The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-30

rea dthe Bible as well without the book
as with il.
He was reminded of clever little Joanna,
who was in a room at the New York In
stitute when some visitors passed through
one day.
"Oh, here is some of their printing"
said one OF the women; can you read
for US, my dear?"
'Oh. yes. said Joanna pleasantly.
passing her hand over the page; this is
the Twenty third Psalm
So she read the psalm through beauti-
fully much to the delight of the visitors.
\ teacher in the next room listened in
admiring amaze, for she knew that Jo-
anna could not read word. After the
strangers had gone she went exploring
and found that the ''Twenty-t Psalm"
was the notes on a geography lesson
made by another pupil
The blind are so largely educated
through the ear that the memory becomes
abnormally retentive. AS a matter OF
fact. no great number of blind ever read
easily. readily. and generally under the
old line systems of printing The line of
the letters. which in all cases conformed
more or less closely to the common al
phabet, was too great strain upon the
sense of touch to permit Of widespread
were not tangible
This fact is demonstrated by the amaz-
ing increase of books in the New York
point which has come in response to a
demand. New York point is based or
Braille. the French point system. but IS
much simpler to learn, and economies
much more space, an item of the first i'm
portanee in the enormously expensive
printing for the blind.
Superintendent Waits first essay in
New York point was little Grading book
of thirteen pages, which he printed him.
self. l neleven lessons of one hour each
a class Of pupils previouly illiterate
learned the alphabet and all the words in
the book, so that they could recognize
them anywhere The complete tangibil-
ity of the new system was proved, and
the effect upon the education of the
blind was revolutionary. 1t meant gen
eral education for them. instead of man
ual training alone
The Gleidograph. the typewriter for the
blind. on which they often attain a speed
of fifty words a minute, has also marked
a new period in the education CT the
blind. giving them masterful control Of
mechanical writing. Mr.. Wait has also
made improvements in the tablets for
handwriting which have reduced their
price from Sc or IS to 81 and he is now
at work upon the same cheapening pro-
cess for the mathematical frame. which
with its little compartments and raised
figures. serves the purpose of a school
slate.
l nthe board room of the institute there
is a stout oaken chest FIVE feet long
over quarter of a century ago Superin-
tendent Wait sailed forth to get the
American Bible Society to print a Bible
in Kew York point II was a great ex-
pense and the thing ran on for years. I'M
til finally someone gave a special dona-
ton for the work
Not long ago the five-foot chest came
numbering into the institute one day. with
a note from the American Bible So
ciety saying that it was a little present
with its compliments. TO Superintendent
Wait As memorial 10 the useful quality
of persistence. The box contained the
first Bible printed in 4 point system. in
eleven bulky volumes. each made at an
actual cost Of So II was exactly TWEEN
ty-fve years from the day when Mr.
Wait hrst went to the Bible house to
ask for a point BibIe.-New York sun.