"BLIND IN WORLD
fnternational Campaign for
Prevention Begun
After Survey.
t
New York.—There are close to
12,500,000 blind persons in the world,
and active efforts toward prevention
of blindness are under way in twenty-
jeight countries, it is disclosed in the
port of a two-year study by the In-
{ternational League of Red Cross so-
ieleties, made public here by Lewis
Barris, managing director of the Na-
fonal Society for the Prevention of
Blindness. Mr. Carris brought back
he findings from a conference at
The Hague at which representatives
gon twenty-eight countries formed
e International Association for the
vention of Blindness.
Among the recommendations of the
Jeport are: That the trachoma re-
‘search of the late Dr. Hideyo Noguchi
of the Rockefeller Foundation be car-
red further; that a world-wide agree-
ment be reached on a standard defini-
'ton of “blindness”; that more atten-
tion be given to special guidance for
(children with defective vision; and
that. greater efforts be made to cut
idown the eye hazards of Industry
‘which in America and some other
‘countries now constitute ome of the
most serious causes of blindness.
Urge Standard Definition.
| Conflicting definitions of “blind-
ness” by different countries are noted
in the report, and a number of vari-
jations are cited. In the United States,
the accepted definition of blindness
is “inability to see well enough to
(read even with the aid of glasses”; or
for illiterates, “inability to distin-
|guish forms and objects with sufficient
‘distinctness.” In the attempt to fight
blindness, the report says, “a practi-
‘cal definition for use by those en-
gaged in work for the blind is neces-
‘sary, as distinct from a purely oph-
thalmological definition with its fine
measurements of visual acuity. Very
certainly the formulation of a stand-
ard definition would enable all forces
dealing with this catastrophe to ap-
proach its solution in a more system-
atic and comprehensive way, and
would insure more easily comparable
statistics.”
The best working definitions for
blindness are attributed to Great
Britain. In providing for the educa-
tion oi blind children, the statutory
description given is “too blind to be
able to read the ordinary school
books used by children,” and in the
blind persons’ act, a blind person is
defined as “one who is so blind as to
be unable to perform any work for
which eyesight is essential.”
Difficulties arising from these defi
nitions, however, are noted in the re-
port which points out that many chil-
dren have seriously defective eyesight,
but not sufficient loss of vision to
come within the law pertaining to
“the blind.” “The problem of the par-
tially sighted, such as the very near-
sighted, is a difticult one,” the report
states, suggesting special provision for |
the education and vocational training
of children with defective vision.
136 Blind Per 100,000.
The total reported blind population
of all the countries from which reli-
able information could be obtained
is 1,193,734. “The total population
represented being 876,004,976,” the re-
port says,
tion,
"The countries specified have abou
half the population ¢t the world, and
on that basis it might be estimated
Udd Powers Attributed
to Gems in Ages Pas’
While in modern times the value o:
Jewels depends on their use as orna
ments and their employment in cer
tain optical and other instruments,
the ancients attached a far different
--significance to them. In their minds
gems were endowed with gifts of spir-
ftual and material power and were
credited with the ability to cure dis-
eases, avert trouble and drive away
the demons, which harassed the im-
aginations of people of early and me-
dieval times. This conception gave
rise to he wearing of amulets, the
presiding genius of one’s fate being
easily carried about in the form of »
precious stone.
These ideas, now so ridiculous to
us, had their origin in the philosopliy
of India and are related to the belief
in the transmigration of the soul. It
was believed that the soul which, at
death, had not reached a state of ab.
solute purity, had to undergo various
transmigrations until it became puri-
fied, and ‘hat consequently it entered
into plants, animals and even min.
eral bodies in the process. Therefore,
gems were considered living beings.
Being of incomparable physical purity,
they were regarded as the highest ex-
pression of natural perfection, and
hence upposed to possess talismanic
and other powerful properties.—Ex-
change.
Historic Buildings in
Finnish Town of Turku
Turku was Finland's first capital.
