CHAPTER LXV

GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS FOR THE BLIND

THE WONDERFUL SENSE OF TOUCH

IT cannot fail to strike those of us who are blessed with the use of our eyes how extremely fortunate it is that our blind friends need not be debarred from many of our games. Being deprived of their sight, their sense of touch is developed to such an incredible extent that in the playing of many games their fingers prove of the same use to them as our eyes do to us.

Practically all games for the blind can be purchased at very moderate cost, yet as they can be quite easily made at home the following hints are offered in the hope that they will prove of use, and help some of our readers to entertain a friend less fortunate than themselves.

CARDS

An ordinary pack of cards can be very simply adapted to the use of the blind.

By means of a large pin, the designation and value of a card can be pricked on the back, so that the upraised holes are perceptible to touch. These values and denominations should be pricked in the corner where the small designation of the value of a card is always to be found, as in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 2 and 3 are shown the marks which should be pricked. These are in the Braille alphabet, now universally understood by the blind, and read by them with the same ease as we read printing.

In Whist or Bridge, each person, as he plays his card, states what it is, King of Hearts, and so on, as this saves feeling the cards after they have been laid on the table.

A very suitable game, calculated to amuse the player for hours, is Patience, under all its forms. For this the cards must be prepared somewhat differently, as in many games the first thing to be distinguished is the color.

The handiest plan is to mark a B or an R for Black or Red, in Braille characters immediately before, or underneath the denomination. A glance at Fig. 4 will serve to show what is meant.

With the cards thus marked, any game of Patience can be played as easily by a blind person as by an ordinary player.

CHECKERS

An ordinary Checker Board can be adapted for the use of the blind with very little trouble and no expense.

Cut thirty-two squares of thick cardboard, each square identical in size with the black squares on the Checker Board. Upon each of the black spaces one of these pieces of card should be glued, so that when complete the board is composed of sunk and raised instead of colored squares.

For the convenience of any ordinary person who may be playing with a blind opponent, the cardboard squares should be colored black with India ink.

The checkers usually purchased have a molding on both top and bottom. It will simplify matters considerably if you can buy a set with one side only molded. By using the white men with the molding uppermost and the black men reversed, as in Fig. 5, the difference will be sufficient to enable the blind person to distinguish by touch.

The same result can be obtained by glueing discs of cardboard or stiff paper, upon one side of each man, of one of the sets.

HALMA

The preparation of a Halma board is very similar to that of a checker board. Having raised the alternate squares with cardboard, the “Homes” at each corner should be further raised by glueing a piece of cardboard over all the spaces, and then raising the alternate squares upon this base, as in Figs. 6 and 6_a_.

In the center of each square a nail should be driven from the back of the board, with the end cut off and point filed to smoothness. These nails should project from the face of the board about half an inch. The ordinary Halma men have a hole on the under side, which enables you to place them upon the upraised points, where they will be held firmly.

It will now be necessary to make some alteration in the men, to distinguish the colors. In Fig. 7 an idea of how this may be done is given. The Yellow men are left untouched, Black have their heads cut right off, Red have one half of the head cut away, while the Green have the head sharpened to a point.

DOMINOES

Owing to their construction, Dominoes really need no alteration to make them suitable for the blind, but care should be taken when purchasing to see that the pips are cut deep into the ivory, so that the player can tell at a touch how many there are in the piece before him.

CHESS

This is one of the games in which the blind frequently excel, and in consequence it is a general favorite. The undivided attention they are able to give, and the natural acuteness which their affliction usually brings to such a pitch of excellence, serves them in good stead when playing “the king of games.”

The board should be prepared as in the case of checkers, _with the exception that points should be made from the back_, in the manner described in connection with the Halma board.

The different men are, of course, by their construction, easily distinguishable from one another, but it will assist matters very materially if a set is used in which the men differ considerably in shape and size.

In the center of each piece a hole must be bored in the base, large enough to allow the man to be placed, and removed from one pin to another with ease. For this reason wooden chess men are preferable.

The question of distinguishing the colors has been solved in various ways. In some cases the tops of the men of one color have been halved, as shown in Fig. 8, and this has proved a very satisfactory arrangement.

Others have used the black men of one set and the white men of another, but this plan is hardly to be recommended, owing to the similarity prevailing between all chess men.

The following method seems to be as good as any, and has the advantage of being easily contrived. Drive a pin firmly into the heads of one set of men (say the black), and either leave plain, or make a little knob of sealing-wax around the pinhead. This will render the different colors perfectly distinguishable to the blind player.

