The Sunday Oregonian., October 04, 1908, Magazine Section, Page 4, Image 50

THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN. rORTLAVD. OCTOBER 4, 1908.
4
Ar the rich blind iviens celts
OF F5AF2IS, THERE IS THE MOST
FOIGNANT GAjME IN THE "WORLD
TMTswsTTA firm zmr
BT FTERL1NS HEILIG.
I HAVE seen the most poignant game
of poker In the world. During the
live minutes I was allowed to observe
it I was almost breathless with Its Im
material iml silent strain. The players
were like pure Intelligences battling to
gether in eternal void. The room was
fcnght, luxurious; but tne rich sports
sat In darkness. I was the only one who
saw the deal or draw. No one spoke but
the brief necessary words. No one but I
- saw the players' faces!
It was at the rich Blind Men s Club of
Parts where I might not photograph the
scene. Anions the sports who sit in
darkness there ' are multi-millionaires,
men of great families, bearing world
V known titles, heads of houses even, lost
to the world by thetr blindness.
Among tliem are blind men who dress
with- meticulous coquetry, faultlessly
frorkroated. gorgeously walstcoated. in
iilgh hats of eight reflects.-' that might
erve to a pretty woman for a mirror.
There are those who wear eyeglasses,
glance rotind as If taking interest, rind
pat their paid guide gaily on the shoul
dernot to have the -look of being led!
There are others, powerful with their
family influence and riches, who slouch
In neglectful clothes. They care nothing
for publicity: their only real companionsfellow-clubmen
cannot see them.
Two such, the librarian and director of
the Theodoreson book-embossing, plant,
posed for nie at cards In the general reception-room,
free for the blind men of
all Parts when they come for aid and
' sympathy to - these, their powerful
brethren.
In the accompanying photograph the
tntudes and the expressions of the two
men might lead you to think they have
their sight. Yet both are stone blind.
..o. the six blind sports. In their luxu
rious cardroom. skinned their cards with
fleeting smiles of satisfaction or frowns
of impatience. They iiad no necessity to
train their faces!
1'acial Expression I'nncccssarjr.
So they used their voices for deception,
or were silent. One tall, sallow, slender
plunger, the forgotten scion of an lsrael
lilsh family, foremost In the world's
finances, received see high on the deal,
.lie knew what each card was before I
saw them, at his shoulder: his light
fingers read them by their corner point
ings as be took them from the table
with a negligence and deftness that
would baffle Mr. Sheedy.
1 watched his disgusted face light with
grim purpose, as the others drew four,
one and three cards and two dropped out.
In absolute monotone he raised three
hundred franca and asked two cards.
In uncanny silence the three men
peered at him with their eyes, with
painful, long lntentness. as if seeking to
catch the vibrations of his very soul.
Then the stout, florid man with the
blonde beard dropped out; he would not
pav three hundred francs to draw four
cards. But, gently, the two others
pushed their piles of chips up. The
strong, erect, muscular, hard-featured
brother of the second Duke of France
ho lost his eyes by a gun explosion 15
ers ago was smiling over a four
flush which his one card completed!
Sublimity of Switzerland's Mountains Enraptures
PATIENCE, DETERMINATION AND .FORTITUDE ESSENTIAL TO THE PERILOUS TASK OF SCALING SNOW-CLAD PEAKS
ZURICH. Swltxerland. Aug. 20. (Spe
cial Correspondence.) When the train
rolls out of Germany the chances are
that the careful observer knows It.
This conviction will probably be due to
the fact that the prevailing odor Is no
longer one of cheese and IJmburger
cheese at that and I took the longest
wv out of Oermany. I like Oermany.
Kverr inch of It Is healthy, for the great
er part sine. and for a Kuropean
country, perhaps, broad. This Is not the
case In all parts of Europe, where every
country seenis to be thoroughly self
satisfied. I often wonder whether America offers
th. same outlook to Europeans that Eu-
n.ne offers to Americans. America has
b-en made great by what It has been
willing to absorb from other countries
Improved by It" own modern, up-to-date
nay of doing things.
