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Gives $500 Toward Paying Off Mortgage on Settlement House Built to Aid the Sightless.

MISS KELLER IN HIS CHAIR

"First Woman to be President," She Tells Mr. Choate, When She Takes Mr. Taft's Place.

"I am the first woman to be President of the United States," said Miss Helen Keller, the wonderful girl who, though blind and deaf, can now speak aloud to an audience.

She made this statement at the opening yesterday afternoon of the new "Lighthouse" for the blind at 111 East Fifty-ninth Street, which, through the efforts of Miss Winifred Holt, has been established to help the sightless. President Taft, one of the guests who was expected, had not arrived, and Joseph H. Choate, who presided, put Miss Keller in a big oak chair which was made for the President.

"The President will be an hour and a half late," said Mr. Choate, "and Miss Keller will occupy his chair."

Then the news came that the President was at the door, and Miss Keller was about to return to her own seat when the report that the President had arrived was denied.

"This is a curious sort of President," said Mr. Choate. "Now he is here and now he isn't."

"And I shall not abdicate again," said Miss Keller so quickly that no one who did not know would have imagined that she had not heard the words herself instead of through the fingers of Mrs. Macy, her teacher and friend. But the President had arrived, and amid the cheers of the blind and those who could see he stepped upon the platform. There was more applause at the close of his remarks and after his departure when it was announced that he had presented $500 toward paying off the Lighthouse mortgage.

The exercises yesterday were held on the main floor of the settlement house. This room is surrounded by a gallery, and every available inch of space was taken up by the blind and their guests. Among the sightless persons present were members of the girls' "camp fire" club and the blind Boy Scouts. On the platform with the President and Mr. Choate, Miss Holt, Mrs. Macy and Miss Keller were Bishop David H. Greer, Mgr. M.J. Lavelle, Rabbi H.G. Enelow, Dr. William H. Maxwell, City Superintendent of Schools, Dr. John S. Finley, President of the Association for the Blind and of the City college, and Ellen P. Morford, President of the American Workers for the Blind, and William I. Scanlan, President of the Blind Men's Improvement Club.

Mr. Choate wielded a gavel made for the occasion by a blind workman. It was presented to him by Miss Nellie Brown, the Light House staff stenographer. The Chairman looked at its admiringly.

"I could govern a room full of London suffragettes with this," he said.

In introducing President Taft, who was next to the last speaker, Mr. Choate said: "Here is one who is as good as he is great -- President Taft."

As the President left his chair, every one in the audience arose and applauded heartily. He said:

"I have often wondered, when I have read the Declaration of Independence of Jefferson, signed by all those people we like to think we are descended from, what the blind must think about the statement that all men are born free and equal. Behind those eyes that do not see there must be a good deal of question. We are not equal in opportunity or environment. What is meant is that it is the aspiration of a popular Government to bring about as near equality of opportunity as possible.

"That is why we are here. We who have sight feel that those who have not have not had quite a square deal. We want to help them, and we find that the best way is to help them to help themselves. By a little aid they can apply the faculties they have and make good those they have not. We want to help four faculties do the work of five. I have sometimes felt the deprivation of sight might not be such a bad thing when it keeps us from seeing the things we should not see. It certainly gives concentration.

"My friend Mr. Choate and I have been figureheads in this work for the last three years. I can't help as much as he can, with his mellifluous voice and honeyed word, and -- to give a Roland for his Oliver -- he grows more eloquent and sweeter in his old age: he is growing younger every day to make the world happier."

A hush pervaded the hall when Miss Keller arose to speak. She said she was glad to be among such good friends of the blind, and thanked those who were working for her blind brothers, including the President who, though bearing the weight of public affairs, could find time to help lift their burden.

"My friends, I have such confidence your kindness of heart," she said. "I ask you to help us still more. I am shameless in my begging. I beg you to constitute yourselves keepers of the light not only for the blind of this city but for the blind of New York State and of the United States. The moment you write your name upon a check you kindle a light that will shine far and wide. Establish a lighthouse in every city and hasten the day when there shall be no blind child untaught, no blind man or woman unaided."

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There was much applause as she sat down, and she arose again to say "Thank you."

Supt. Maxwell said that it was after hearing Miss Holt speak for the blind that he undertook to have the blind taught with the seeing children in the public schools, and he gave instances of the remarkable work blind children had done. One girl, after graduating from other schools with honor, was graduated from the Washington Irving High School he said, danced in the folk dances, and walked unaided to get her diploma. There was applause when he said "and the graduating dress she wore she made herself."

"We have gone far enough in the work." he continued, "for me to say that the way to train blind children is not to send them to institutions, but to send them to the ordinary school, where they can learn independence and get as nearly as possible the natural conditions of life. For this I have to thank the Light House and Miss Holt, and I hope the money to pay off the mortgage on this building will be obtained and a fund to carry on the work without skimping."

Miss Holt, who was introduced as "the light of the Light House," told of the pitiful condition of the blind in poor houses and confined with the insane before they were taught to help themselves. That was less than seven years ago and in that time the association had been in touch with 7,000 blind persons, many of whom had been made happy and self-supporting.

"In the State outside of New York," said Miss Holt, "we have started seven committees of the association and inspired many others. In the last seven months we have opened three model buildings in this city. In this light house our dream has become concrete. But still there is a cloud. We started with a deficit of $400.

"The President of the United States laid the cornerstone of this building on land with a mortgage for $40,000. That mortgage is still there, and, in addition, we must have $60,000 to pay for and equip this building and put it on a good footing."

Miss Holt told of pathetic offerings of the blind themselves for the building. Mr. Choate gave $1,000 on his eighty-first birthday to head the list to pay for it, she said.

"There is a 75 per cent yield on what you give." she continued. "Much of our best work is done free and of our salaries one-half go directly to the blind. We have seventeen blind persons on our staff, not including the blind in the workshops and classes."

Mr. and Mrs. Henry W. Taft occupied front seats in the audience yesterday and among others present were Mr. and Mrs. Felix Warburg, Miss Louise Schuyler, Henry Hayden, Miss Mary L. Hayden, Mrs. Henry Villard, Mr. and Mrs. William Ordway Partridge, Joseph S. Auerbach, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hunt, John A. McKim. Henry Morgan Post, Mrs. Nelson Henry, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Warren Goddard, Mrs. Samuel C. Van Dusen, Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Livineaton, and the Rev. Dr. Charles Slattery.

Tea was served after the exercises, which closed with a play given by blind public school children.