South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-19

cellaneous articles The Board Of IN
dustrlal 4 u FOR the Blind. located a
Indianapolis. sends material cut
ready for sewing With the exception
Of crocheting and knitting, 10 the
blind women throughout the state.
When they are finished they are re-
turned 90 the Industrial Board and
then placed on the market through
womens- clubs throuEhout the
Waie This cuts down overhead ex-
Trnse and gives the blind women
more remuneration for their work as
the selling of the articles Is all vol
unteer work This city has received
over $500 worth OF articles and the
committee in charge hopes to dis
pose of ALL
Last year the committees atten-
tion was called 10 a Mr.. Bybee, sol
j. Sample st., who IS almost blind.
Mr.. Bybee IS a young man with
VIE and three children. AT the time
the committee called the wife was
the only support Of the family with
the exception of one or two wash
IN gsby Mr.. Bvbee could do. A state
worker from the Industrial Aid was
asked 90 call on Mr. Bybee 20 help
a-
He showed his.wIil nguess 10 learn 20
weave rugs and Immediately the To-
cal comm tee sent for loom and
had 70 installed in the Bybee home.
lie was given free instruction by an
expert blind teacher from the State
Industrial Aid for the Blind. He was
a very apt pupil and now Mr.. Bybee
IS a very happy man in his new
work. Some OF his beautiful rugs viii
be included i'm the sale next week.
He does admirable work and now
successfully comretes with other
weavers Of the city.
Blind people probably suffer more
from other peoples lack OF regard
ing them as individuals with distinct
personalities. than they do from
their natural handicap. We con-
tnually hurt them when we do not
-ecogn re that whatever attachments
pey possess have been the result Of
renuous work Too often we con-
stder the talented sightloss. person as
one whose talent came naturally TO
them. Nothing is more unfair.
There was time when people did
not expect a blind person to be self
supporting and there are still lazy
blind folks who rather beg on the
streets than make the effort TO
learn some method of earning their
way through life To-Day the self re-
speeding blind person can be self
support ng for the Board of Indus
trial Aid for the Blind holds out that
opportunity to each and every one
The continued cooperation Of the
Federation of W0men's clubs has
been a factor Of Sreat Importance in
dlsposing of the work Of the blind.
Their loyalty To the institution in
~ = work has enabled il TO keep
its workers more steadily employed
than f. would otherwise have been
able 10 do.
United efforts have transformed
the life Of the blind and today all are
invited 20 take advantage OF the
r1any opportunities offered them TO
lead a useful life in society.
However in many minds the word
"bUnd." stu evokes a pitiable and
false IMAGE The first inclination is
to support that behind siEhtless eyes.
all is ouiet-inteIligenc VIII. sensa-
ton and that all the faculties are
somewhat beuUmbed Furthermore,
see 70 do nothing without the use
their eyes. f is quite natural that
should appear 10 them that If they
should lose their sight they would
a. once become incapable OF any ac-
tivity. IL is not easy for them 10 i'm
acine that the blind deprived Of
the resources Of sight find in ex-
change FIN the remaining senses,
other resources neglected by the
greater Fart OF mankind. The gulf
has been diminished between the
blind and the not-bl nd Even though
the world az laree still regards a
blind man as q peculiar person and
stranger 20 the world nj large. con
tact with the blind more or less con
stantIy sbolishes the idea.
Personally 10 has been my pleasure
TO have encountered among the blind
some OF the most sympathetic intel
lgences that I have been privileged
tn know do not speak Of eminent
scholars but of men and women who
execute feeingly their daily task,
whatever it may oe. and who In the
practical Affairs OF life give evidence
OF good sense and wisdom.
A goodIy number Of I'D nd people
have achieved q certain degree of
prominence by their intellectual ac-
complishments Many represent scar
celv more than their names. Among
them are certain or the ancient
Greeks and Romans. such as Diodo-
lus and Aufidius Of whom Cicero
tells OF IN his Tusculanes. Didymous
OF Alexandra who lived in the
fourth century Is little better
known and toward the end Of the
middle ages. various blind scholars
- remarkable ability were Nlcaise,
II Maunes, Feruand OF Bruges,
Pierre Dupont OF Paris. II is said OF
UIrich Sch0mberg that che taught
PHILOSOPHY and mathematics al
Kon. gsberg 10 the adm ration Of the
whole world"
Tn the 18th century we have the
Swiss Huber and the Enghshman
Sauuders0n. tpe former losing his
sight az ~ years OF aee the latter In
early infancy. S3underson who was
professor az the University OF OK
ford. was one OF the many blind who
taught those who could see. The
18Th century produced Penjon, an
other noted professor who taught n
Angers Among the poets ] can sight
only All'ava- fo~ the great blind