Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-12
HOW THE BLIND SEE.
The Way Blind Children are Trained
to Usefulness.

| A CHAT WITH BLIND TEACHER OF THE
| BLINp-A CURIOUS ALPHABET USED By
sIGHTLEss wRITERs-How THE BLIND BE
COME AWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF OBJECTS
By FACIAL PERCEPTION.
| "This is q pleasure which many people say
| the blind cannot enjoy" said Mr.. K w.
Swami, Of this city, as he lighted cigar pre-
| liminary to q chat with a STAR reporter. Mr.
| Swami is an instructor in the Maryland fnsti-
/ tuition for the instruction Of the blind, and is
| himself blind and Q graduate OF that institu.
/ ton, az mean smoking" he continued. ut is
| said no one can enjoy smoking unless he can
| see the smoke. Now II that was all there was
| to q cigar-to zee the smoke curling away-a
| man could enjoy the cheapest cigar as much rs
| the most expensive. But there 10 something
| more than that It has a pleasant effect upon
Although att S DO mot not see the smoke"
Few people who have their sight ever stop 70
| figure out in their own minds the mental con,
| lie the condition Of the blind. To confer with
would afford no assistance 70 the Imagination.
Such person knows no Light, and hence Knows
not what darkness is. One whose retina has
thousand and one beautiful tints of nature, can
never 80 abstract himself, as TO efface all trace
cOlors," said Mr.. Swami, in responding to a
question by the reporter, ARE mere distractions
to my mind. have learned by memory that
certain colOrs when combined do not make
agreeable contrasts. No blind man, l think,
could ever write successful novel. He could
write OF color only by rOte, and could not enter
upon the work with enthusiasm"
TRAINING BLIND CHILDREN.
ave do not take children until they are nine
years old" said MIR. Swami, speaking Of the in
stitutOn with which he is connected. "They
remain there nine years or until they have
finished the prescribed course of study. 1t Is
educational institution. We are glad and would
like to get pupils from the District. There are,
know, many blind here who would be bene-
fitted by the institution. 1t does not matter
whether they are able to pay for their board
through the Interior department sum of
money to defray the expenses OF pupils sent
from the District and unable to pay their way.
The application for admission, OF course, must
receive the approval OF that department.. Then
the institution receives some aid from the gem
eral appropriations of Congress for the benefit
of educational and benevolent institutions.
From this source 1t receives enough to pay for
the books used there
tinued Mr.. Swami, cit is perfectly helpless, nm
able to perform the simplest functions of lie,
! brush its hair. 1t is taught these things pa
tiently and carefully. In the Mushroom, for
instance, one or two of tho instructors will be
stationed when the children go there. They
will show the little ones how TO wash them
| selves aud how to brush their hair. At the
table they must be watched constantly to see
| that they use their knife and fork properly.
| That is a duty. which, OF course. 1 cannot per-
| form, but there are other instructors and at
| dren when they come have already learned ut
home their letters, and may be to read a
@ by srI a Tine
are in the schools for the seeing.
The young children in the primary department
learn to spell and read, and study arithmetic
touching fractions. They begin the study of
geography, learning perhaps the general form
OF the earth and the first lessons in geography
lp2r ar
They have q frame upon which they learn to do
problems in arithmetic. This frame, about the
size of an ordinary slate, Is made with little
square compartments, OF equal size, in which
little blocks having raised or embossed hume
rails upon them can be placed With this they
can arrange rows OF figures, just as q seeing
child would write them. They can do any sums
in arithmetic, and learn the proper arrange
ment of the figures, so that they could tell o
seeing person how to write them down. After
learning these processes, however, mental
arithmetic is taught almost altogether, and
figures are not used. OF course the instruction
III all branches is to q large extent oral. After
leaving the primary department the pupil
he continues his studies. taking grammar,
geography, mathematics and other subjects.
The pupils study algebra and geometry. They
learn to- readily demonstrate theorems in
geometry by means of pastebOard figures. We
have many good geometricians among the pu-
pills. Geography il studied with the aid of dis
sectable maps. These maps are SO arranged
that the countries or political divisions of the
earth can be taken from their places. They
pupils learn from them the outlines or forms OF
the countries. These blocks may be heaped
together in confusion, and the pupils can pick
them up, tell what each one represents and put
them back into their proper places. After pu-
pills learn to read they learn much by reading.
We have library containing about a thousand
books printed i'll raised or embossed letters
These books comprise most of the standard
works OF English literature. The pupils go next
to the higher classes. where they have more adj
vanced studies-English literature, history,
rhetoric and composition, Latin &c.
LEARNING TO WORK.
"Then,' Mr.. Swami went on, ''the boys go to
the shops and the girls to the workrooms in
tended for them. The managers aim to teach
them something useful. If boy chooses to
learn something which they think Is not wise
for him they require him to comply with their
Judgment. The boys in the shops learn to make
mattresses and brOOms and to cane chairs. The
girls learn TO do useful Homework, To do sew.
ing, crocheting and ornamental embroidery
and to make lace and do beadwork. Yes, they
work on colored beads but they know nothing
OF the colOrs. The beads of various colOrs are
kept in separate boxes, which they can tell by
their size or shape. They are taught by persons
who can see what colOrs make pleasant con-
| trasts, and this they have to keep in mind
When the clothing OF the boys comes from the
wash it is taken to the sewing room, where the
| girls go over the different garments and make
necessary repairs This gives them practice"
| BLIND PEOPLE AND MUSIC.
"Piano-tuning which teach,' continued Mr.
Swami, sis one of the important branches
| taught at the institution. 1t is a calling which
| blind men can follow with success. Vocal and
| instrumental music, harmony, thorough bass,
and in some cases counter point, are taught.
| Instruction Is given on the piano, violin,
| ViOlOncellO and other Instruments. We have
| fine orchestra there among the pupils, and
| many fine and well-trained voices. The pupils
are taught not only to sing, but to teach others
| to sing. Some blind musicians can play won
derfully by ear, but most of them have to have
readers to read the music to them, and they
| memoriZe it, We have a little girl at the lnsti-
| tute who can memOrize two pages OF music in
| an hour. That is her first step; then comes the
| execution at the piano."
A CASE LIKE LAURA BRIDGEMAN's
| The reporter having mentioned the case of
| the celebrated Laura Bridgeman, Mr.. Swami
| remarked, 1--WE have a case at the institute now
| almost as wonderful. 1t is that of q boy, Frank
smith. de can neither see, nor hear, nor speak.
| He has been taught TO read and write, and
now works in the shops at broom making, and
earns a good living, besides something more to
put in bank. had nothing to do With his In
| struction, and do not myself fully comprehend
how he could be taught. Special teachers were
engaged In his case. He can speak in the sign
| language OF the deaf mutes, and can under
| stand what you communicate to him In that
| language. He takes hold of your hand and tells
by feeling, what letters you make. He reads
| well, and You can tell that he Is readn e
| because, while feeling the letters with one
| hand, he Will spell out the words with
the other as he goes along. He writes as the
paratus and special alphabet. A Blind person
cannot write with pen, because AZ he writes
| he has to follow the point Of the pen with the
fOrefnger of his left hand. OF course IL he were
| using Ink this would make q smear along the
paper. He can write, though, with pencil