Travel, however, is not as bad as it
has been described, and If one is sight
seeing It dues no harm to stay over
night In an Interesting spot instead of
rushing through In a luxurious sleeper.
In this way I made my first acquaintance
witli Swltxerland. as I reached Zurich at
7 In the evening. Charming, exquisitely
pretty Is this Swiss town of 1S0.000 In
habitants, and I hurried a ulnner In or
der to drive nroun;" the city before the
setting sun had become a mere memory.
Perhaps the hour of the day lent to the
beauty and to the calm of the picture,
but It seemed as tnough I had stepped
Into a quiet world, wliere there was
nothing to do but to drift as the people
drifted on the beautiful Zurich Zee. It
seemed as though every one were on the
banks of that lake that evening, at least
every one who was not In a boat on the
lak.e. How proudly the "IJon of
.Zurich" stands ay out in the water on
the top of a massive column. "You will
rot forget our lion." said the cabman, as
lie pointed to it with pride. I said I
would not. and I will probably keep my
word.
1 arrived In Oeneva the next afternoon,
but did not remain long in the city. I
mad my first acquaintance then and
there wltfl Mount Blanc and later with
the Jungfrau. I satisfied myself upon
one point at once. They are both bigger
than Mount Hood, but the noble majesty
with which our Oregon mountain raises
Its head Is not suggested In the least
by these monarchs of the Alps. The
great accusation held against America is
that evervthlng Is too big. and that we
only think of sixe. However. Swltxerland
must be yielded the palm as far as the
sixe of Its mountains and its lakes Is
concerned, and the colorings are ravish
ing. No one has ever reproduced any
thing that can even give one the im
pression of the marvelous beauties of
his country, which is small enough In
itself, but which ts made up of magni
tude. If I were to select the one thing which
represented to me the most emotional
f-iglit wmch Europe offered me. I should
say that these were the crucifixes which
are erected at short distances all over
t'ie country In fact, all through Eu
rope, especially through France. Swltxer
land and Italy. But In 8wltxerland they
seem to carry even more eloquent mes
sages In the rugged hills. Some are
just simple crosses, but others have the
I'gure upon them, and as these stand
out In the half-dusk tt is Impossible to
describe the emotions thty call forth. It
i- no wonder that Europe has a rever
e.ice which we have not. Its churchea
v.j.ld create that, and this reverence
r- aches beyond tilings religious and pre-
'nts them from building up Idols today
und reviling them tomorrow, as too fre
quently occurs in America. The thing we
s e said to lack is "atmosphere." We
lack atmosphere for two reasons we
. not take seriously the things which
.:'.-t- atmosphere and which make his
ij. j, an J ht cut Uis CUcs Xrgia
But the weak, white-faced Invalid at his
side leaned back, strangely relaxed, as
he drew oie more ten-spot to his pair.
The Bhiffer Kith his ace-high and two
kickers took his two cards from the
table first one ace and then another!
Now the silence was oppressive.
Bxultataion. disappointment. curious
hesitancy struggled on the bluffer s face
a bluffer now no longer with three aoes!
The flush bet a small chip. The weak,
white fellow a heap in his big chair
silently came with him.
What would the astute Hebrew do with
his three aces? Hoist up the four and
three-card draws as they deserved? The
silence was thick enough to be cut in
slices. The ascetic face was painful In
Its strain. Then the man of three aces
Just pushed up the little chip that called!
It was a stand-off around, for those
mind-readers! And. in the two other
hands I saw played, there was the same
mingling of sureness with the nerve and
reserve of these sports of darkness that
gave the Impression that their pure In
telligences battling together in eternal
void have triumphs our gross sight-sensations
know not.
