The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-12
NEW UNIVERSE IS
OPEN FOR BLIND
Children Who Have Been in Dark
ness Since Birth Taught To See
Through Finger Tips.

PHILADELPHIA. April 12.-How
would you feel IL you had to use the
tips OF your fingers 10 see the world
and the multitude OF things that are
| in il? says the picture on this page.
These blind children have never
seen a tree
They have never seen a chicken
They have never seen q sheep or q
COW
Thy have never seen a river
They have neve. seen anything OF
the great outdoors.
Now they're getting acquainted
through their finger tips.
A new world is being opened TO
them in the Overlook Institution fo~
the Blind at Philadelphia Now they
are beginning to see on the mirrors
OF their brain the shape and genera
appearance OF live and inanimate
hings which exist outside the walls o.
their asylum.
They call il "examining"--it really
Is telegraphy. "A
The hands. passed over the 81 OF
an animal or the feathers ofzspV irt
telegraph TO the brain the ccntour<and
general appearance of the object -
examined" and the blind boy or girl
! from that hour knows exactly wha-
the animal or bird looks like. Thence
forth its name assumes an entirel,
new meaning in the mind OF the stu
dent.
In one OF the class rooms at the
institute there is a variety of mounted
~ I'D MI a 10 Of ~
everyday kind. One is a sheep. II Is
pathetic 10 observe the delighted looks
on the faces OF the blind boys rs they
pass eager fingers over the woolly fig
ure on the table.
Meanwhile the instructor explains:
THE wool you touch is the material
from which our clothes are made. The
sheep itself is the animal that pro-
vides us with our mutton. II is thu
sheep that you hear 'baa-a-ing' when
you go to the park"
And so the lesson proceeds while
the students busy fingers futter over
the woolly figure, examining " with
keen interest
In another part Of the room va
riety OF mounted birds are placed
around at convenient heights. A
knowledge OF the appearance OF these
birds could be acquired by the eyes
In the fingers OF the students. The
color OF the birds plumage is ex-
planned by the instructor and the chill
dren are introduced to the world OF
feathered things world that would
remain sealed book to most OF thens
but for this clever method OF enabling
them TO see with their fingers.
The general complaint o: the school
teacher is the lack OF interest on the
part of the average child. The blind
student fairly bubbles over with en-
thusiasm.
How high can It hy?" they ask
Where does il build It's nest? What
does II eat2 Can IL hurt you with
this shap beak? How does IL act when
you go near Il? oh, do men shoe;
them? What a shpme"
From the class rooms where crea
lures OF the earth and sky ore studiet
the children are taken TO the wood
and fields and into the fine gardens
adjoining the buildings. Here the
acquaintance OF Mother Earth is made
at first hand
II was strange TO see n group OF de-
lightede children on their knees exam
u ing the course OF dried stream and
following IL eagerly on IT'S winding
road.
Tn this way explains the iustruc
tor. I'VE teach them the course that
q river will take. We canyot do this
in any but a dried.up stream. but y
examining with their hands the twist
ing bed OF a brook that Is waterless
the students can acCuire a thorough
knowledge OF the way I'm which
brook or river pursues its way. con.
fined by the banks and winding where
II will, In and out OF the woods and
meadows"
Another group OF students colectc
around tree.
by touch alone. said the teacher.
the trained sense CT these boys ami
girls will In time enable them 20 namc
a tree from its bark and leaves"