Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-26

Il could not have done all this, -
she says without the understanding
and patience of Mrs. Rider l knew
I was able to handle the work, but
had to prove that to others first And
therein lies the real problem of the
blind. In the early days Of the world
any disability was A burden on an
already overburdened race. and the
disa bled one met with scant tolerance
in fact. was fortunate IL he was
allowed to live. The bare bones of a
most miserable existence. When
finally institutions began to be pro
vided they were terrible affairs. and
charity was the best that was offered
in them. Such bitter bread is hard
to eat. and still the sentimental have
only pity for us. But at last a better
day has come. and we are beginning
to be given the right to make our
selves responsible workers, with the
dignity and recognition that ministers
to self-respect.
AS Miss Hoyt's work grew in vol
| ume. and she in experience, she was
given increased authority and a
| sighted stenographer was assigned to
her, so that she might be relieved of
the routine part of her tasks. When
Mrs. Rider left the library and Miss
Margaret McGuffey was made director
Of the room for the blind and of
| Braille transTibing for the Amer
lean Red Cross Miss Hoyt was ap-
pointed assistant director. Her staff
now consists of a secretary. ste
| nographer and three blind assistants
in the library. with a number of
blind proofreaders outside. working
in their own homes under her di-
rection.
Which brings US to the work itself
With the collabora ton Of Mrs Rider
Miss Hoyt prepared two courses
which are issued under the sponsor
ship OF the Red Cross. one in the
transcribing Of Braille for those vol
unteers who wish to make books in
the raised type, and one for the blind
themselves who wish to become proof
| readers Of Braille. Scattered through.
, out the country now are more than
700 men and women. working under
the direction of the Red Cross chap
tiers with which they are ahiliated
graduates Of Miss Hoyt's instruction
for she supervises in a general way
by correspondence, and by individual
letters to private questioners. the en-
tire tanscribing. When the proofs
come into the Library Of Congress
she routes them to the proofreaders
graduates Of her other courses, who
are trained especially for accuracy
and neatness. and who make the final
corrections In the text Of the copy.
| Then the manuscripts come back to
Miss Hoyt again. and she has them
shellacked and bound and presented
to the various libraries. in New York
State and city,. in Philadelphia, De,
troit. St. Louis, Sacramento. Seattle
Boston. Chicago and Pittsburgh, that
Infn Pyaf NJ nat ~
, Congress. the blind may borrow these
books without cost. the ranking priv.
! ilege having been accorded them. The
Library of Congress allows the books
to be kept for Two months each. with
right Of renewal for another month
and the other libraries have differing
i periods There are $500 blind Dor
rowers from the Congressional alone
and last year more than 10000 is
suances were made to them.
| The number Of books in Braille Is
to quote the American Foundation for
the Blind. "distressingly small" but
| it Is growing. There are several
periodicals. published at regular in
| tervals, and new American ones are
being announced. Two Of these are
done especially for children. Between
July, 1924, and July, 1925, the total
/ NUMBER OF pages produced Dy REQ
Cross volunteers was 1913, and that
meant the addition of more than a
! thousand volumes. each with a life
of approximately II years.
| Innumerable human angles from
| the work come across Miss Hoyt's
desk There was Gen. David Shanks
retired, who. during a period Of con
valesence at Walter Reed, took ur
transcribing in order to have some
N(ContlN0e4 on Sixth Page.)