Easy
street. he said. II have had to pay
Fhmy way at all times, n have receiv.
Led no help from anyone
Michael Kooreny's philosophy Of 4ft
Is one that could be we'll adopted by
any ct his more fortunate fellow. be.
lngs. i
he is ;,Vcry Lonely.
Life has beentvery discouraging a
times" he declared. "and sometimes
one 10 tempted4to Jump Oft, a bridge
somewhere and end it all. 4 miss thu
social side most..I"have been%in Crane
Forks nine years and have made onl!
q few friends. But I guess Fate JUS
decided things should be this, way ant
/ ought to keep on plugging ava!
s%teadily."
Kooreny probably knows the street.
Of Grand Forks better than most PEG
Die who can see. He has mo difficult.
in getting around the city. he states
nor does he in Fargo and other towns
he visits. Loss of sight has developed
his lenses of soundyand feeling to
+. point far superior to that Of the aver
age person.
While Michael thinks there ar
some things he would rather do thai
time TpiAnos, he has been in the pro
s. fessidn so long now he does not car
to change, he stated.
The blind man expects to go on
tour or the state again soon. But an
day At present one may zee him max
inR his way briskly along the street
without the aid Of companion or cane
His life Is a strong lesson in patienc
and fo~rbearance.
1Keoreny's parents now live at Kie1