Evening star., 1947-03-23
Blind Soldier Hopes to Resume
Writing After Learning Braille
By Cospor Nonnes

Pfc. Oliver c. Bacon is one Of
several blind soldiers at Walter
Reed Hospital learning Braille.
To him, it is the vital wedge. in
reopening a journalistic career he
felt was closed to him forever when
a Nazi sniper's bullet hit him in the
head on April 8, 1945 near Kress-
bach. Germany.
"Braille is wonderful thing for
a blind person." Pfc. Bacon said.
TT is difficult at times, and some
times discouraging. But a fellow
keeps on trying, and eventually he
gets better
The 22-year-old soldier, who
worked at everything from reporting
to setting type on a weekly news
paper in Randolph, N. Y, before
entering the service, eventually
hopes to write magazine articles
about the blind.
BraiIle Like Shorthand.
Braille is the open sesame for
blind people to reading freedom, in
dependent thinking and individual
accomplishment. Learning Braille
may be compared to studying short
hand, except that it is more difficult.
Each has its symbols for letters,
words and contractions standing for
several words.
Learning the symbols is only a
step to the real task of writing
shorthand with speed or Of reading
Braille rapidly. Both take time
and practice, the latter requiring
the development Of highly sensi-
tive touch to feel the raised dots
on the paper. 1t usually takes from
six months to year to learn the
rudiments of the system.
"An expert reads Braille as fast
as a person ordinarily speaks Mrs.
Kathryn Chapman, Braille teacher
at Walter Reed Hospital, said.
Readers use two hands in Braille,
one to translate the symbols and
the other as a guide for the lines
Mrs. Chapman teaches in the
office at the hospital while the
Grey Ladies teach the soldiers in
the wards.
1856 Symbols in System.
The Standard English Braille sys-
tenn has 1876 symbols of abbrevia-
tions and contractions in addition
to the alphabet. The first 10 letters
also serve as the numerals. 1ndi-
vidual letters also stand for words,
such as h for have, X for knoWl-
edge and p for people.
Braille was first devised by Louis
Braille, a Frenchman, in 1929. BY
1854 it was adopted in the parish
schools, and by 1892 several Ameri-
can schools were using it.
But there we're few Braille books
available even as late as 1913, the
government institute established for
blinded war veterans at Baltimore
in that year discovered. An appeal
was made by Miss Mabel Boardman,
American Red Cross national di-
rector, in November 1918 for volun-
teers to learn Braille so as to make
books for veterans. A group shortly
afterward met at the home of Mrs.
Larz Anderson, 2118 Massachusetts,
avenue NV, for this purpose.
Taught by Miss Adelia M. Hoyt,
Iowa College for the Blind gradu-
ate, they eventually started their
task of transcribing books, maga-
zine articles and short stories for
the veterans.
Legion Post Started Program.
In 1926 the USS Jacob Jones Post
of the American Legion, one of the
largest women's posts, adopted a
program of transcribing, shellacking,
duplicating, printing and binding
Braille books. TRANSFERRING into
Braille was first done by hand with
a slate and stylus. one dot at a
time. Later a Braille Writer"
which can stamp a complete SYM
Dol at one stroke, was used. Today