ROUND GAMES

In the majority of round games the blind are able to take an active part, but this depends very much upon the individual concerned. As a general rule rough games should be avoided, especially if the space for playing be limited.

Games in which a certain amount of writing is requisite are rarely suitable, although here again it must be a matter solely dependent upon the person concerned.

At spelling and guessing games the cleverest seeing player must look to his or her laurels, for the blind are very quick-witted in such contests, and frequently have the answer ready while others are still repeating the question.

As a matter of interest as well as of use, the blind alphabet of the Braille system is shown in Fig. 9, and by this means letters and notes can be written, which will be perfectly intelligible to a blind person. In pricking the characters through a paper, it should be remembered that the points must be reversed, and the letters begun from right to left, as the blind person will read from the other side, where the pin-pricked holes will have raised little points of paper.

INDEX

BLIND, games for, 538 Alphabet, the Braille, 543 Cards, 539 Checkers, 540 Chess, 542 Color distinction for Chess men, 542 Color distinction for Halma men, 541 Dominoes, 541 Halma, 540 Patience cards, preparation of, 540

Bunkum entertainments, 127 Ghost, a home-made, 138 Lectures, Bunkum, 135 Maids of Lee, three old, 133 Thought-reading, 130 Trick shooting, 137 Ventriloquism, fake, 131

CARTOONS and “fake” sketching, 263 Drawing-board for, 263 Easel for, 263 Figured faces, 267 Leading characteristics of, 264 Reversible scenes, 270 Simultaneous drawing of, 266 Smoke pictures, 269 Subjects for, 264

Charades, 76 Scenery and “props” for, 76-82

Children’s party, 477

Ciphers and Cryptograms, 527 Appointment, a musical, 530 Cipher, an early, 528 Cipher, the fractional, 530 Cipher, complicated fractional, 530 Cipher, Government, 531 Cipher, a musical, 530 Cipher, “two letter,” 532 Code, the Nihilist, 529 Letters, “transposed,” 528 Lines, “bounding,” 527 “Sphinx,” the, 531 Writing, secret, 527

Circus, home, 367 Ball-balancing, 376 Barricade and ring entrance for, 367 Barricade, construction of, 368 Cards, trick, 376 Circus horses, how to make, 368 Conjuring entertainment, a mock, 372 Decorations for, 369 Dog, performing, 377 Horses for, 368 Indian sack trick, the, 374 Juggling, trick, 375 Plates for spinning, how to make, 376 Target for trick shooting, 373 Tilting scene, 370

Clairvoyance, 426 Character, keys to, 427 Crystal-gazing, 429 Crystal, use of, 430 Kingdoms, the three, 431 Magnetism, power of, 428 Sense, the sixth, 431 Simple manifestation, 430 Sphere, the mental, 433 Visions, to create, 431

Clog dancing, 244 Clogs suitable for, 244 Double shuffle, the, 247 Single shuffle, the, 246 Slide, the, 248 Standing position for, 245 Variations of double shuffle for, 247

Conjuring, 158 Dissolving coin, the, 163 Magic dye-works, the, 160 “Patter,” 162 Servante, the, 158 Table for, 158 Wand, the magic, 159 Watch and target trick, 165

DISSOLVING views, 396 Apparatus for, 396 Apparatus for lighting, 398 Exhibiting, 399

ELECTRICAL effects, some, 285 Arc lamp, principle of, 289 Battery of cells, how to make, 286 Battery of cells, tray for, 287 Compass test, the, 288 Decomposing water by electricity, 293 Electrical weathercock, an, 290 Electro-plating, 294 Electrotyping, 294 Force, magnetic lines of, 289 Granulating zinc. 287 Primitive electro-motor, a, 291 Spark-producing, 288 Warming water by electricity, 293

Experiments, chemical, 312 Chlorine, with, 313-314 Electric fire, 315 Freezing flask of ammonia to wood, 318 Hydrogen, preparation of, 316 Musical flame, a, 317 Niter paper, 314 Novel fountain, a, 319 Soap bubble, to explode a, 317 Sodium or potassium, with, 315 Water’s affection for ammonia, 318

Experiments, electrical, 272 Discharger, the, 278 Dynamic electricity, 272 Electrophorus, the, 277 Electrostatic motor, an, 282 Faraday’s bell chimes, 284 Frictional machine, for producing electric charges, 283 Gold leaf electroscope, how to make, 276 Leyden jars, how to make, 276 Positive and negative electricity, 280 Special apparatus for, 275 Static electricity, 272 Swinging mannikin, the, 281

