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Harvard Has Schoolfor Blind TeachersDirectors Say Hardest TaskConvincing Those Who See WhatBlind Can Do♦♦Tine Harvard Graduate School of Education, the newest of the university's professional schools, which recently opened, has inaugurated a course of training for teachers of the blind. More than 50 students Itaz’e enrolled, sonic of them coming from great distances.♦♦Suppose you were blind.Suppose walking in the broad sunlight to your work in the morning the power of sight suddenly fadedout of your eyes.What would you do?As your eyes run swiftly over these words you cannot realizewhat it means to have everything go blank forever, the long toil of learning to read with your fingers, the uncertainty of your next step, and hardest of all the attitude of those who see toward you.There are over three thousand blind people in Massachusetts, almost a townful.Are they despondent? bitter toward life?Are theyNot a bit of it. They can do most of the things a seeing person can.Charles B. Hayes and Edward E. Allen, one the director of the Massachusetts Division of the Blind and the other of the Perkins Institution, have started a new course in the Harvard Graduate School for the education of the blind.thusiasm when she heard the blind girl’svoice.“ ‘But what can I do with her? She is blind,’ was the answer.“Then when you hear the remark, ‘You have a beautiful voice, you should do something with it.' It makes youfeel like saying:“Why in time don’t you give her achance to use it?“The course at the Harvard Graduate School on the education of the blind is greatly to combat this misunderstanding of the seeing—to make them realize the capabilities of the blind and that when one faculty is gone it does not necessarily follow that all the others are useless.The Fruition of an Idea“I was looking about for some place where I could lodge my idea. I had worked out a prospectus and was considering Columbia University, the teachers’ school there. Then I happened to meet an Englishman of my acquaintance who was taking a Ph.D. degree at%Harvard.don’t you go and see Dean he said. “He’s a personal mine and I can arrange a««‘WhyHolmes?”friend ofmeeting.*’ “ 'Go to “WithinBut the biggest thing to get over/’ said Mr. Hayes, “is to teach the seeing that the blind can do things.*’A train puffed slowly into a little New England town and a young man swung down to the tiny station platform. Hegrabbed his luggage and crunched withlong strides over the snow toward his home. It was Christmas vacation time and he was coming home from college for a few days. He grinned to himself from time to time as he hastened along and then . . . there was someone waiting for him in the doorway.A few days before Christmas there was some blasting to be done. The boy went along with his father to the further edge of the little farm. The rocks were bored and the dynamite placed. The young man with glowing checks, laughing happily, chatted incessantly of his college life. He bent over to start the fuse.There was a sudden puff and then a deep boom reverberated across the low hills. An agonized scream broke from the boy’s lips and he fell forward on his face. His father rushed up choking with anguish and picked his son up.A Case for a ProblemWhere his eyes had been there were two ghastly wounds.Today the young man Is the manager of a department In one of the city'slargest banks.“That is our problem,” said Charles B. Hayes, director of the Division of the Blind in the Massachusetts Department of Education.‘“It is easy enough to educate the blind, to teach them to do almost anything, but it is the stiffest problem 1 ever tackled to make the seeing realize that blind people can do most of the thlng9 that they themselves can do. When anyone speaks of a blind man the first picture that comes to mind is a helpless, ragged beggar standing on the street corner holding a battered tin cup 8nd shivering in the cold.“That is one of the biggest ideas back of the course for the education of the blind that we have Just started at Harvard College; to teach the seeing to see.“The boy who was blinded by the blasting was one of my pupils and when I thought him eufflcienty trained I went in search of a Job for him. He couldwork a typewriter perfectly and a dictagraph and I went to a bank.” Tie can’t do what we would require of him/ the treasurer said, ‘why, man, he’s blind.’” ’How do you know he can’t?’” 'But, he can’t see anything!*“ ‘How do you know what he can do until you have given him a chance?' 1 Insisted.