Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-08-21
MAPS FOR THE BLIND.
Interesting Facts about their Con
struction and Use,


A map for the blind is curiosity.
Blind people are fond of history, and as
history cannot be properly learned, or,
indeed, learned at all without some know
ledge of geography, and to learn the lat
ter without map is impossible, some
thing of the kind was necessary, and so
special maps were invented and manu-
factured for the eyeless. They are all
of the kind known as the "dissected
maps" and are of wood-are really cary
ed blocks. All land stands in relief,
the mountains in ridges, the rivers are
long depressions, the state lines are ele-
vated. Each state is a separate block,
and the pupil is taught to fit the blocks
together and thus prepare for himself a
map of the whole country.
The name of each state is marked some
times on the back sometimes ON the front
of the block, and the observer will notice,
all over the surface of the blocks, small
aggregations of what to him are meaning
less dots. These are the names of rivers,
towns, and cities. Cities are designated
by pin or tack heads, and the size and
shape of these show the approximate
number of population. In one map cit
les of less than 10000 inhabitants were
were indicated by pin heads fiat on top,
and those of 10, 900 to 30, 900 by hemis-
pherical. Flat tack heads showed the
localities of cities having 20, 900 to so, 900,
rounded tack heads from so, 900 to 100,-
900. Tack heads fiat and square indie.
ated cities between 100, 900 and 900, 900,
tack heads round but with depression on
the top showed cities of greater size
Bounding" the States is an easy mat
ter to the pupil. Taking Missouri, for
example, child requested to do the work
began by placing the hand flat on the
block, to get general idea of its position
then the forefnger found the northwest
corner, ran rapidly along the Iowa line,
followed and passed to Helena, where a
pause was made, the name read, and the
mistake discovered. returned found the
line, traced it to the west, along the south
ern limits of Pemiscot and Dunklin coun-
ties, missed it again at the St. Francis
River, recovered it, went north, found the
line at Butler county, ran it to the cor
ner of Mcdonald county, thence along
the western boundary to the starting
point, and then gave the whole result or
ally without moments hesitation.
oy VI tiltSc ulSScCtcu maps u
fair idea is also gained by the pupils of
the respective size of various countries
and States. When asked to compare
Ohio with Texas, the boy laid the Ohio
block on the Texas map, measured it off,
turned it this way, that way, carefully
keeping the count with his fingers ON the
space already covered, and finally an
nounced that Texas, according to his idea,
was about five times as large as Ohio, a
calculation close enough to the truth to
excite wonder at the accuracy rather than
the criticism of its lack of exactness Dis
sected maps of every continent are pro-
vided, and large globe, made on the
principles which underlie the construction
of the maps, enables the pupils to gain a
fair general idea of the shape and geo.
graphical features of our planet. Geo
graphy, in most schools, is used as an aid
to the study of history, and is studied, not
as collection of meaningless names, but
as subject which throws indispensable
light on the deeds and words of mankind.
-[Globe-Democrat.