Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-27
BOON FOR THE BLIND
Mrs. William Ziegler to Publish Free Magazine For Sightless.
FIRST OF ITS KIND IN AMERICA

News and Literature and VIII Be
 Printed Tn Two Kinds of Type-How z the Idea For the Formation of the
 Magaside Originated.
 A magazine for the blind, the first
 to be published in America and the
 second periodical of Its kind in the
 world, is the benefaction for which
 Mrs. William Ziegler, widow of the
 late capitalist. has supplied the funds,
 says the New York Sun. Announce
 ment of her charity was recently made
 by Walter c. Holmes of New York, into
 whose hands Mrs. Ziegler has given
 the task of launching the magazine
 and distributing 1t free to all of the
 10000 blind.
 The limited number of books that have been printed in the raised char acters are so expensive as to be be- yond the reach of the thousands of poor folk whose poverty is made the
 more unbearable by the long night. The new magazine, which will be ed ited and printed in New York, is de signed to bring to these unfortunates gleam of sunshine and little sur cease from the long monotony of days that are not marked by the coming and the waning of the light.
 It is the design of MT. Holmes to set up his plant for the printing of raised characters here as soon as he can pro cure the necessary machinery. The magazine which he will turn out will be one containing the news of the day. short stories reprinted by permission of the leading periodicals and contri- buttons from the blind readers them selves. Letters from the inmates of the state blind asylums all over the country, telling of the work that Is being done by the inmates of those in stitutions, of their ambitions and the tasks of their daily round, will be one oS the leading features of the new Eel gler Magazine For the Blind.
 The mechanical work attending the production of the periodical will be unique. There are two systems of type reading now In use among the blind people-the Braillc and the New York point. Since no common typographical standard exists. the magazine will be printed in both types, so that every one who has had training in either may read ''" '"
 Tho printing of page for the blind Is simpler than the production of the printed page for ordinary readers, since no stereotypIng has to be done. Both the Braille and the New York point systems of alphabet for the blind are composed of characters derived from varying combinations of raised dots. Grouped In the several alignments, these combinations of dots represent each letter of the alphabet. and the finger tips of the blind slipping over the lines of bosses on the pages be- come the eyes of the reader. To pre- pare printed page for the blind 1t Is only necessary to operate a limited number of keys on a machine which records small holes on very thin sheet of copper. Upon this finished copper plate the paper In moist con dition Is pressed. and each puncture leaves Its raised imprint on the pulp. When dried this paper Is the printed page.
 The new magazine Is to contain 100 pages. necessarily printed only on one side. The paper on which 1t Is print cd will have to be heavier than or dlnary magazine or book paper, and the completed magazine will be bulky. Mir. Holmes says that the government allows all books designed for the blind to pass through the malls without post age. so that the magazine may be sent even to Alaska or the Philippines with out expense. But with the considera. tion of postage eliminated the cost of printing the new Zlegler Magazine For the Blind has been estimated by Mfr. Holmes at S6oO0o annually.
 Not all that are blind will be able to enjoy the good of Mrs. Ziegler's benc- faction. Though every state has a school for the blind and there are many private institutions of charity where sightlcss ones are taught to fend. many of the adult blind whose sight was destroyed in later years are without the power to trace the pricked type intclligently. With the purpose of learning the names of those afflicted persons who do know how to read after their own ingenious manner Mir. Holmes has written to the bureau of education in Washington asking that from the census reports the bureau furnish him with the lists of all the blind recorded in 1900. He already has the names of 5000 blind l who c1n read.
 The idea of the new magazine came i In a novel way. Mir. Holmes. who has ! ! blind brother and who has taken great interest In the condition of the 1 Islind- wrote q communication to a New Fork paper some time ago calling at i Ienfion to the fact that the needs of [ such unfortunafes seemed to be gen .rzIly overlooked In the distributions of . charities Mrs. Ziexier answered the got in touch with Its rriter and then told him that s1e and her husband during his lifetime had g ,ften desired to do something for the comfort of the blind Mir. Holmes sue- ye>tci the magazine. the only cOunter. part Of which is the Horz yocu1da. 5ublished Ia Edinburgh Ills idea mes