Experiments, more, 329 Carbonic acid gas, 338 Coin, a disappearing, 333 Electrified balloons, 335 Electrified paper, 334 Exploding flour, 335 Flying coin, the, 330 Gas-making, 337 Lamp-glass, a cigarette-smoking, 331 Mirror, a novel, 333 Refractory cork, the, 329 Water swinging, 332

Experiments, odd, 320 Glass-cutting, 327 Illusion, an optical, 321 Pyrometer, the, 325 Revolving man, the, 322 Wall, mysterious writing on, 320

Experiments, scientific, 297 Bottle cannon, the, 310 Changing water into wine, 300 Electric fountain, an, 309 Eruption of Vesuvius, the, 301 Floating pins, the, 304 Glass-emptier, a novel, 307 Glass raising, 305 Glass raising, extraordinary, 306 Match trick, a, 298 Peculiar candlestick, a, 302 Swimming paper fish, the, 303 Syphon, 308 Tricolor glass, the, 299 Vacuum, creating a, 305

FIREWORKS, indoor, 400 Designs for, 401 Firework boxers, the, 403 Frame and side wings for, 400 Revolving wheel for, 401 Views, changing, 403

Fortune-telling, 452 Arcana, Major, 461 Arcana, Minor, 462 Cards, by, 452-455 Dice, by, 455 Dominoes, by, 456-457 Futurity, figured, 458 Tarocs, divinations by, 461

GRAPHOLOGY, 465 Character by handwriting, 466-471 Signs of, 466-467

HANDBELL-RINGING, 105 Bell-ringing companies, 106 Flourishing with, 108

Handkerchief manipulation, 169 Bow, the double, 170 Knot, the disappearing, 172 Knot, a flick, 172 Knot, the one-hand, 169 Knot, the wrist, 169 Knots, the instantaneous, 171

Hypnotism, 416 Auto-suggestion, 422 Gaze, the, 416 Hands, motion of, 419 Hypnosis, to induce, 416 Hypnotizer, 422 Hypnotist, 422 Method, the mental, 416 Method, the physiological, 416 Self-hypnosis, 422 Subject awakening, 424 Test, a sure, 417 Timing experiments, 424 “Under-sleep,” 416

ILLUSIONS, ghost, 183 Coffin trick, the, 186 Frauds, mirror, 183 Ghost producing, stage for, 184 Nymph, the sea, 186 Paris, 185 Plan of room for, 188 Reflection, principle of, applied to ghost illusions, 183

Illusions, optical, 519 Black print red, how to make, 526 Color top, the, 525 Dwarf, the man, and the giant, 524 Hills that don’t rise, 522 Pins, the standing, 522 Zollner’s lines, 521

Illusions, stage, 189 Cupboard, the magic, 189 Disappearing princess, the, 199 Floating lady, the, 194 Indian basket trick, the, 197 Mandarin’s head, the 191 Mesmerism, Houdin’s, 195 Queen Mary illusion, the, 193 Reflection, principle of, for stage illusions, 189

Impersonations, 41 Rehearsing, 42 Stage table for, 44

JUGGLING, 225 Double inside fall, the, 228 Double over fountain, the, 231 Double vertical fall, the, 228 Falls from right to left, 227 Horizontal pass, 227 Inside and outside falls, 227 Parallel fall, the, 226 Shower, the, 230 Triple shower, the, 230 Triple over pass, the, 229 Triple pass, the, 229 Vertical fall, 225

MAKE-UP, 26 Adhesia, 29 Crêpe hair, 29 Grease-paints, 26 High lights, 27 Juvenile, 29 Liners, 28 Lining, 26 Lining paint, 27 Lip-rouge, 30 Low lights, 28 Mustache-making, 33 Nose putty, 32 Old age, 31 Removal of, 33 Wig, measuring for, 32 Wig, mid-gray, 31 Wig-paste, 26

Marionettes, 354 Curtains, arrangement for drawing, 356. Curtain, movable, 356 Figures, home-made, 358 Interior decoration for, 357 Puppets, the working of, 357 Stage, construction of, 355 Stage for, 354 Stage, plan of, 354

Marionettes, living, 363 Black cloth arrangement for, 364 Effects, comical, 365 Stage for, 363 Stage, sectional view of, 364

Minstrelsy, 56 End-men, 56 Interlocutor, 56 Make-up, minstrel’s, 57 Negro minstrel troupe, seating arrangements for, 56 Nigger black, 57 Programmes, 60-61 Songs and gags, 59 Speeches, stump, 59, 65 Wig, end-man’s, 57 Wig, interlocutor and sentimentalist’s, 57

