The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-04
Sight for the Blind.
e M, ". EVenttQ IOSt.


The following communication is from Rev.
Adam McClelland, pastor of the Lawrence
Street Presbyterian Chucb, in Brooklyn, who
is now generally known in Brooklyn as the
Blind Preacher. His account OF the means by
which he acquired his education will interest
every person who can feel for those who are
deprived of the sense of sight, and will give
force to the wish he expresses, that some
wealthy phianthropst" might put such means
within the reach OF other blind persons as would
enable them to wri.e legibly and easily.
ITO the Editors Of the Evening Post:-In
your issue Of the 10th instant an interesting
article, headed "A Novel Alphabet for the Blind,'
contained q description of an ingenious tack
alphabet used for the instruction OF some blind
persons, by Rev. G. Ii. Carpenter, Amer can
missionary at Harpoot Eastern Turkey. My
interest IN the blind, and the hope that the fol-
lowing statements may prove useful TO Mr..
Carpenter and others who have blind persons
under their instruction, Is my apology for asking
a place in your valuable columns.
"WhIle attending the Union Theological Sem
mary in New York, felt the necessity of some
method whereby mig ht take notes SO embossed
as to be legible to me. No such method existed
anywhere in this country or Great Britain,
except that known as the pin type, which, how
cable. l invented slate and alphabet which
were widely circulated among the blind My
slate consists of piece of Chamois and piece
of surgical rubber, each thirteen inches by nine
nailed on board somewhat larger. On this the
paper is placed. movable strip of brass con-
tanning two rows of rectangular holes, thirty-six
III each row, serves as ruler, and small aWl
or stylus completes the apparatus. Each rec
tangle can contain six legible dots. BY varying
the number and position of these dots fifty dis
tinCt legible characters can be readily formed.
In this way write my sermons three or four
times more rapidly than cOul1 be done by an
ordinary penman. Thus also blind friend has
written all his classical exercises while attending
Columbia College. similar method and
superior slate (being metallic and grooved) has
been invented by Mr.. Brallle, of Paris.
"Should Mr.. Carpenter procure few of Mr..
Brailles states, or construct others upon my
plan, he would enable a whole class of blind
pupils 10 write their Wn books in a permanent
form and with accuracy and ease, without be-
numbing the touch. Parents and teachers of
blind children may be pleased to know that eX-
perlments and experience have convinced me
may be readily made for the blind on good
paper, by notched wheel at the extremity of
pencil. Boundaries, rivers, etc., may be distn-
guished by having wheels with notches OF diff
terent sizes. In this way the mother of one Of
my Sunday-school scholars prepares, without
difficulty, maps for her blind child by tracing
on the reverse side OF an ordinary map with her
Though the child Is the youngest in her class,
she is usually at the head of it, aud is
so enabled to prosecute successfully her
studies in one of our public schools. The
young gentleman already alluded to traces in
the same way the most difficult figures in the
higher mathematics.
The blind yet require some method whereby
they may write in characters legible TO seeing
persons. wish that some wealthy phIlautbro-
pist might offer premium sufficiently large to
lndEce u practical mechanic to invent and
construct cheap and simple machine for s1ch
writing and printing. ADAM MCCLELLAND.
Brooklyn, August %, 1868.