Christianity was first taught there,
and the first Christian converts were
baptized in the River Aura. The old-
est cathedral and the oldest castle in
Finland are to be found in Turku, and
nearly all the historic homes of the
Finnish nobility are in or near the
city.
With the exception of the cathedral
and the castle, modern Turku has
been built since the disastrous fire of
1827, when the old town was almost
entirely destroyed in a blaze that
burned for five days. Both the castle
and the cathedral are grim structures
with little exterior ornament. The ca-
thedral has a long, narrow vaulted
interior and most of the immense
treasure which was once kept there
has disappeared.
Part of the castle is now a museum
and is furnished with pieces of old
Finnish furniture, Visitors can still
see the dungeon, six fathoms deep
and black as pitch, where prisoners:
were kept. In the great central hall
is a high gallery from which a cruel
ruler once had unruly subjects hurled
to the floor below. One cell in the
castle is still known as the malefac-
tor's resting place.—National Geo:
graphic Society Bulletin.
No Need to Reckon Years
The numbering of years is a man
wade artificiality, having little to do
with the soul or the mind or the heart.
An old anecdote of Napoleon tells of
his conversation with a Hungarian
officer who said he had fought in the
army of Maria Theresa.
“You must be old,” said Napoleon.
“Yes,” said the officer, “I am sixty
Jor seventy.”
“Why, coionel,” said the emperor,
“you have certainly lived long enough
to know how to count the years a lit-
tle more closely.”
“General,” was the man’s reply, i
recken my money, my shirts, and my
horses; but as for my years, I know
that nobody will want to steal them.
cand that I shall never lose one of
“the ratio of blind in the
aggregate is 136.3 per 100,000 popula- |
that the total of blind persons in the
. world is about 2,390,000.
however, this is an underestimate as
those regions not covered by a census
are in large part inhabited by races
among whom blindness is likely to be
more prevalent than where eiviliza-
tion is further advanced.”
Probably, !
them.,”—Boston Herald.
Broad Hint
A business man who has just be-
i come engaged fo be married is a good
hearted fellow and popular with his
staff; his only drawback from their
point of view beiug that he has no
idea of time, dictating letters just as
everybody is packing up to go home.
As a wedding present they bought
, him a clock.
|
So far as the amount of blindness !
in the United States is concerned, the |
report states, “varying estimates are
found. The number is considerably
higher than 52,617, as given in the
1920 census report.” Concerning this
figure, Mr. Curtis said that it would
be more accurate probably to accept '
the estimate of 100,000 as the blind
population of the United States.
Piano for Icy North
Regina, Sask.—Duncan Finlayson,
federal fire ranger in the Chemong
country of northern Saskatchewan, re-
cently came down to Saskatoon and
bought a piane. He is having the
weighty instrument freighted into the
northern hinterland.
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Slave Ring Exposed
as Boy Is Ransomed
Marrakech, Jdorocco. — The
servant problem is 80 acute in
Morocco that boys and girls are
kidnaped and sold as slaves to
do housework. This is the testi
mony of a merchant here, Hafid
ben Boujma, who has ran
somed his son after four years’
captivity in southern Morocco
Two camels and a sum of
money were paid as ransom.
Following the testimony of
the merchant, the police ar-
rested Boujmah ben Bouazza,
alleged to be the leader of the
slave ring.
3036 JIE F006 30 HIE II 0
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It was a fine clock, but it had one
defect. It had no hands. In thank-
ing them for the gift, he called at-
tention to this fact.
“Oh,” said the man who was mak:
ing the presentation, “you never look
at the time, so we got the jeweler to
remove them. They were gold, and he
took &5 off the price.”
If! -
The small boy, aged six, was mak-
ing a tiny wreath.
“What is it for?”
mother.
“You know you sald you heard a
mouse in the pantry?’
“Yes.”
“And you know yon
thought of tuying a trap?”
“Yes.”
“Well, if you buy a trap, and if you
atch the mouse, and if they drown
the moaise after it is caught. and if
inquired his
said you
. the mouse is buried, and if we give
it a nice funeral, we shall need a
wreath. shan't we?”
