The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-03-27
Amonp the Dumb Folks.

From the letter of special correspondent OF
the Boston Advertiser. writing IRON HARTFORD
we clip the following interesting extract:
After reception by Doctor Stone, the 9TH
GERS and the trustees of the asylum, the COM
mittee were conducted to the workshops. They
are in an outbuiding two stories IN height.
The mutes ore taught three trades-shoemak
inr, cabinet work, and tailoring In the shoe
shop, there were some twenty boys peggng
away at the cheaper kinds of brogans and
children's boots. They seemed to be as skill
full as any workers Of their age, and as happy
as editors may be supposed 10 be at the news
of great catastrophe, which ENSURES an e1-
citing 81 extra and an immense demand tor
the latest intelligence. Down stairs, in large
shop, the cabinet makers were giulng, saving
and vanishing cheap tables, bureaus ahd
desks. There are thirty-two boys employed
in this handicraft.- They are taught to do all
kinds of cabinet work, excepting upholstery;
They do all the carpenter work that is needed
in the asylum Everything that they make IS
sold to the trade as rapidly as il IS finished
The tailors lin the upper tight) were quite
young lads. Each of the thirty boys was
seated on-a low chair, carelessly and noise
Iessly plying his needle. Among them was
colored child from New Jersey. In an inner
room half-a-dozen girls were learning the same
trade. No female pupil is required to learn
this trade unless her parents desire 1t. The
girls are taught little housework and sewing,
but neither cooking nor general kitchen work.
All the boys Of twelve years OF age who are
the wards of a State are instructed in one OF
these trades. They work from TO $40 In
the morning, and from to in the afternoon
an average of three hours and half day
OF course the shops are not selt-supportlng,
as they can neither compete with machine
work outside, nor with the regular trade The
foremen are not mutes.
The children were assembled in the chapel.
There were 225 pupils in the room. Dr. Stone
then made a few remarks to the committee,
explaining the daily life ofhis scholars. They
rise at six, breakfast at half-past six and go to
the shops at seven. At nine they assemble
in the chapel. The little fellows who don't
work have morning lesson Most Of the
girls are engaged in sweeping and making
beds. Those who are not needed for this work
are occupied in plain sewing.
When they are seated in the chapel the first
exercise is the explanation of a sentence from
the Bible. This is done wholly by the Ian
guage Of signs-not by spelling out the words.
This language is entirely different from our
vernacular 4 child might understand 1t
thoroughly and not know one name for any
thing. The idea, not the name, is alone con-
veyed Hence, if the deaf mute perfectly I'M
derstands what is signed to him in this Ian
guage, when he comes to write It he has to
translate it into our words and our syntax as
WELL For the syntax of sign language is en-
tireIy different from the English syntax. The
most salient idea in the sentence is selected
and represented first ; and then the qualify
ing and subordinate subjects Thus, in say
ing /" the tall gentleman is eating" the synta2
of the sign language would be, "gentlemen,
tall, eating is'' Or, to give an actual exam
pie, here was the grace delivered by MIR.
Stone at supper, translated sign by sign into
English words:
God, father our. Blessings now thou Civ
est We thanks give. People all. Thou
alone always things nsedfuI givest. Us thou
help. Thee serve, love, always. We pray
Christ through. Amen
Now, one Of our children would have asked
this blessing in these words, which would
have expressed thought for thought, the same
sentiment:
"Oh God our Father. We give thanks to
Thee for these blessings which Thou bestow-
est on US. Thou alone givest all things need
full to all men. Help US ever to serve and
love Thee We ask Thee, for Christ's sake
Amen"
The partisans of this system claim that it is
the natural expression of thought-that a
child, for example, always, when excited, ut
tiers the most prominent idea first. Of course
this theory is disputed. L wouldn't like &c
hear my child say said a friend of artlcula-
ton in the committee, Apple sweet, father,
me give !" But thanking both ends of the
controversy It is certain that by signs alone
deaf nlutes do freely and rapidly converse with
each other-in a language unknown, for the
most part, to the normal world. They sup
plement it frequently by the manual alphabet
Thus proper names can seldom be accurately
conveyed by signs. Take the name, fer in
stane, of our present chief magistrate. The
sign for bullock, COW, cattle and steer, are
quite similar. The child represents horns by
crooking his finger at his forehead. Now thu
name of the governor could be saved from be
ing COMPOUNDED with that of COW by secone
sign which pantomimes milking; but thel
there would still be children who would OF
uncertain whether we were governed by MIR
Bullock, Mr.. Steer, OR Mr.. Kline. Thss boil
systems are used INTERCHANGEABLE.
Mr.. Stone explained the text for the day
and then Mr. Turner THE superintendent
prayed. This service is wonderfully solemn
and Impressive. the chaplain alone close
his eyes-for the deaf children must see hin
in order to join with him. Every eye is in
tenty fixed on him as he slowly and with rev
erent gestures addresses the Creator in til
, voiceess language of the dumb. Not a sount
: is heard; not an eye wanders-; every pupi
seems to be transfxed and TO join with all hi
, heart and all his powers in the silent mornin!
prayer Tt is the most devout in e1terna
form of any service have ever witnessed.
Your space will not suffer me to follow tn
committee during the day. The forenoon wa
mainly occupied in listening to the efforts of
number of children to articulate. Exceptin;
alone those who became deaf after eight year
of age, there were none who could utter NOR
! than a few words in natural voice. or rathe
in other than an exceedingly disagreeable tone
Dinner at l. All the children and all til
! teachers and officers dine in the same room