Musical glasses, 101 Harmonica, 101

Musical sketches, 86 Accompaniment, 89 After-dinner stories, 86-87 Burlesque, 91 Dual art, the, 89 Self-accompaniment, 88

Mysteries, black stage, 174 Assistant for, 175 Barrel, the floating, 179 Dimensions of, 177 Head, the floating, 174 Lighting, 178 Vanishing man, the, 181

Mystery, room of, 201 Electric bells for, 207 Ghostly sounds, apparatus for producing, 205 Haunted house, how to make a, 201 Magnet, use of, for mysterious tongue, 209 Mysterious hatstand, the, 206 Plan of, 206 Potato trick, the, 209

PALMISTRY, 437 Characteristics, distinguishing, 437 Hands, 437 Hands, proportion of, 437 Hands, quality of, 437-438 Hands, shape of, 437-438 Hands, texture of, 437 “Mounts” and their signs, 438-439 Palm, principal lines of, 441-443 Phalanges, the, 440

Papergraphy, 220

Parlor games, 475 Apples and nuts, 488 Auction, the, 482 Brothers, the blind, 484 Buff, musical, 481 Cabbages, 478 Coming, the lover’s, 479 Dog, the amiable, 489 Fan fight, the, 480 Gardeners, 476 Hieroglyphics, magic, 481 Jack’s going strong, 486 Lawyer, the, 478 Line, the longest, 481 Name divinations, 486 Panama Canal, 480 Poets’ corner, the, 485 Proverbs, 476 Ring, the missing, 488 Shadows, game of, 476 Telegrams, 479 Tidings, 477 Whistle, the, 483 Wizard photography, 487

Peep-show, 378 Candle stand and roof protector for, 380 Lighting of, 380 Scenes for, 380 Scene-raising apparatus for, 380-381 Stage front for, 379

Peep-show, mechanical, 383 Scene, a double-barreled, 384 Wings, revolving, 385

Phonograph, 97 Programme for, 99 Programme, a Sunday, 100 Records, 97 Songs, humorous, 97

Photo pastimes, 341 Blue print paper, 346 One person in two places, 349 “Photo-chemical,” 344 Photography, meaning of, 341 Photography, spirit, 350 Photos, fireside, 343 Pictures, imitations of crayon, 352 Portrait effects, 352 Printing double, 353 Printing triple, 353 “Stops,” 342 White light, constituents of, 347

Phrenology, 445 Chart, phrenology, 445 Craniology, 445 Side, the humorous, 450

Plate-spinning, 233 Balancing, 236 Plate waltzing, 238 Prepared plates for, 235 Spinning wand for, 233 Table prepared for, 238

Punch and Judy show, 387 Figures, working the, 392 Framework for, 387 Ghost, how to make, 393 Packing up, 389 Puppets, how to make, 390 Scenery for, 389 Stage for, 388 Squeaker, the, 395

Puzzles, 510 Anarchists, the dangerous, 511 Chain, the broken, 513 Checker, the traveling, 510 Diamond cross, the, 513 Donkey, catching, 512 Like to like, 512 Miter, the, 514 Railway problem, 514 Railways, the quarrelsome, 513 Rings, joining the, 510 Rows, the ten, 511 Solutions to, 515-518

QUICK-CHANGE, 34 Cues, 38 Curtain-raiser, 36 Dressers, 37 Entrances and exits, 36, 38 Scenery for, 36 Sketch for, 39 Transformations, one-piece, 39

RECITALS, 116 Attitude for, 116 Gesture, 119

SECOND-SIGHT, mechanical, 211 Codes for, 211-219

Secret Signs, 533 “Cheek,” the, 535 “Eyebrow,” the, 534 Handshake, the, 534 Hat flourish, the, 535 Italian secret society, an, 535 Pass-words, 536 “Patteran,” the, 536

Shadow drawings, 271

Shadow shows, puppet, 256 Plays for, 261 Puppets, how to make, 257 Puppets, manipulation of, 259 Screen for, 256 Stage for, 256

Shadows, figure, 253 Arrangement of screen for, 254

Shadows, hand, 250 Light for, 250 Pictures, how to make, 251 Screen for, 250

Singing, 111 Accompanist, value of, 113 Breathing, 111 Pronunciation, clear, 111 Rehearsing, 114 Songs, modern, 112 Voice production, 111

