The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-11-19
BOON FOR THE BLIND
Mrs. William ziegler to Publish
Free Magazine For Sightle...
FIRST OF IT'S KIND IN AMER1o.

the Idea For the Formation q, ~.
Magazine Originated.
A magazine for the blind, the f,rs,
to be published in America and t,o
second periodical of its kind in tha
world, is the benefaction for which
Mrs. William Ziegler, widow of tbo
late capitalist, has supplied the funds
says the New York Sun. Announce.
ment of her charity was recently made
by Walter G. Holmes of New York into
whose hands Mrs. Ziegler has given
the task of launching the magazine
aud distributing it 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.
tied and printed In New York, Is de-
signed to bring to these unfortunates
CLEAN of sunshine and a 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 Mr.. 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 asyiums all over the
country, telling Of the work that Is
being done by the inmates Of those In
situations, of their ambitions and the
tasks Of their daily round, will be one
Of the leading features Of the new Zei-
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 Braille 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. ...
The 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 a 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 a printed page for the blind 1t Is
only necessary to operate limited
number Of keys on machine which
records small holes on very thin
sheet Of copper. Upon this finished
copper plate the paper in a 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 1OC
pages, necessarily printed only on one
side. The paper ON which 1t Is print
ed will have to be heavier than or
binary magazine or book paper, and
the completed magazine will be bulky
Mr.. Holmes says that the government
allows all books designed for the blind
to pass through the mails without post
age, 80 that the magazine may be sent
even to Alaska or the Philippines with
out expense. But with the considera.
ton Of postage eliminated the cost OF
printing the new Ziegler Magazine Fol
the Blind has been estimated by MT
Holmes at 100000 annually.
Not all that are blind will be able to
enjoy the good of Mrs. Zieglers bene'
faction. Though every state has
school for the blind and there are
many private institutions of charity
where sightIess ones are taught 10
read, many of the adult blind whose
sight was destroyed in later years are
without the power to trace the prlcEeu
type intelligently. With the purpose
of learning the names of those afflicted
persons who do know how to reau
after their own ingenious manner Mt,
Holmes has written to the bureau OF
education in Washington asking tha'
from the census reports the bureau
furnish him with the lists of all tne
educated blind recorded in 1900 he
already has the names Of 5000 bllnd
who can read.
The idea Of the new magazine came
in a novel way. Mr.. Holmes, who has
q blind brother and who has taken
great interest In the condition OF the
blind, wrote communication to Ne"
York paper some time ago calling at.
tention to the fact that the needs Oh
such unfortunates seemed to be gen;
orally overlooked in the distributions Oh
charities. Mrs. Zieg!er answered lhe
communication, got in touch Win i's
writer and then told him that she anu
her husband during his lifetime nau
often desired to do something Tor tne
comfort of the blind. Mr.. Holmes sus-
coc+c.l tho MAGAZINE the only counter