Once, I saw the white-faced Invalid lay
down a straight against a three-card
draw! The other time, the nephew of the
greatest European financier slammed back
a thousand franca against the attempt-ot
two queens to steal a Jack pot. And both
plays were Justified: because the three
card draw had made a full house; but
was It nerve alone that moved the all
soul Hebrew sport to so magnificently
back his plain pair of kings?
"If it were not that their faces give
them away, at times," I said to the li
brarian. "I'd back those men against any
full-eight players!" '
Beat Full-Sighted Player.
"They've beaten full-ewht players
every time they've met!" he laughed in
answer. "Cards and music are their in
tense pleasures. At them, they almost
forget their blindness. Every afternoon
of the year, there is a rapt, silent game
of poker in that cardroom and always
six-handed! Why, one full-eight player,
being cleaned out ignomintously, went
away suspecting that the dealers- Angers
read the cards they dealt!"
"That's strong." I said, 'to suspect a
Wind man cheating! I noticed that they
deal always from the center of the
pack."
"Of course." he answered. "They can't
see the dealer: but they feel him. I have
been blind only five years." continued the
Librarian: "yet even I would notice, sure
ly,' the shade of changed rhythm of a
dealer's movements should his Angers
become occupied In reading cards and his
mind charged with remembering them!"
Of course, these games take place in a
world outside the world, where the very
darkness aided by willful silence make
hearing, and touch touch of vibrations,
from slight movements at a distance, also,
mark you painfully acute; and the dawn
ing sixth sense of man. which we our
selves feel faintly sometimes and act on
sub-consciously more often, has special
opportunity to concentrate itself in sub
jects poignantly responsive to it.
"There are too many In this deck." said
the pale Invalid of a new pack, before Its
aV .1. ..J".-tT
E e.a - . T" .
i- --jr--., s i"r w. .-jr.
in
f " - - V i
N
. . . . .? ,.J
WJU-iAr- Tst-trrroMiJv&vT m ' little
ALPMS TOlVSOfr-'lLTv:r.
past ages which keep alive emotions. Our
emotions are awake only to new sensa
tions, and to use the term in its fullest,
only to sensational events. In contrast
with the wonderful splendors of nature.
It Is almost Impossible to believe that the
peasants have not come forward one mo
ment to live in the present day. But they
have not. Just as they were probably
at the beginning of time, so they are as
they dig the fields men. women and chil
dren. And such fields not until one in
dulges In mountain climbing, docs one
discover how much land is under colt
ration. Indeed, at the top of the highest
mountains are great farms, and there
the life is the same as at the bottom of
the mountains. Perhaps they do not
know that they are far up on the heights;
perhaps they do not know there are
depths and greater heights called a world.
No one travels through Swltxerland
without indulging the dubious pleasure of
mountain climbing. I learned one of life's
lessons on the mountain. I went alone
one Is better off alone for many reasons
the first and most important reason be
ing that one's entire attention may be
centered upon one's self. One can rest
as one chooses or go forward without
consulting the tastes and conveniences of
others. One may climb as nigh as one
likes, one may abandon the trip If one is
alone. One must travel alone any road
where ambition drives, and ambition is
a cruel master. Alas, for one who is
goaded on by this cold, pitiless slave
driver. The fire to climb gets into vour
blood and you become possessed to go
tier ou ail art aa! even reason forbids,
seals were broken. Sure enough, it
bv error three blank cards instead of
as usual. He had felt the extra two by
touch or weight.
These cards are prepared for the Blind
Men's Club by the monopolietic printer
who. responsible to the French govern
ment for the card tax. supplies all- clubs
and gets their rebate for them on the
aces or spades to prove the slightly ueed
packs have not been resold.
They are the same cards used at other
clubs, with embossed points added at the
left-hand corners of the long ends; but
two of these consummate blind sports
actually played a game of ecarte with or
dinary unembossed cards!
