The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-03-31
Intelligence of Idiots.

IN Oreat britain there are fifteen
9 thousand imbeciles, the greater por-
r ton Of whom are not utterly value
less as helpers in performing the
work Of the world, but actually de-
tract largely from the work of 9th
} ers, insOmuch, as they require to be
watched and taken care of. 1t is evil
, dent that any attempt to make this
unfortunate class even partially inde-
pendent and self supporting should
be watched with interest, not only
on humanitarian but on politico eco
nomIcal grounds. Two such expert
mentS have been tried in England.
institutions for training imbecIles in
manual labor of various kinds having
peen started, namely, EarlsWood Asy-
! lum and Essex Hall. The former of
| these writer in CasseII's Magazine
describes quite minutely.
1t is estimated that a little over one
third Thirty five per cent? of imhe.
Giles are capable of certain degree
Of culture in some direction, and it is
only those who are thought to belong
to this class who are received at EarIs-
wood. Thus the Institution is a hos
pltal, and not mere receptacle for
hopeless cases,
The majority of the children reared
here are simply specimens of what Is
| termed ARRESTED developments" at
a very early age, the functions of the
| brain-at least in regard to its intel
| lectual operatiOns-appear to have
stopped, hence we see q school full Of
grown up boys and girls, sometimes
of the age of eighteen or twenty, 10
more capable of taking care of them
| selves than children of three or four,
| They con not use their hands in any
| operation, sometimes they don't know
the way to eat with knife and fork,
I m 10 Il.
| utterly Incapable of dressing or un-
! dressing themselves. Their very ac-
| tions are those of little children; their
emotions and fears, their joys and sor-
rows, remind us most fOrcibly of
! those we witness in nursery of little
| ones. The faculty of initiating, which
is common to the monkey and to the
child is the great instrument by which
these poor little ones are taught to ex.
ercise their senses, and to acquire the
ordinary habits of civilized beings.-
They are grouped into classes, a few
of those already instructed being mix
ed with those who have to learn. Fin.
ger lessons are the first that are taught
Most of the children, Ior instance,
on first admission, cannot button a
button, tie q string, nor do the COM
mon9st act which requires any adroit
manipulation of the digits, hence all
Nh4o LttS ~ DC lCtiAl1CO- II - CERTAINLY
od odd sight to see group of girls ali
actively engaged in buttoning and
unbuttoning their clothes, in pinning
them, and in tying and untyingstrings
In short time, by watching those
who are instructed in these simple
arts, they become adopts, and are
able TO dress themselves with perfect
ease. While witnessing the mechan-
ic2I manner and the earnest expires
RiOr1 with which fhaGa ldssn1o
performed, we confess we were re-
minded of the performing monkey
the italian organ grinder carries about
with MIN, who sweeps with broom,
plays the drum, shoulders and lets of
a musket, and does half q score of
tricks with equal adroitness.
Various handicrafts are taught here,
and therefore many preliminary les
sons of similar character have to be
required before the boys are intrusted
with tools. All The tailoring is done
by the inmates, regular teacher PIE
siding, and instructing the more ad-
vanced in cutting out, sewing ard fit
ting. The workmen give the spects-
tor, however, the idea of being boys
at play, for they come up to HIM and
show their work, as the
youngest children show their draw
lngs on slate, delighted at the small
est praise. Besides the handicrafts,
the boys are taught agricultural pur-
suits, they cultivate the garden, and
feed the stock-the favorite occupa-
ton; they milk the COWS, and do II
we'll, too. The routine instruction Of
The asylum lifts all of these poor chill
iren, more or less, into the scale OF
beings, able to help themselves
md others, but in some instances the
most encouraging results are obtained.
Thus some Of the lads are able to copy
in q surprising manner. II
S donein 3 purely spirit it is true,
md this very fact affords q proof OF
he small intellectual merit of the
merely copying capacity bat are
here not many persons earning their
,read in the world, and considered to
10 very clever, by means Of the same
limited powers?
The great benefit arises from The en-
bling of idiots to perform any useful
york can not be doubted. y similar
nterpTise has been started by DR.
Parrish, III Media, near Philadelphia,
ghIch has been quite successful in its
perations as those in England. The
Iondon Daily News, a short time
lnce, i'll noticing the annual fete at
Asylum, speaks as follows
the inmates:
One idiot has q special power as
Opyist of the finest engraVings, and
is limitations of Landseer and other
vell known artists are plentifulIy
ung about the walls. One of the in
lates we saw on Thursday, a smart,
ctive man of thirty years, IN nautical
has constructed a model
nip, and has developed mechanical
enius of no mean order. He was
earring an ivory cravat ornament,
by himself, which wo'd
ave done credit 10 any West End
lop, rnd appeared to be exercising
i intelligent supervision over the
lstimes of the day. Ask him que5-
on, however, and he stares vacantly
Id in silence. Try to rouse him by
)ur admiration of the vessel he has
shfoned with such exquisite care
i'd skill, and he gibbers unintelligi-
y, or tells you that CANCELS are
bad-angeIs put top OF
asst, devils down below" Boots are
ade by one idiot which have chal-
nged comparison at the English and
-ench Exhibition for neatness and
auty, and what is called the work
Ock." The inmates may be seen at
Ork, except on such festivals as that
Thursday, upon a variety of trades.
OusehOld and laundry work, mat
eaving, farming, gardening, carpen-
ing, tailoring, shOemaking. plumb
3 and basket making, are all car
ID on by idiots.
rHE new administration has been well
Lracterized as ''The Great American Gift