“For the Use of the House”
Three-year-old Billy's mother, be
ing particular that he should not an
noy the neighbors, would cot permit
him to go into their house unless on
special invitation. So Billy was espe
cially delighted when he was permil
ted to spend the whole morning with
the ten-year-old boy next door. who
was very fascinating to him in a thor
oughly “grown-up” way. When he got
ready to go home, he summoned all
his manners. “Thank you for the
house,” he sald, gratefully.
FIND OLD WALLS
OF ROMAN TIMES
Rich Discovery Made by
German Archeologists.
Berlin.—The foundation of a wall,
consisting almost wholly of sculp-
tured stones of the imperial Roman
period. is the astonishing spoil of the
spades of German archeologists work-
ing in the neighborhood of the town
of Alzey in the Rhine country. Seek-
ing for traces of a medieval churcn,
they came upon the remains of a
much older building, about sixteen
yards square, which dates back to the
days when the legions still occupied
the parts of Germany that bordered
upon Gaul.
The construction of the foundation
was of a most unusual type of mason-
ry. The stones consisted largely of
sculptured fragments of ancient pagan
shrines and temples, including among
others, nine altars, twenty-five pieces
of pillars, four stones with inscrip-
tions, six broken statues and reliefs,
and six blocks with images of gods
on all four sides. The structure sug-
gests that it was the work of builders
who not only disbelieved in the old
gods but were actually hostile to them
and wished to show their contempt
for them; therefore possibly of early
Christian date.
An examination of the sculptures
and inscriptions shows that here, as
elsewhere in southern Germany, the
pre-Christian populace ot mixed Ger-
mans, Romans and Gauls identified
local gods with deities of the Roman
pantheon. Apollo was linked with
Grannus, a Celtic divinity, and the
Roman Vulcan with the Celtic Cerup-
nos.
Jupiter is shown with a nine-spoked
wheel, and the wheel is not a Roman
emblem, but a German, being a figure
of the sun.
Monument to Motherhood
to Be Raised by Vets
Kansas City, Kan.—A monument to
the motherhood of America 1s to be
erected on the grounds of the V. F. W.
National home at Eaton Rapids, Mich..
founded four years ago by the Vet
erans of Foreign Wars of the United
States, for the care and welfare of
rhe widows and orphans of deceased
veterans,
State commanders throughout the
country will recommend one. man from
their respective states to act on a
committee charged with the responsi-
bility of gathering the necessary funds
and erecting the memorial,
The movement, sponsored by a reso
(ution adopted by the thirtieth na-
tional encampment of the V. F. W.
held at St. Paul last August, contemn-
plates the erection of “a utilitarian
monument bearing the inscription ‘To
the Motherhood of America.’ ”
The contribution of American moth:
erhood, manifesting itself in every hu-
man activity, affording stimulus and
inspiration to the better causes of
civilization, was cited by those sup-
porting the plan as a “vital torce in
our American heritage.”
The project also gives recognitiow
co the “multiple and continuous sac-
rifices, both in times of war and in
times of peace, on the part of the
motherhood of America for the most
port unhonored and unsung.”
Dog Saves Cat’s Life
but Earns No Gratitude
Malone, N. Y.—Dogs are not com-
monly known to befriend cats, yet one
instance of such anomaly was wit-
nessed here.
The cat had been missing three
days. Its mistress hunted vainly for
her, notwithstanding felines are sup-
posed to return of their own will,
Finally a state trooper, apprised of .
the lost pet, observed a dog standing |
on a rock ledge barking vociferously |
at an island in Salmon river. Search
of the island brought forth the cat,
a bit haggard at having been ma- |,
rooned three days, but still able to
“spit” at the dog which had unwit-
tingly saved her life.
Missouri “Houn’ Dogs”
Increasing in Value
Springfield, Mo.—The houn’ dog is
not a thing of the past.
The major portion of coon and fos
hounds in the United States are fur-
nished by this section of the country.
