The San Francisco call., 1908-08-23
By Marion Brewer


Uncle Eugene and his son for 20
m long years; Marny, the good. the
faithful, the competent. is going
blind Uncle had a long talk with the
specialist who has been treating her
eyes for the last six months. and he said:
There is absolutely no hope now Of
saving them At first he had hoped
that her poor eyes might be cured if
he tried a new kind of treatment now
used abroad and if she were patient
and obedient to his directions. And
now the treatment has been tried,
every command and caution carefully
observed, but Marry viii soon be num-
bered with those who cannot tell the
day from the night The doctor said
that her general health is excellent and
that she viii probably live for years;
and he recommended that she be
taught the embossed reading at once
so that she viii have the comfort of
books and magazines in her darkness.
In a few days it was decided that she
was TO continue her duties as house
keeper, for the family love her and
she loves them; and the routine of long
years of service means that she can
still manage the household efficiently.
though her eyes are sightless. She will
be happier in the old home and with
her old regular life. This settled, uncle
wished me to discover what L could
about ways and means of teaching
Marnys fingers to read the raised liter
ature printed for the blind, and to find
out in general what is being done in
San Francisco that the adult blind may
read
I. Of course, knew that the place for
the blind children Of the state is in the
institution at Berkeley. and that there
is q home for adult blind in Oakland:
but if was not until I inquired if there
were any movement in the city to pro-
vide ways and meanssto teach the blind
in their homes that l heard about the
San Francisco reading room for the
blind and the books for the blind di-
vision of the California state library
The reading room was out on sixteenth
street. near Market, in charge of Miss
Harriet Young. I was told. and the
state library sent books to the blind
anywhere IN the state, postage frSe
With these two facts in mind ] started
out to ind what could be done for
Marny, and I discovered an interesting
work right here in our own city
The Blind Reading Room
Rumor had it that the reading room
I wanted to locate is in the Mccreery
public library, so I set out for This
library I found. however. that if is
not part Of the McCreery library. bur
IS in a separate building next door. In
few minutes I saw a sign in a win
dow which read: Reading Room and
Library for the Blind. open SUNDAYS
Tuesdays and Fridays From to
P. NJ" And this was Saturday morn
ing But fortunately for me. though I
felt rather provoked that this Saturday
morning was not a Sunday. Tuesday or
Friday afternoon between and
o'clock I went up the steps and rang
the bell.
Such good luck The young woman
who answered was Miss Harriet Young.
the superintendent Of the reading room.
In response to a kindly Won't you
come imp I entered a small room. a
first floor 'front.'" furnished with two
large bookcases, desk with type
writer. table and some chairs. and
in a very few moments I was seated
and had told Miss Young my errand
Miss Young smiled-it was very en-
thusiastic smile-and then began to
speak earnestly of the founding of
the library. the books some of the
problems in the work with the blind
and her efforts with those in San Fran
cisco.
The idea Of reading room and
library for the sightless in the city