The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-11

that new books must be made for
those who would learn only tba
new system. When the XefarsTs
first came to Evergreen there vya-s
only six books, all chiIdrea's boal-s
available in the new type. In rbo
long run, the uniform system viii
mean more books for the hlin5
reader. In the first few wears
however, much volunteer work is
needed to build up libraries fo~
those who are just beginning tba
study of Braille.
Making Braiile Books.
The handmade Brail1e books ara
of heavy manila paper. Each page
is shellacked after the writing i
done to make it stand rene3ted
lingering TO one Who does net
understand Braille. the large sheets
with their even rows of raised dor
characters carry no clue as to the
story written there. There is no
resemblance TO English print.
Moon type. one of the older svs-
tens. is very much like print The
letters, slightly altered IN some
instances. were raised, and the
hand travelled over the page to smell
out the words. This system sriu
is used to quite an extent Old Der
sons who lose their sight can learn
to read Moon type with comparative
ease, whereas Braille. being entire
ly different from print, sometimes
disCOurages them.
Though the Moon print is easv
to read with the fingers, it is less
pra ctical than the dot system be
cause it takes up much more space.
Each Moon type book requires more
volumes, and so comparatively few
are printed. David Copperfield,"
which required five volumes in
Braille, takes % in Moon type.
1t is not very difficult to learn
to write Braille accurately, We are
told. The basic form for the let
tiers is double row Of dots, three
high, like the six spot on a domino
Each letter is composed of part Of
this pattern. To make the letter
q, for instance, only the do in the
lower right hand corner is omitted
To make the letter q, which is
much more used, only one dot, that
at the upper right hand corner. is
made.
! Getting the dots even is made
easy by metal slate which has
rows Of obIong holes, or cells, one
| for each letter in the line Of print,
running across the page. The p0-
sition of dots within the cell is
guided by, indentations along The
edge of the cell, so that III prac-
ticed hand the blunt stylus punches
! the dots quickly and easily,
When the page is turned over to
read, the punched spots on the
working side become raised dots
! about ne-sixty-fourth OF an inch
high. Slight as the raised points
are-to make them higher would
make the book more buiky-the
! sensitive fOreijnger of the blind
/ reader can quickly distinguish the
/ difference in the combination o.
dots. Because the page has 10 be-
{ written on the back. the words and
sentences are built by the coPyis.
| from right TO left, in looking glass
| fashion"
Writing ny NachineEy.
| The Braille typewriter Is another
! of the three means OF making books
| for the blind. The typewriter has
only six keys, one for each dot that
may be used in letter TO make
a letter, the proper keys are struck
( simultaneously like a chord. The
! typewriter is a more speedy instFu-
ment than the slate, but it is con
! sfGerably more expensive. costing
/ about S32.
! The third and quickest method
! of Braille printing is on d printing
press. There are several publish
! ers and printers who make Bfallie
: books. Most Of their time is used
in making text books for schools
/ for the blind and standard works
in wide demand. The American
/ Printing House for the Blind al
Louisville. Kentucky. receives q
/ federal subsidy Of $500 year
with which to print textbooks and
collateral Teading Tor children IN
schools for the blind. This allows
about $3.50 worth of Braiija read
ing for each blind pupil Aside
from phiIanthropic gifts. there is
no fund for publishing books ioF
adult blind.