Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1844-01-25
vReIsIA InsFlroEioN.

Annual Report OF the board 81 tlsltote "
the Virginia Institution for lhe education
Of the Deaf and Dumb and Of the Blind.
made 10 the President and Directors Of the
Literary Fund. and transmitted BY Them
10 the House Of Delegates, apd ordered BY
that body to be printed. i
The Report represents The general con-
dilion Of The institution Is prosperous. To-
the Mute department ihers are % pupils
lie males ends females. Ia The Blind
department there we're ~ pupils Al The
close Of the last session, seven of whom
have lsft AID three have since been ad-
mitiedi and three more are expected. or
those now 10 the institution Ia are males,
aud 8 females.
The Visitors stale tha. from the exsmi.
nations they have beer enabled to make,
from tine 10 time, they believe that the
teachers have been asidaous in the dis
charge Of their duties. and that the I'D.
vancsment Of the pupils il knowledge
has been such IS to satisfy the most san
guine expectations. They hayef however,
been compelled 20 encounter many diff
culties from the want Of suitable accomo.
dations, in consequence Of The unfinished
condition Of the buildingsdesigned for!heir
use. The schools are still Kept and the
scholars and officers boarded in old and
inconvenient buildings, in mary respects
unsuitsd to such purposes. The Visitors.
therefore. again AK for an adequate ap-
preparation 10 complete the buildings.
The sum OF $25iO0O is estimated to be
sufficient for this purpose and we are
pleased 10 see that the President and Di-
reclors Of the Literary Fund recommend
the application to The favorable conside-
ration Of the Legislature
| The Visitors suggest the the policy OF
comforting authority upon the County
Courts 70 levy upon the ,ithablss Of their
respective counties sum oftmoney not
exceeding $l20 for each INDECENT deaf
mute and blind person Of good capacity,
within their limits, between The ages Of
10 and Is years, for their support and
education at the Institution. THIS sys.
TEN, it is understood, prevailssin several
OF the Northern States, and recommends
itself particularly for lis equal operation.
Under the present system, il may happen
that one county may have half dozen
indigen. pupils. willis. another; which
pays an equal amount Of revenue, has
none. Thus the benefits of the -instiiu.
lion are but partially distributed and the
evil is one which, under present Icircum.
stances. cannot be avoided. The policy
and expedisncy Of .this measure is farther
enforced by the consideration that these
persons, If left uneducated, must necesss-
rally become charges upon the county for
life; whereas Wy educating them, they
will be rendered capable Of supporting
themselves, and become useful citizens.
The number Of applicants for admission
into the Deaf mute department. is A, and
into the Blind department 40. All these,
OF course, must be denied the benefits OF
the institution until the new buildings arc
completed.
The course of instruction in the Deaf
Mute department is Mechanical. Intellec.
tual, Moral and Religious. The aim is
to give each pupil the knowledge OF some
handicraft occupation by which he may
be able to support himself after he leaves
The institutions. The trades al present
tsguht are cabinet-msking, shoe.making.
and book binding. The scholastic studies
embrace reading. writing, geography. SC.
The religious training OF the pupils is un.
der the sole direction Of The Rev. Jos. D.
Tyler. Morning and evening prayer is
conducted by him IN the language Of signs,
and be meets the pupils twice every
Sabbath for the worship Of God, for
preaching the Gospel. and caiechetical
instruction. A lecture on Biblical histo,
ry is also delivered each Sabbath 10 The
pupils BY the intelligent and pious assist.
rant teacher, Mr.. Job Turner, himself a
deaf mute. n
Inthe Blind department. the course
Misunderstanding. writing, spelling, print
ing withlpin type, geography, grammar,
| arithm etc, {men,al and on the slate
frames, history French. algebra, geome.
try, music and two trades. brush and
rope-making. The. pupils are found TO
advance In their st1dies as fast as'chil-
dren generally do who Nare blessed with
sight; land zoe think, indeed. even little
faster. The want Of a large PEinting Press
and Types, is again mentionedsBv the hu-
name and intelligen. Principal, Dr.. Mer.
riIlat. But few school books have yet
been printed for the blind; and theme
cessity Of some provision Of this sort u
strongly urged. One thousand dollars, j
is thought, would ee sufficient 10 accom-.
plish the object. In speaking Of the ge.
neral condition Of his department, DR.
Merrillat justly remarks-."The visitol
who approaches house. the greater par
OF whose inmates be knows TO be gropin.
lin darkness, feels melancholy PRESENT.
ment that sights Of suffering and sounds o
anguish must there await him but WheI
be has entered. be soon finds that he slon,
lis sad. and that blind children, ,reate,
properly. are at least as contsnied an,
happy as those whc are ia the full enjoy
| ment Of all their Senses We have Of
LIEN seen The truihfulness Of this piciur
realised, and sometimes most affectiDgly
lin our visits to the institution vii
Strangers They. indeed, alone we're sac
We regret that our limits do not perm
us to 60 more at large into this report
, bot We think we have embraced Ahe pFir
cipsl topics Of interest. The success ,
, the institution certainly entities il TO u
: fullest public condolences; and every COZ
sideration Of humanity, a. well Is OF el