Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-06-06
WHAT I KNOW ABOUT STAN
MERING.
BY Lutte A. TAYLOR.


The success Of Mr.. Greeley in writ.
ing a book on what be knew about
farming, has emboldened me to write
q newspaper article on what | know
about stammering. | am confident
that | am much better informed on
my subject than Mr. Greeley upon
his, for he has entirely failed in his
efforts to raise dried apples from the
seed, while | have never failed, when
ca G d upon, to stammer ia
the satisfaction of private friends
or public assemblies. Sometimes it has
required extra exertion Cor me to fill
the measure Of expectation, and give
as great an amount Of English, dis
jomted in different manner from that
in which Webster or Worce ster dis
joints it, as was expected Of me in q
given time, yet have never failed to
meet reasonable demand.
Stammering is an art which but
comparatively few people possess
| am the more surprised at this, be-
cause it can be acquired without in
terfering with any regular business,
and usually, practice will make one
perfect. | have known young boys
who were very strong stammerers
indeed, and young men, who have
been with me, by strict attention and
using all their spare time, have made
very creditable progress, and in a
few weeks compelled me to check
them lest they should become my
equals or superiors in the art.
Its advantages may not be appar-
ent at first, but they will be admitted
when attention is directed to them
First,-It gives one prominence
singularity, notoriety, or whatever
name you choose to call it by, and
every one likes to be prominent, sep,
arato and distinct from his fellows
Who does not remember some stupid
play fellow Of his boy who STAN
mered, and who is remembered for
that fact, and that alone. But for
this he would have been rubbed out
of your memory, as a sum is rubb ed
off from tho black board, but now be
sticks, as the gashes in that board
cut by stony seams in the chalk
stick. An unregenerate Democratic
editor, heated by partisan prejudices
once said that suffering gave me al
the little notoriety and small conse
quent influence which | possessed
| reflected upon the remark, and wal
surprised to see how truthful it was
considering the unreliable source
from which it came.
Second,-Stammering excuses PEG
pie from many things. When wai
a school boy and became hopelessly
lost in the conjugation of the Greek
verb, tupt0, severe contraction oil
the face, a judicious movement of the
under jaw, and sort OF appealing
look in the eyes, as if / knew bui
could not tell, would cause even the
stern old Professor to bend on me q
look Of sympathy and regret, and noe
to the next to finish my exercise, e
that without knowing anything es
pecially about my text books, l wa
always marked high on examination
days. This was = great advantag
to me, and gave me that leisure 70
outdoor exercise which young stu
dents so much need
Stammering also excuses religion
people from being prominent il
church and conference meetings.
Stammering, in every case whicl
| have known, is merely habit;
habit generally unconsiously forme
by imitation or the influence Of tn
example ofsome other person. Thor
are persons who have defective pa
ates or other organs of speech, whic
impair their pronunciation, but thes
are not properly stammerers. | hav
never known stammerer who coul
: not under favorable conditions, pei
. fectly articulate any sound in tn
language, although the consonau
sounds are more difficult than other
and the state of the nervous systel
has much to do with ease of speed
! In my own case, / think / acquire
the habit very early from the exam
i pie of . Mr.. Cakes, equally note
I for his stammering and profanit,
y Much Of the time in early boyhoo,
it was utterly impossible for me
read aloud, often the prespiratio
pouring profuseIy from my face viii
!. attempting to read single page
on ordinary book. Many devio,
were resorted to by friends to brea
me Of the habit, such as offering II
, rewards to 60 certain length
time without stammering, readin
with a shilling on my tongue, (poC
folks had a little silver in those days
or, as Demosthenes used to do, tall
ing with pebbles in my mouth. B
all was of no avail and l grew up
responsible boyhood, about as reli
bic a stammerer as could be foun
ell | bad one STEADY habit" and Fl
y, quently congratulated myself.
70 that fact.
IN Circumstances eonspired to chu