Each year, prior to the opening of
the hunting season, buyers from all
over the country come into the Ozarks
to purchase hundreds of dogs.
And the value of the “old houn
dawg” has increased until a first-class
one is now worth $100.
00000000000000000000000000:
Army Truck Operates
With Wood for Fue!
San Francisco.—Using a sack-
ful of broken tent poles for fuel,
an army truck had demonstrated
that. it could pull a load of more
than 38 tons.
Army officers watching the
test of the invention of Col.
Jean P. .mbert, former French
army officer, were astounded by
the performance,
The appliance invented by
Colonel Imbert was placed in
the truck in the place of the
gasoline tank. After the con-
tainer had been filled with wood
a torch was applied, and a few
minutes later when the truck
had been cranked it chugged
away with the load.
©0000000000000000000000000
‘centuries.
reins
Colonial Homes Surely
Constructed to Endure
Those who are familiar with the con-
struction methods employed by New
England coast house builders of the
Colonial period are generally im-
pressed by the foundation work. To-
day. afier a century or more, one may
find these foundations unshaken. La-
hor was cheap in earlier times; con-
struction material close at hand. Per-
haps such massive bases for the su-
perstructure were needlessly extrava-
gant, vet one must admire the honest
work that has stood the tests of time.
At East Winthrop, Maine, there
stands a massive Colonial dwelling,
107 years old, that has one of these
typical foundations. [It is formed of
enormous granite slabs which are lai@
up three feet thick. [It is traditiom
among descendants ~f the original
owners that three vokes of oxen were
required to haul some of these grea’
stones to fhe spot.
Quite frequently one will come
across one of these Colonial houses
with stone chimney bases 20 feet
square while on the ground floor
there will be tunnels through the
heart of the chimney, forming unique
hallways from one part of the main
floor to another. Foundations and
chimneys were built to withstand the
onslaughts of floods, earthquakes and
Tire occasionally razes
cleanly one of these Colonial dwell
ings, yet the hand of man is always
necessary to tear apart that honest
masonry.
Moose Given Points of
Superiority Over Horse
The Swedish moose is a dangerous
competitor to the horse, says a Stock:
holm Associated Press dispatch.
Some years ago a harnessed moose
easily took first place in a horse race.
but was refused first prize because the
Judges decided it was out of the com
petition.
Moose were used as saddle and drat
horses several centuries ago until pro
hibited by a royal decree, as it was
feared a criminal astride a moose
could easily outdistance his horse-pow
ered pursuers.
A Swedish country gentleman caugh:i
a moose bull as a calf and broke him
for mail service. The animal proved
more practical than a horse, since nc
gates had to be opened, the moose
clearing them all without difficulty.
At one time a military expert pro
posed a moose cavalry regiment, as
serting that a moose squadron would
put fright into a whole horse regi
ment. The scheme was left untried
A. W. KEICHLINE
Registered Architect,
74-23-4m BELLEFONTE, PA
IRA D. GARMAN
JEWELER
1420 Chestnut St.,
PHILADELPHIA
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YEAGER’S TINY BOOT SHOP.
Employers
This Interests You
The Workman's Compensation
Law went into effect Jan. 1, 1916.
It makes insurance compulsory.
We specialize in placing such in-
surance. We inspect ts and
recommend Accident Prevention
Safe Guards which Reduce Imsur-
ance rates.
It will be to your interest to con-
sult us before placing your Insur-
ance.
JOHN F. GRAY & SON.
State College Bellefonts
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close friend.
ceptable Gift.
May we suggest the Watchman.
the person has any interest in what
is going on in Centre county we think
the Watchman would be a most ac-
put up in a handy, durable case.
would make a useful Gift for another
friend. Two presents for $1.50.
E season is approaching when
you will be looking for a suit-
able Gift for some relative or
If
For $1.50 we will mail your relative
or friend a letter, every week for a
year, and it will be teeming with the
news you forget to mention when you
write that occasional letter.
In addition to that, we will send you
a handsome Auto-Strop Safety Razor,
It