How? Why, their super-sensative. del
icate, slender fingers felt the forms of
ink-prints on the faces! Any of the play
ers could at once distinguish the feel of
a picture card; and most could call out
the denominations of pip cards, ace.
deuce, tray, four, five and so on. Keeling
Jhe suits is more delicate and calling suit
and value of a picture-card Is the height
of this blind sports' wonder-trick.
Regularly, they read the embossed
points of the corners as quickly as you or
I would see the card. The Club Libarry
has 15,000 volumes printed In these points.
Aiding the Poor Blind.
For years past, it has bsen fhe pious
accomplishment of many French ladies of
high society to thus point M9S. books,
page ater page, in order that the pre
viously swell and cultured members of
this unique Blind Men's Club might keep
up with the science, literature, poetry and
fiction of the day. ,
Five thousand such MS3. blind men's
books form the personal treasure of the
library. Each volume stands for months
of patient labor done by so-called frivol
ous women, themselves fortunate, happy,
tempted to enjoy each hour of the day
selfishly.
I'p to the invention of the Theodoreson
Embossing Machine, it was one of the
faithful works of the rich blind men's
club of Paris to lend out 5000 or 6000 of its
other press-embossed volumes to the poor
blind of Paris. Now that the club has ac
quired French rights from Carmen Sylva
and her protege to use the wonderful con
trivance, the blind of all France are lav
ishly supplied with gratis modern books,
a monthly magazine and weekly paper.
There is scarcely need, in France, for
the club to attempt what Carmen Sylva
has done for the poor blind of Roumania.
Even the French government, recognizing
the strong family -solidarity and general
thrlftinees that so protect them, grants
financial aid to only some 20U0 of the 40,000
regintered blind folks of France. In Rou
mania. when the good and brilliant Queen
started her now world-famous colony,
conditions were far different.
"It all began, one day. when I visited
an old men'sv home." tells Carmen Sylva.
"As I walked among the gray-haired
waifs. I was startled to see a fine-looking,
dark-haired young man coming toward
me. As his step was uncertain, 1 was
doubly struck and asked what he was
doing there. '
"He was blind, they told me. He had
been a printer, and he had lost sight
through the strain of his trade. His em
ployer, as long as he lived, continued pay
ing him: but at his death, the blind man.
Perhaps reward ,
.(. turning. . you
but you can not resist
sait4 you on tue bexl
. -sr: jf-r -a, , i3.li iu t rci.fR v t. mk i fv i mr. rw
Lrr ".H mi- .: !
j ' 3tx. . , , , " -jWZ. ' are quietly waiting for you at the bot- I
W .ss- f --r Jyi J torn? And when you reach the top wiiat
If A r r- 1 .tt :" r ' V another and another and so on indefi-
Ef rvk- , -wf" nitely. And you have fancied that there
B Jl W M f XC I Js. m&JT- JfmL was a top' Tou nave believed that with
f zF fcl i-sjt ' r;r-. .' . : : " -ssflss? N patience and determination and fortitude
If EjT1 S??! i," is : lb there was a chance to get to the top.
II t 2 ' ;- SNkHt -5 jf w W fr There is nothing to do but to crawl back
11 ML Vi -'V:f.,-4 - - ft to the level and forget the height, forgnt
H ) "i.. 'v44.-- - wm Is t ' the fa,nt feeling that came with the
B I .JT v?V, X il M - -1 ord and ?
I CM 11 B- Nh - "t 6 .-4 -fa 1 . h Hi fk.- M
If V 1 H5 If-'W !y ,- i 1 Ff t:i-i f , ff
I :i4' I- - IL 4r; '-, ; -pf: I p t:l: I
I ""na-r l't IMi "Kkrl- ; 4 i- I H if
IS - V fd r 5v
I 'W9' V "SS " 4 'f"r 1 I j
c?T23Z2J32hZrZZD, 3ZSZZJ&E3Z2ZrK3 C2s&gjf3&
still young, had no means of livelihood.
