Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-01-26
Trains Them in Some Trade
and Makes Them Self
supporting.
HAS HELPED
THREE LOCAL BOYS


The people of Montana know little Of
the very fine work that is being done
by the bureau of civilian rehabilita-
ton. This bureau is state supported
and the task before 1t is to take the
crippled and destitute and train them
SO that they become self supporting.
1t is noble work, good not only from
the standpoint of the greater happi-
ness that it brings into the lives OF
unfortunate ones but by making them
self-supporting 1t removes them from
being charges on charity.
The bureau recently issued its 1882
report It shows that three young men
from Lincoln county have been helped
the past year by the bureau. The re-
port of the bureau contains so much
OF interest that we clip few notes
from it, as follows:
Typical Cases.
Here are three typical cases of those
being helped:
Life did not seem to hold much
promise for Miss E. X. oil Coffee Creek,
Montana Spinal meningitis had robbed
the girl Of her hearing ard left h1ss-
so lame that ahe =. = 49,
whcn she Walnru one also had an
impeachment of speech. Her parents
were destitute. But the young lady
was ambitious, bright and determined
Through the Bureaus aid she was sent
to Gallaudet College, Washington, an
Institution for the deafened, and given
training in commercial subjects and
| library work She completed the course
| with honors some time ago and now
holds q good office position with the
National Radio Institute in the ma
tons capital.
Fl. c. was a young farmer, trying
to support himself and his aged par
/ ents on a dry land farm near Hardin,
Montana He found this impossible
Farm work was much too hard for
the small body left twisted from spinal
curvature. The farm was heavily
mortgaged and 1t was only q matter
| OF time before the courageous farmer
4 would have to surrender TO the over
whelming odds against him, His edu-
cation was very limited but We Mnr
the man to business school in Bill
hrs md sapported him while h stru1-
4 eIed hard % master IL in1riE1cfes IT
bookkeeping. He completed tn course
SOME months ago Friends, who had
iollowad his plucky fight to succeed
despite his serious handicaps, sug-
sested that he run for public office
He did 30, and at the last election was
overwhelmingly elected clerk and re-
corder Of Big Horn County.
i Most tragic was the accident which
transformed happily married young
woman, Mrs. M. D. Of Plentywood, into
d destitute and stricken widow, with
two year old child to support. The
car In which she and her husband
were riding turned over and caught on
fire. Before they could be extricated
from the wreckage, the husband, had
been SO badly burned that he later
died. Mrs. M .. recovered. but burns
and other injuries necessitated the
amputation OF both legs above the
knees. Undaunted by the terrible cal
, amity she appealed to the Bureau for
training. She desired, and was granted
commercial course. She is attend
ing a business college in Great Falls
and doing fine Although equipped
with artificial legs she has not yet
acquired full control of them and has
!, to be carried up and down the stair
way leading to the school room. In
terested and sympathetic people in her
! home community have practically as
/ sured her OF position when the course
has been completed.
E. S. widower with three small
children to support, could barely hob
Bile along on crutches. Fs had been a
farmer and a country school teacher,
!, but an attack Of paralysis left him
, practically helpless. The commissioners
, Of Phillips County gave him little
clerical work for time, but when this
!, ended the man was left stranded. He
appealed to the Rehabilitation Bureau
Interested in bookkeeping and account
ancy. he was sent to a Great Falls
school for the desired training. He did
! we'll and graduated recently. Today
: he holds an office position with the
; State Highway Commission, Great
! Falls, at good salary, and has pros
poets Of an even better position after
! the first Of the year
: The bureau is not interested in the
& well-to-do and able bodied. Its charges
are the crippled and the destitute. the
neglected and the despairlng. For these
+ it was established and for these, and
for none other. does it labor. The field
: which is the bureaus own was once
r forgotten and neglected, yet there IN
f detection and despair, moving slowly
toward the almshouse and defeat was
], a veritable army And there, when
an awakened public conscience finally
S tore the curtain aside, we saw chill
r dren with little bodies twisted ano
broken, we saw men and women toll
ing painfully along on canes and
clutches, we saw the blind, the lame
3 the helpless; and hopelessness and de-
spair hung over the scene like pail
! And we realized then how brutal,
!. indifferent we had been, for it was MOI
q hard to see that with little aid anc
e encouragement, hope, confidence ars
rl Al. -