“We had an argument for a long time until finally he consented to give the boy a chance. The boy started in there as clerk with more odds against him than his blindness His employer was skeptical and the chances to improve what he could do were not thrust In his way. That was a few years ago and j now he is the manager of the whole department with a salary that is morethan self-supporting.“Our problem Is twofold and the primary part of it. the teaching of the Mind to become useful, is comparatively simple. But to teach the man who sees to give that sightless man a chance is a difficult knot to untie.it*, I said.twenty-four hours I had met Dr. Holmes and he was deeply impressed with the prospectus. It contained the most finely trained men ana women we could find who had specialized in the education of the blind.“Mr. Edward Allen, director of thePerkins Institution, and I went the second time, and a second course was duly lodged in the Harvard Graduate School, a series of lectures on the education ofthe blind.“But it wfas only then I began to realize what a tremendous job there was toal1' W * 14. «n“Somebody had to worry about it, ailthe detail had to be taken care of, and-well, I had just leaned back in my chairand was wondering.“The office door opened—it was almost like an ansWer to a prayer-andMiss Lotta Rand walked in. She had long been with the American Red Cross and was one of the most competent executives that I knew. She was notdoing anything just then and 1 toldher about the secretaryship of this. Would she be Interested? And then 1told her, too, that w^e had no money.“That was another of the minor details. • .“It would mean an Immense amount of work, and even more time, but sheaccepted. As soon as she left I wentup to 5 Joy street and talked with MissAnnie Fisher, the State superintendent of the Massachusetts association for promoting interest in the adult blind.“The money question was settled immediately through her kindness, and sothe course was launched.”It sounded simple enough, particularly when two strokes of pure luck followed one on top of the other, but It was just the same as though two men with a sudden idea said, “L#et*s start something ”It’s what follows the Yes, let’s*’ thatdoes the work.“Can a blind man get any kind of aneducation he wants? I asked.iInstructors Are Also BlindBlind Helping the Blind*My typist here is stone blind and herters are always perfect. I will showU one.”VIr. Haves leaned over and pressed a tton. Somewhere in the office a bell ng and a moment later there was aft knock on the door.'Come in.” called Mr. Hayes, rhe door opened and a tall, slim girl ^arlng frosted glasses walked straight er to the desk and held out the let-rs, as sure of her direction as though eves were wide open. Bhe was smtl-was no ai*n on her face of her stolid resignation or bitterness, ere was courage there, cheerful eour-*, figMIng eourapre, the kind of eoui-e that made Henlev s’ng:‘Out of the night that rovers me Black as the pit from pole to poleT thank whatever pods may he For mv unconouerahle soul! dr. Hayes held the letter out to me. was perfect down to the last, detail *1 always put down at the bottom of letters, ’Written by a blind pirlVsa(d.T have another girl here who hasn’t n Riven a chance yet but if 1 have ythlng to say about It she will he fr. Hayes 1» a strop* man. Brown *s look out at you steadily and a firm thrusts out an emphasis now and“Any kmd he wants.” answered Mr. Hayes. “Of course we have all thestandard works written tn the Brailsystem, the code of raised points, forthe blind.“And their instructors—are they blind,too'”“Many of them are blind, and perhaps that is what Rives the pupils courage to po on when thlnps become difficult, the realization that the one who Is already doing the Job Is as handicapped as they are. There are hoys working in the Simplex Electrical Works making Mectrlc toasters who are totally Mind, and even working rather Intricatemachinery.”“How are they tauRht?’’“They are taught how to use then fingers, and it is surprising how fingers roughened and made coarse by hard work become finely sensitive to the slightest touch. The latest lndustr that has been taught to the blind 1s spinning. It Is a bit spectacular to see these rlrls. who cannot tell tne difference between night and day, spinning cloth, the best kind of cloth, with the old hand loom, as accuratelyas though they had the best of eyesight.Bitterness? Did those who had once the use of their eyes rebel agninst the loss of them and figure the worldas black as their sightless eyes seemedto make it? *Miss Lillian Garside. one of the most experienced teachers of the blind, hadmany stories, and but few of them were tinged with bitterness.Sho is a charming little old lady, Miss Garside. the kind from which falry-godmothers must have been made. The corners of her mouth seemed always on the verge of turning up Into a happy smile, her silver hair clung in old-fashioned curia about her temples, and her voice was soft and gentle through long, long patience. Bllna eyes turned toward me through frosted glasses, but I did not need to look into her eyes to read her. She wasjust charming. 