The Portland daily press., 1898-06-17
New York SUM-

Aeaaings Dy Authors anu ocuois @A'so
Instituted.
New York Sum-
Washington, June 11-All good Amerl-
cans should hope to visit the new Con-
gressional Library before they die. 1T is
one of worlds wonders, well worth trip
across continent to view. 1t is so filled
with beauty in every form that days and
weeks may be spent within it's portals.
Like everything in Washington it is
planned on scale covering an immense
amount of ground. One walks and
walks through the arches and rooms on
each floor and especially down in the
beautiful marble passages below the first
floor, grows almost bewildered with its
immensity and greets with pleasure the
guiding sign boards along the way.
One of these boards points directing
hand to the reading room for the blind,
and following it you enter the strangest
room in thu library, and, indeed, the
strangest reading room in the world, for
this is the only library known to contain
special provision for the blind. The idea
of having a reading room for the blind
was suggested to Mr.. Young, the libra
rian, by woman whose heart had been
touched by the plaint of a blind girl
friend that there was so little opportunity
for the most helpless ella SIS of persons in
the world to have access to the literature
for which they longed Almost every
large public library, it is true, contains
books for the blind, bu t naturally their
system of finger reading attracts the at
tention of the general readers, and of ten
they are embarrassed by the thoughtless
curiosity of seeing people. The woman
to whom the blind girl had spoken was
Mrs. Alice Underwood Hunt, widow Of
Gov. Hunt of Colorado, and when she
went to Mr.. Young about the matter she
found him ready to carry out the wishes
of the blind. The success of his effort in
this direction is apparent to all who enter
the reading room for the blind.
The room dedicated to this purpose is
of good proportions, shady, cool, with
great widows and filled with growing
plants, the touch and scent.of which are
a constant delight to the readers. The
furniture suits the room and numbers
among its pieces an unusually fine carved
desk of historic value and table to
match. The blind appreciate this furni-
ture very much and are proud of it, often
feeling of the carving sand speaking of
it's beauties. Around the walls of the
room are ranged the cases containing lit
erature for the blind, and the room is di-
yided in it's centre by "a large screen, be-
hind which the readers can retire and SO
escape the observation of casual visitors.
On the carved table is beautiful vase,
IL gift from Washington woman, and it
is daily filled with cut flowers, which
come as offerings from seeing people to
their less fortunate friends.
The special attendant in charge of this
room has large responsibility resting
upon her. She is Miss Eta Josselyn
Gitfin. The privilege of reading IN
room by themselves meant two things to
the blind. 1t afforded an opportunity to
read books that had hitherto beer unat-
tainable, and it was an acknowledgment
of them as class. This acknowledge
ment is especially dear, because their
complete dependence on the good will of
the seeing friends has made them looked
upon as objects of charity, and this pub
lie recognition of them as a class posses
sing the intelligent needs of seeing people
is soothing to their natural desire for in
dependence. The collection of literature
at their service embraces all the standard
works. the Bible, encyclopedias, Dick
ems, Thackeray, Eliot, Emerson, the
great and minor poets, ETC., and many
musical compositions. These works are
found copied in several different systems,
the most popular being the New York
point system, which was invented num-
ber of years ago by Prof. Wait, superin-
tendent of the New York Institute for
the Blind. 1t is taught in twenty five
out OF the thirty-sev schools for the
blind in this country, and naturally finds
more users than any other in the library.
Ii includes literature, music and corre-
spondence. The American Braille sys-
tenn. which is an adaptation of the origi-
nal French Braille in use on the Conti-
nent, is taught in ten schools, notably in
Philadelphia and Boston, and the differ
ept methods have their firm adherents
and admirers. There is a system known
as the Moon type, which is an old Eng
Ilsh method and is said to be especially
adapted for teaching adults who have lost
Gnelr sight in later years. Miss Moon of
London, daughter of Prof. Moon, the in
toiAUoI VI bHlS W pS, uuS ullS year boou III
this country endeavoring to further the
use OF the system. She succeeded in in
teresting Mrs. John Russell Young In it,
but the New York point and the Ameri-
can Braille ara the standards and are like
ly to rnmain so.
The cost of printing for the b ind is SO
great that only the well-to-do can attempt
the collection of an individual library;
hence the benefit of a reading room to
them. The Bible, for instance, which
can be condensed into a pocket edition
for ordinary readers and bought for 25
cents or even less, when published in fin
ger print covers series of eight volumes
and costs 500. A prayerbook sells for
$40, and common writing slate for
Sl.25. This slate consists of a table,
guioe and stylus, and the rapidity with
which the blind write is marvellous. AS
they read they frequently pause to jot
down on the slate some comments on the
book they are studying. Their writing
is done from right to left, though they
read from left to right. The correspond
ence among thmeselves is a great source
OF entertainment, education. and COM
fort, and where several are gathered in
the reading roo1n after the reading is
finished smart interchange Of states
goes on, each reading with his fingers the