The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-14
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN. Director,
washington, D. G.
BOOKS FOR THE BLIND.

which Braille books are handWritten.
Clubs and Red Cross chapters are
busily punching out stories and articles
in the code of dots which is the blind
mans closest connecting link with
written thought.
There is always a need for books
for the blind. The big cities have
their Braille libraries, but the selec-
ton of books on the shelves is always
limited. The novel you buy for dol
lar or two and tuck in your overcoat
pocket would cost $50 in Braille and
would fill three or more large tones
Libraries for the blind are slowly
growing all the time, but since the war
to be provided with Braille reading
matter, the Red Cross decided that
extra effort was needed.
For three years six chapters of the
Reds Cross have been making Braille
books. Last fall the National Red
Cross arranged to make this work a
part of the national Program. Courses
in Braille writing were prepared by
Mrs. Gertrude T. Rider, librarian of
the room for the blind in the library
of congress. Certificates were pre-
pared for those who should master
the system in order to make books
for the soldiers.
Miss Adelia Hoyt of the reading
room for the blind says that for the
present all books made by the Volun-
teers will go to Evergreen, the institute
esta blished by the Red Cross at Balti-
sailors. Later, it is planned to send
books to big circulating libraries for
civilian blind.
When the blinded soldiers and sail
ors were first taken to Evergreen there
were scarcely any books in Braille for
them to use in learning to read the
type. But a band of volunteers, both
n
stories and magazine articles into
Braille under Mrs. Riders direction.
Over 500 Books Transcribed.
Miss Hoyt explains that las the vet
Grams learned to read with greater IA
cility and the transcribers became
more proficient, longer and longer
work was undertaken until at the
present time there is nothing these de-
voted copyists will not and cannot do.
They have aided the masseur, I'M
daunted by long lists of anatomical
terms; they have helped the French
students by putting his lessons into
Braille for him; they have always
been ready to transcribe just what was
most needed, whether for entertain
ment or serious study.
LAS a result of their efforts Miss
Hoyt says, 1.-The library at Evergreen
now contains over 500 handicapped
volumes covering a wide range of
subjects"
The line of books that the veterans
want runs parallel with that in de-
mand in any library. Fiction is most
called for. But science, history, biog-
raphy, poetry, and textbooks for study
are all popular.
Recent additions to Evergreen IL
brary are such books as 'The Still
water Tragedy" by Aldrich, in five
volumes, 1.-The Black Tulip" by Du-
mas, in five volumes; Desert Gold,''
by Zane Grey, in seven volumes, and
Thayer's Roosevelt" in eight volumes.
The scarcity of books to which a
| blind man could have access even in a
/ city, has been intensified by the va
riety of codes in which the books were
printed. There are now no less than
six systems used to varying extents in
this country. Some blind persons read
them all. But the majority do not.
The only books, therefore, of service
| to them are those printed in the sys-
tenn they have mastered.
| Turnout the history of Braille the
various improved and modified sys-
| TENS based on the original have been
a problem. Finally, in 1917, what is
practically the same as English Braille
was officially adopted in this coun-
| try. This meant that new books must
! be made for those who would learn
only the new system. When the vet
/
were only six books, all children
books, available in the new type In
| the long run, the uniform system will
mean more books for the blind reader.
In the first few years, however, much
volunteer work is needed to build up
libraries for those who are just be-
ginning to study Braille.
Making BrailIe Books.
The handmade Braille books are OF
! heavy manila paper. Each page is
shellacked after the writing is done to
make it stand repeated lingering. To
one who does not understand Braille
| the large sheets with their even rows
of raised dot characters carry no clue
as to the story written there. There
is no resemblance to English print.
Moon type, one of the older systems
| is very much like print. The letters
| Slightly altered in some instances, were
| raised, and the hand travelled over the
page to spell out the words. This sys-
tenn still is used to quite an extent
Old persons who lose their sight can
learn to read Moon type with COM
parative ease, whereas Braille, being
entirely different from print, some
| tyne discourages them.
Tho the Moon print is easy to read
with the fingers, it is less practical
than the dot system because it takes
up much more space. Each Moon type
book requires more volumes, and sc
comparatively rev are printed. ''DaV1C
! Copperfield," which requires five vol
tumes in BraiIle, takes % in Moon type
1t is not very difficult to learn tc
write Braille accurately, we are told
The basic form for the letters is e
double row of dots. three high, like the
six spot on a domino. Each letter is
composed of part of this pattern. Tt
make the letter q. for instance, only
the dot in the lower right hand cor.
ner is omitted. To make the letter a
which is much more used, only ont
dot, that at the upper right hand cor
ner, is made.
Getting the dots even is made cas-,
by a metal slate which has rows O.
oblong holes, or cells, one for eacI
letter in the line of print. running
across the page. The position of dot
within the cell is guided by indenta
tons along the edge of the cell, 81
that in a practiced hand the blum
stylus punches the dots quickly anC
easily.
When the page is turned over to b,
read, the punched spots on the work