They separated him from wife and chil
drenand sent him to this home for the
aged: for. indeed, he was as helpless as
the oldest of them!"
The Ciueen took him to the palace. Then
a great detsire to help the blHid came on
her. She bought a machine for printing
In raised characters for them and set her
protege to work on It. -
& T--.. L,7' -r-..itfV-, M
fj -V5rcv-e- . --'V-'fs:f'i r- 13 Trf( ) I .NTHSnc& ic cw. ot.ix-tii I
L&ZgZ JB J5sT V0 TO rT
LAUffiD&f f ALJ:-.CO0 SEETJi&DVE A LEVEL
hsv? gone so far. you have climlwd ana ,
toiled so hard. From where you now
He soon became proficient and from
that time on earned a good living for him
self and family. Then, ore day. Carmen
Sylva's secretary came to her with news
that Theodoreson. her blind printer, had
made a great invention. It was a new
machine for rabidly and cheaply emboss
ing books for the blind.
The Queen patented It. It' was exhibited
at the Bucharest Jubilee Exposition, and
the Traveler of AiLParts of the World
AND VIEWING SCENES MADE IMMORTAL IN THE MELODIOUS SONGS OF THE POETS.'
stand thera is just as much bey
what have you- gained over those
ond.
who
I 1t has has had such success that $100,000
has been eet aside from Its already earned
profits as a working fund for the Rou
manian Blind Colony into which Carmen
Sylva has finally gathered practically all
the Theodoreson-like cases of her limited
population.
The poor blind of France all work. The
Hlch Blind Men's Club would not have
them do otherwise. Some kind of Intense
The great St. Gothard tunnel is one
of the" wonders of Switzerland, and to
those who know the engineering on the
Southern Pacific, it is only necessary to
say that before the long tunnel Is reached
anywhere from 15 to 20 snorter ones open
the same view as In California, except
that you can see your own track some
six or eight times, it takes 25 minutes
to pass through the nine-mile tunnel, and
I think daylight never seemed so grateful
as It does at the end of those long
minutes. Soon after leaving this wonder
ful bit of country I arrived in one of the
most attractive spots in the Alps Rodl
Fiesso little known to Americans, but a
lounging corner 'or the best families of
Italy. In ...s remote village I was re
ceived with due honor and a 6uperb
American flag was floated for me, as the
guest of Mme. L.uisa Cappiani, the author
occupation is life for the sightless. There
fore the Sports who sit In Darkriess. work
ing through the general Association Val
entin Hauy, see to It that all who need
their help have occupation suited to their
growing capacities.
The working blind of Franc hava
strong and ready elder brothers. Let
them play their game of poker!
Paris. September 22.
of "Practical Helps and Hints for Perfec
tion Singing." Mme. Cappiani has a mag
nificent villa here and in Summer many
of her American pupils find their way to
Switzerland to avail themselves of Alpine
air and her Instruction. Of the charms of
Rodi-Flesso, there is nothing too extrav
agant to say. as it has everything in the
way of rugged beauty. Surrounded by the
most wonderful mountains, it Ls also here
that the noted Tlcino River rushes Its
mad way through the gorges a few yards
away from ree villa from which the tor
rent can be heard ceaselessly. This is the
Alps in its purest, most simple manner,
and the simplicity Is as much a part of
one's enjoyment here as anything else. It
is almost like being in Italy, because the
Italian language ls heard on all sides,
and It is a good locality from which to
prepare for the Italian Joys to come.
Here I learned so much that by the time
I reached Milan I felt as though I could
ask for anything I wanted, taking care, of
course, to modify my wants to the vocab
ulary'over which I had control.
EMILY FRANCES BAUER.
The steel piers of the new Kat River
bridse. which ls In the course of construc
tion a hort distance above the old Brook
lyn bridRe, are now a prominent object and
excite tK3 Interest of all who cross the
river by bridse or boat. This will be the
fourth bridge to span the East River.
1.