83W8She was talking of the many, many blind people she had met and taught how to become useful, how to cling u the happiness of life.Helping “Despondent'* Casesno more use infirst you can do the house; you can bring up theGold Coas• •he girl will he plven a chance, justthe bov in the bank.She Is Rena Flardeau. a beautiful 1, with an exquisite soprano voice.eWas tried out by an organist a little He ago who was ecstatic In her en-“There was one man I went to see In Boston and he was utterly despondent. •What can I do?’ he kept saying. He felt that there wasliving. ’Why,’ I said, ‘at many things around can clean things, you coal for your wife. . . .’“ ’He never did it before he was blind,' broke In his wife, abruptly, ’and It Is not likely that he’ll begin now’.’ ’’“Do you tfylnk the young people or the older folks resign themselves morequickly to blindness?” I asked.“Why, one has the courage of youth and the other the resignation of age, so that, to me, It seems that a balance Is struck But, although young girls do weaving and even designing I think the feats of tho older blind people are muchmore remarkable. There Is un old woman, well over fifty, who became a pupil of mine once. Blindness is only one of her Doubles. Hhe has not walked for over twenty years and lost her sight when she was only fourteen. The fingers of both hands are bent back tne wrong way and doubled over again. She has only one finger on each hand with which she can work.“yhe wanted to learn how to read and wo thought that it was impossible because she did not know how to spell. “In less than a week she mastered theeystem and since then the number ofWorld Noted Missionary,The “gold coast of West Agold and other wealth.This is the declaration of Donone of the most noted foreign mil his most interesting article entitled Gold Coast, published in the cun sions, the official organ of the Ne' ciety for the Propagation of the 1However, nature has hamperlt; a malarial climate and a harboiTherefore, a terrible toll of humthose venturing to this part of Afr souls, have given many victims toThe article by Father Spitz fAmong the various colonial settlements situated on the west coast of Africa there is one which from the 15th century has played an important role in the struggle for colonial supremacy, one which has been of special interest both in the commercial and the diplomatic world. For this El Dorado attracted to its shoresnot only adventurers of many nations, but also diplomats and politicians and crowned heads vied withone another to obtain power in theseregions.France and Portugal were first in the field and took a lion’s share out of that golden chest. And when the latter was on the lookout for more promising fields in the far east and in the distant west, the seafaring Dutch claimed the monopoly in western Africa, so much so that under their dominion Prussia, Denmark and Sweden could scarcely obtain a footing.Finally, however, England unfurled her flag and the El Dorado of western Africa became and still Is the well known English colony of the Gold Coast. This name was given to the colony as early as the 14th and 15th centuries. And indeed it has well deserved that golden name. It has been estimated that from the 16th century to the present time between 60,000,000 and 70,-000,000 pounds* worth of gold sterling have been won on its shores, whilst its interior is believed to conceal an unlimited wealth of that precious yellow dust.Thanks to its favorable position, the Gold Coast was a ready-made wrestling place for various nations, the entrance gate to a gloomy empire involved in horrible mysteries, a meeting place for expeditions into a mysterious interior, an emporium for rare treasures, which were brought to its shores to be transshipped across the oceans. Thus the Gold Coast began at a very early date to play a very important role in the history of western Africa .and in course of time it became of paramount importance.Powers in Wranglemostsetth“WhThitheusheThe French *nd Portuguese claim to have been the first visitors to the Gold Coast. A combined fleet of Rouen and Dieppe merchants set out in 1364 to commence commercial enterprise at El-mlna, whilst the Portuguese declare that Prince Henry of Portugal, sur-named the Navigator, was the first who drew the attention of Europe to the West Coast of Africa and that Pope Martin V. (1417-31) conferred on Portugal the sovereignty and right over all the lands that might be discoveredt here.A Portuguese expedition (1481) reached the present Gold Coast and built the fort of St. George del Mina or Elmlna. Tho traffic in gold, and still more in slaves, attracted from the year 1517 onwards merchants and slave dealers Irom England and France, Holland and Prussia, Sweden and Denmark, and each of these Powers built forts and castles to protect themselves against political rivals, and to keep together their booty at Elmlna and Fredensborg, Cape Coast, and San Yago, Dixcove and Winneba, etc., all of which became later on powerful settlements and centres of civilization.In 1638 the Portuguese withdrew in favor of the Dutch, who now claimed political hegemony; but they in turn found another rival in England, which was striving for the same end. For the exploitation of the Gold Coast there was founded the Company of Royal Adventures of England (1062-72), which was followed by the Royal African Company (1672-1752), and the African Company, till in 1844 the English Government took possession of the Gold Coast; in 1850 and 1872 the Danes and the Dutch ceded all their rights to England, and on July 24, 1874, the Gold Coast colony was reconstituted by a royal charter; to it was added the kingdom of Ashanti between 1896-1901.Situated between the French colonies of the Ivory Coast, and the French Sudan on the west and the north, between Togoland and the Gulf of Guinea on the eust and the south, with a coast line of 350 miles in length, and a territory extending inland to an average distance of 440 miles, the colony covers an area of about 40,000 square miles, with 895,000 Inhabitants or, inclusive, the dependencies of Ashanti and the northern territories, 80.000 square miles, with1,504.000 souls.Nature has been most lavish to this land with her gifts; it possesses a teeming population, a well-wooded and fertile soil, an unlimited wealth of gold, and a fair waterway into the interior. On the other hand, however, she has also been selfish and niggardly. For the Gold Coast has no harbors of anyImportance. Dangerous shoals line thecoast, bars of sand block the mouths of the rivers, and deadly malaria impregnates the air, which makes it al-an ilaxinkillirthe 1 trant torm with trees these vege inedtimepeanofhigh)Ofof tYfor tin gsoil,modifaun;largebanamaizandsuchthatThlt;palmabunwithkernof tlthereebonspedThlt;beascowsprovlt;howeplaceandporciareblacllife,a vabutliantless.Poldividman* open man turietyrai more latiotoda Th. whichas coun influ aspeofidola and * amoi as ii Th erce (He wors does have ferio rule weal Th beca bad then tivej and who in pi all cabodfix t:ownangr pres, hens key.Th mort in a all lcoun of t forare i vals fulhowirep ft ttom or r the i FetiiPothetheThetreaihusfcvaluture,evid.reprlt;servexchPcmis?books that woman has read has goneaway up into the hundreds.“And there was another blind woman of seventy-five who learned to use atypewriter.“A little while ago I went to see a woman who had only recently become blind. She was inconsolable.“ 'But look what I can do,' T said.“ ‘You have two good eyes to do themwith,’ she said.“ 'No, no, I am blind.*w As Mind as I nm?r “ 'As blind as you are.’“ 'Praise he to God!’ the woman cried with sudden cheerfulness.”p:firstCouTHE PENCIL CLOCK OF PARISThere are many curious clocks in Paris, one of the mort notable of which is that of a pencil manufacturer, who rimed, as the map on the clock shows, at conquering many markets. Thisclock keeps good time, despite its square face and the necessarily rectangular arrangement of the hours,which are formed by pencils arranged as Homan numerals. You can see this lt;oek on one of the main boulevards high above the heads of foot passengers. It has been constructed on a very big scale so as to be clearly visibleirom the street.ondtpfror10 idonM aiwillfielcingAthei be i darn| A ni end! aliklt;1 bile latti feat
Newspaper Details
Boston Sunday Post
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Sun, Jul 03, 1921
Page 1
Full Page
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Wikipedia U.
USA 06 May 2023
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