Suggestions in black, 62 Banjo, 62 Bones, how to play, 62, 63 Jokes, 63 Music for minstrelsy, 66

TABLEAUX, 68 Lighting arrangement for, 71 “Props” for, 74 Staging for, 71

Table-turning, 434 Medium, the, 435 Medium, to discover, 436 Power, magnetic, 435 “Unbeliever,” to discover, 435

Telegraphy, 410 Alphabet, Morse, 415 Framework for, 411 Galvanometer, a, 410 Keyboard, the, 413 Message, transmitting, 414 Needle, magnetized, 412 Pointer, the, 412 Receiver, how to make, 410 Testing, 413 Transmitter, how to make, 410

Telephone, 405 Bar-magnets for, 406 Bar-magnets, testing, 406 Battery with connection, 407 Magnets, cases for, 406 Microphone, 408 Microphone, connection with, 409 Microphone experiment, 409 Mouthpieces, how to make, 406 Receivers, 405-406

Theatricals, 11 Back-cloth for, 21 Fire for stage, 19 Fireplace for, 19 “Flats” for, 14-15 Footlights, the, 13 Gesture for, 23 Graining, 21 Make-up for, 24 Plays for, 22 Potzentausend, play of, 22-24 Prompter for, 23 Proscenium, the, 21 Scenery for, 13-14 Scene-painting, 21 Stage for, 12-13 Stage door, the, 15-18 Stage-manager, 25 Stage porch, the, 18 Stage sideboard, 20 Stage trees for, 14 Stage windows, 15 Wigs for, 22

Tight-rope, the, 240 “Backward spring,” the, 243 “Backward walk,” the, 243 Balancing pole, the, 241 Fixing bars for, 240 “Forward spring,” the, 243 “Forward walk,” the, 242 Trick balancing on, 240

Tricks and puzzles, parlor, 490 Banana, the obliging, 500 Bands, the mysterious, 501 Bite, the magician’s, 506 Bottle, to blow through, 494 Fish, dying, 498 Needle-threading extraordinary, 505 Repeater, the magic, 499 Scissor trick, 494 Smoker’s fancy, 501 String puzzle, 503 Sunshine trick, 507 Tangrams, 490 Will-power test, 499

UNIVERSAL hat, 50 Chapeaugraphy, 50

VAMPING, 92 Vamping chords and relative changes, 93-96

Ventriloquism, 140 Breathing for, 143 Dialogue, ventriloquial, 150 “Distant,” 145, 151 Figures, ventriloquial, 148 Figure manipulation, ventriloquial, 149 “Grunt” voice, 146 Imitations, ventriloquial, 154 “Near,” 144 Speaking with still lips, 144 “Theek” voice, 147

WHISTLING, 123 Solos, 125

THE END

Transcriber’s Notes

The language used in the source document has been retained (including inconsistent, archaic and unusual spelling, hyphenation and capitalisation), except as mentioned below. In particular, non-English words and phrases have not been corrected unless mentioned under “Changes made”.

The (minor) deviations in spelling in the Index compared to the text have not been standardised.

Depending on the hard- and software used and their settings, not all elements may display as intended.

Discrepancies between illustrations and their descriptions (e.g., Fig. 1B in Chapter L) have not been rectified unless listed below. Items that cannot work as described (e.g. the rotating target in Chapter XX) have not been corrected or explicitly noted. Possibly offensive language (e.g. in the minstrel entertainment) and dangerous activities (as the experiments with hydrogen and chlorine gas) have been included in this transcription without further explicit warning.

Page 119, the David: as printed in the source document.

Page 184, The space, D, G, is also invisible: possibly an error for The space, D, C, is also invisible.

Page 216, The code for playing cards ...: the intended meaning of the suits (clubs and spades) given and the explanation (well and very well) in the text contradict each other.

Page 295, various combinations of wines and liquids: as printed in the source document. Possibly an error for wires and liquids.

Page 458: It is not clear why One-blank is not listed.

Changes made

The (single) footnote has been moved to the end of the chapter.

Some minor obvious typographical and punctuation errors and misprints have been corrected silently.

Page 65: emotional parts of thumping changed to emotional parts or thumping.

Page 214: closing bracket added after the last two responses by the professor.

Page 257: The complete illustration consisting of Figs. 10-12 has been flipped horizontally, as have the individual figures.

Page 295: ‘the coil has been mentioned’ changed to ‘the coin has been mentioned’.

Page 438: reference to Fig. 2 changed to reference to Fig. 3.

Page 475: CHAPTER LVIX changed to CHAPTER LIX.