The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-04-19
COMPLETE DICTIONARY
FOR THE BLIND.


building at the corner Of Thirty-fourth
Street and Ninth Avenue, New York. !
the New York Institute for the Blind. !
that the revolution has been wrought.
Speed Attained by Readers.
When Supt. William B. Wait took
charge he found that practically none of
the pupils could read. He experimental
very carefully for two years with n
view to statistics. At the end of that
time he found that only Eve could attain
/ the normal standard in reading; that IS,
| $50 words a minute of matter unfamiliar.
but of the grade of difficulty to which
4 they were accustomed
! Of the remaining pupils a large num-
/ Der could not read at all, and among
! these we're some of the brightest minds
/ II the school, Superintendent Wait took
sIA months off and went to visit all the
other schools in the United States. He
/ found practically the same conditions
prevailing
/ Pupils who could read with facility
parts Of the Bible. which was the com
mon reading book. failed completely on
simple bits of reading matter put fresh
/ into their hands. They could. in fact,
read the Bible as well without the book
/ as with il.
a Child's Quick Wit.
He was reminded OF clever little
Joanna. who was in a room at the New
York Institute 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"
'sOh, yes said Joanna pleasantly,
passing her hand over the page; this
is the Twenty-third Psalm"
So she read the psalm through beau
tifully, much to the delight of the Wis
itoTs.
A teacher in the next room listened
in admiring amaze, for she knew that
Joanna could not read a word. After
the strangers had gone she went explor-
ing. and found that the ''Twenty-third
Psalm was the notes on a geography
lesson made by another pupil
Few Ever Read Easily.
The blind are so largely educated
through the ear that the memory be
comes abnormalIy retentive- AS a mat
ter 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 alphabet. was TOO great
strain upon the sense OF touch to per
nit of widespread acquaintance with the
art. The systems were not tangible.
This fact is demonstrated by the
amazing increase of books in the New
York point, which has come in response
TO demand. New York point is based
on BraiIle. the French point system, but
Is much simpler to learn, and eeonO-
mixes much more space. an item OF the
first importance in the enormously eX-
peusive printing for the blind
Superintendent Waits first essay in
New York point was a little reading
book OF thirteen pages, which he printed
himself. In eleven lessons OF one hour
each a class of pupils previously Hitter
ate learned the alphabet and ali the
words in the book, so that they could
recognize them anywhere. The COM
pIete tangibiIity of the new system was
proved. and the effect upon the educa-
ton of the blind was revolutionary. It
meant general education for them, in
stead of manual training alone.
Typewriter for the Sightless.
The kleidograph, the typewriter for
the blind, on which they often attain
speed OF so words minute, has also
marked a new period In the education
Of the blind. giving them masteTful
control of mechanical writing.
The printing trade has been found 20
be one that adult blind may work at
with success and profit and the Colum-
bia Polytechnic Institute for Blind. at
1908 Eighth Street northwest, has shown
how persons deprived OF sight may earn
q good living Fifteen blind persons in
this home set type very successfully
Other trades will be introduced in the
institute as soon as funds are available.
Basket making. weaving, and broom
making are some Of the other trades at
which blind persons work very success
! fully.
While the BostOnians were singing in
this city two weeks ago, Henry Clay
Barnabee, the veteran owner Of the ia
/ nous organization. invited twenty-five
blind people of the city and their escorts
TO attend two performances OF his com
pany. On Friday evening twenty-five
blind people heard Robin Hood, and
on Saturday afternoon they attended a
performance OF Maid Marian" After
the matinee ended Mr.. BaTnabee invited
the little party Of blind men and women
behind the scenes. shook hands with all
of them and presented them to the mem
bers Of his company