4 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE. 
by the Governor with the consent of the 
Council and organized under Chapter 
385 of the Acts of 1906. It is author- 
ized to provide a bureau of information 
and industrial aid, to assist blind persons 
in marketing their products, to provide 
workshops and industrial training, and 
in general to ameliorate the condition of 
the blind ‘‘ by such other methods as it 
may deem expedient; provided that the 
Commission shall not undertake the per- 
manent support or maintenance of any 
blind person.’’ 
He then introduced the chairman of 
the commission, Dr. Edward M. Hart- 
well, who gave a brief outline of the ap- 
pointment of the commission by the gov- 
ernor through an act of the state legisla- 
ture in 1906, and the appropriating of 
money to carry forward the work. He 
told of the work which the commission 
had been doing and was doing at present 
among the blind people all over the state, 
of whom there were 4009. 
Of these but a small number were 
born blind; most of them were over- 
taken by blindness after 30 years of age. 
Many of those who are blind can do 
some kind of work. ‘There are some 60 
blind women throughout the state who 
send consignments of their work regu- 
larly to the commission. “Iwo. shops 
have been established by the commission 
in Cambridge and one in Boston. One 
blind man has set up in_ business as a 
cobbler in Swampscott and another in 
Manchester. Of course much had _al- 
ways been done by the Perkins institute, 
but the commission intended to supple- 
ment and enlarge the scope of this good 
work. Massachusetts is doing more for 
its blind today than any other govern- 
ment in the world. 
Dr. Hartwell wished it understood 
that the work which is to be offered for 
sale in the shop and the work which is 
being generally done for the blind, was 
offered on its merits as work. Interest 
and sympathy were required in the 
movement, but the aim was to make the 
blind self-supporting if possible. 
James P. Munroe said he regretted, 
as did others, that Mrs. Hooper could 
not be present. He congratulated the 
people of Manchester on the deep inter- 
est they had taken in this work of the 
commission for the blind. 
Helen Keller was then introduced and 
beside her stood Mrs. Macy, just touch- 
ing with ner right hand the blind girl’s 
left arm. Miss Keller said: 
‘I cannot express my delight at the 
opening of this new craft-shop. It gives 
a heartening sense of progress in a cause 
that I hold dear, and we ail feel repaid 
for the effort that it has cost to start the 
industries of the blind on a practical ba- 
sis. I hope this will be the first of 
many shops for the sales of articles pro- 
duced by skilled blind workers, and that 
the beautiful fabrics which they produce 
at Cambridge will be more _ widely 
known, not only in Massachusetts, but 
also in other parts of the country. 
‘““Tf the shops should not pay in the 
material sense this summer, I trust none 
of you will feel that the effort is lost. It 
will warm the hearts of the blind every- 
where to know that a generous friend 
like Mrs. William Hooper has appreci- 
ated their ability. It will encourage 
other workers for the blind to see that 
the sightless can make articles fine 
enough to be admired by the cultivated 
and sold in this beautiful place. 
‘“ You have come here full of — pleas- 
ant thoughts of rest and recreation. 
You have left behind many weary cares, 
responsibilities and good works in the 
city; but responsibilities and good works 
have followed youhere and set up this 
little shop. They follow you not in the 
gray garb of charity and social problems, 
but as purveyors of beauty to charm the 
eye and light:the intellect. 
*“'The money which you spend here 
will bring you something better than fine 
fabrics. It will bring glad thoughts, and 
the satisfaction that you have helped ‘to 
render other lives useful and happy. If 
the economic mind dismisses as of no 
value the sentiments of brotherly love 
which the shop represents, will it not be 
satished with the thought that two blind 
girls who live in Manchester can work 
all summer and earn their own living? 
‘Think how the news of their success will 
spread from town to town, and how 
more and more people will desire to 
share in the beneficent work of giving 
the blind profitable employment. I re- 
joice in your power to incaease the hap- 
piness of the sightless. It is true that 
some can give much and others only a 
little; but the large kindness behind that 
little makes it mean a great deal. I re- 
joice with you that it is your portion to 
carry encouragement and light to those 
who dwell in the dark.’’ 
Miss Keller's words could not be 
heard more than a dozen feet away, but 
at the end of each sentence Mrs.’ Macy, 
who held the blind girl’s arm, repeated 
the words so that all could hear them. 
‘The aim and object of the commis- 
sion is to help the blind to help themsel- 
ves, and become self supporting. las- 
sachusetts is the first state to undertake 
such a work, and the results here in 
Manchester are being carefully watched 
by all interested in the blind everywhere. 
In the little shop ‘Tuesday, and every 
day since, sat a blind girl,---Miss Etta 
Knowlton of Manchester---working at a 
loom as skilfully as if she had_ sight. 
Miss McClintock is also at the shop, and 
among her work she is prepared to do 
typewriting. “(here was much else dis- 
played at the shop, but most everything 
was sold on the opening day, so that a 
new and fresh supply had to be pro- 
cured at once. ‘There are such articles 
as towels, table coverings, napkins and 
various other fabrics with original designs 
woven into them that give them a dis- 
tinctive character; there are knitted and 
machine work, hand woven rugs and 
art fabrics, etc., etc. Hair mattresses, 
feather pillows, hair pillows, and many 
other useful things are offered for sale. 
The shop is under the immediate su- 
pervision of Charles F. F. Campbell, 
who is superintendent of the industrial 
department of the state commission. 
‘To his sympathetic work, in which he 
has been aided by Mrs. Campbell, much 
of the success of this department is due. 
Miss Lotta Rand, assistant superintend- 
ent of the department of registration, 
was also present, as was Charles W. 
Holmes, deputy superintendent of the 
industrial department. “Three members 
of the commission were present: Dr. 
Edward M. Hartwell, chairman of the 
board; Annette P. Rogers and James P. 
Munroe. . 
The little shop, as has been said, is an 
old, one-story wooden building, which 
has been very tastefully fitted up inside. 
although all of the weather beaten evi- 
dences of antiquity have been permitted 
to remain on the outside, except that a 
little sign over the porch tells of the pres- 
ent uses to which the old residence is 
being put, reading: 
* Handicraft shop for the blind, under 
the direction of the state commission and 
Perkins institute.’ 
While the shop was established here 
largely through the beneficence of Mrs. 
William Hooper, others are to be 
praised for their interest, such as L. W. 
Floyd, who gives free rent of the shop 
for the summer, Roberts & Hoare, who 
fitted up the shop, and E. A. Lane, 
who donated the painting. 
Boots and Shoes and Rubbers 
NEATLY AND PROMPTLY 
REPAIRED 
Also a supply of Stable Brooms, 
and the patent Wundermop 
[wet and dry] 
Cigars and Tobacco 
C. L. BEDELL 
WoNsON BUILDING 
MANCHESTER 
(Opp. Knight’s Coal Wharf) 
THOMAS DEROSIER 
(Successor to Geo. F. Dyer) 
Automobile Repair Shop 
And Storage 
Supplies and Tires, Auto to 
Rent by the hour or day. Lawn 
Mower Grinding 
DYER’S AUTO DEPOT 
Cor. Pine and Bennett Sts., Manchester 
Telephone 101 
Central St., 
