Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-12

type for a page has been SET Will print
any number OF copies by merely turning
the crank and running a sheet through
The type has to be set, though, and as
there is no need for any great number
of copies Of the same book at present
the blind typewriter" Is the favortte
These printing presses are very expen-
sive. and with the type must be import
ed from France, where 1t is made. When
the branch libraries have been establish
ed in all of the big cities of the country
the printing press may become more pop
ular, for then there will be demand
for greater number OF copies OF the
same book. Then the blind typists OF
today may become typesetters and pro-
duce many more volumes than they do
now.
Another plan of those in charge is to
exchange books with similar institutions
in the old world. The Lending Library
for the Blind in London, of which the
Duchess Of Argyle Is the president. has
over 800 volumes and arrangement has
already been made for the exchange. The
cities of Paris, Hamburg, Vienna and
The Hague have similar Libraries and
arrangements will doubtless be made Tor
an exchange with them. This would
bring to America books printed for the
blind in several different languages. which
would be eagerly sought after by both
the foreign-born blind and those who
have taken up the study OF some other
language either a pastime or to add
to their education.
Books for the blind are not carried
postage free in Europe. however. and
there would be small cost for their
transportation. At present there are only
three countries in the world that have
opened their mails for the free trans
portation of these books. Canada was
the first. the United States next and
Australia third.
The National Library for the Blind is
looking forward to the time when this
exchange can be effected, and to this end
has adopted the English Braille" sys-
tenn of type. This type is used by the
foreign libraries. and so when the time
comes their books will be easier to read.
because Of the use Of this same system
OF the four best known systems. the
Moon. the Line. the New York print and
the Bralle, the last is most extensively
used.
1t consists of a group of raised dots
which designate each letter OF the alpha
bet. For instance. the letter ''b'' in the
Braille system is known by two dots ar
ranged thus @, the letter CO. by another
combination. and so on. These are read
by the blind by passing their fingers over
the lines, and many of them are able to
read by this system at almost as rapid
a rate person with sight.
Teaching the blind children to read and
write by the use Of these systems has
now become very common. and there is
a blind school in almost every large CEN
ter in the world The first blind institu-
ton in history was a hospital for cru
saders who had lost their eyesight in
Egypt, and was established by st.
Louis in Paris in the year 1890. No at
tempt was made at education. and 1t
remained for Frenchman named Jean
BernOuilli to be the first to teach a blind
girl to write in the year 1851. He de-
veloped no system for the work, however.
and it was conducted in a haphazard
manner until another Frenchman. Valen-
tin Hauy. evolved a system in 1884, and
was the first to make any real progress
in their education
The English people were the first to
make a practical use of Hauys work, and
before the end of that century they had
established four schools where the blind
were taught. One was situated in Lon
DON one in Bristol, one in Liverpool and
one in Edinburgh. Scotland. Since that
time a great many more have been es-