Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1872-02-23
AT the request Of Capt. Mccoy, we pub
llsh the following communication
The INSTITUTION FOR THE DEAF AND
DUMB AND THE BLIND,
Cfo,,,,tn., 1E.L 1919

llsn the following communication
The INSTITUTION FOR THE DEAF AND
DUMB AND THE BLIND,
,Staunto,s. Fcb'y 18th, 1872.
W. II. Fl. LYNN. E;q.,
Editor of the Vndicator:
Dear Sir-In the last issue of your pa
per, notice an article, headed IAN At
feeting Scene," reHec:ing indirectly upon
the Institution.
1t is said that on last Sunday 'for the
first time in six months, they (the pupils of
the deaf-mute Department. were enabled to
converse in their own mute language, with
| one using articulate language" On the
contrary, at any moment Of the period men
toned, they could have conyersed, as they
constantly have done. 81 in their own mute
language" with any one OF three officers of
the Institution, who use articulate language.
Moreover, outside of the Institution, there
are in Staunton at least as many more per-
sons using articulate language" who can
| and do often converse fuently in the sign
language with our deaf mute pupils.
| Again, it is intimated that the moral
training of the deaf-mute pupils is neglected.
This | deny and will dsprove to any impair
tial person who will take the trouble to &C.
quaint himself with the facts At the be-
ginning Of the present session, the fifteen
minutes sermon on Sunday afternoon was
discontinued, not g. for want Of one who can
hear and translate, Or one or more such
persons could have been had but because
the Board of Visitors believes that other
more profitable services might be substitu-
! ted. may add that those ministers Of the
town to whom ] hid an opportunity of men
tioniug the ulject c4ucurred in this opinion
The Sunday services for the deaf-mutes are
as follows: Sunday school at 9 A. NJ;
Religious instruction by lecture on some
portion Of the Bible at 8 P. NJ; Bible class
Qor the older pupils) at 4 P. NJ. These
services are never omitted. They also recite
Scripture Lessons on Monday morning. The
interest both teachers and pupils manifest
in all these exercises (Which the public is
always at liberty to witness) is convincing
refutation of the intimation that the moral
training Of the latter is neglected.
am sure you will do the institution the
justice to publish this communication
Very respectfully, your obed't serv't,
CHALREs D. Mccoy, Principal.
In justice to ourselves we feel called upon
to make the following comments. In refer
ence to conversang in the mute language we
may have been in error, but our informa.
ton was that communication with the deal
mutes was by spelling CD the hand, and that
is totally different, Gas is wri,iog 10 them
from the sign language
The great objection we make to Capt
McCoy's statement is that he anters what
was not intended. We said, as plainly al
language can say it, "a part Of their mora
training" and none but those who 7coulo
read it in that light, could possibly have
made us say, or even intimate that ali mora
training was dispensed with, and Capt
Mccoy admits that they are deprived of tina
part AS to why che Sunday services (no
of Is minutes only, but occupying an hour,
we're dispensed with by the Board, we car
not say, but the public. and the patrons o
the school, who laid saasiderable stress or
these Sunday sermons, had just reasons t.
Judge that il YES what we stated. as they
were not resumed this session. Besides
while some may converse with mutes b
signs, very few can perform that triple ope
ration Of the Misunderstanding what {
speaker has said, traasias;ng that and at thu
same time attending to what be is then say
| ing. There are only very few in the Uni
ted States who can 30 this 1t requires Ga.
does that similar branch Of our profession
shorthand reporting,) long practice, anc
much experience, liberal education and
familiarity with the subject, to accomplish
| it, and although we do not deny that "one
or more such persons gould have been had,
yet we feel confident in asserting that they
could not have been had from this locality
either in or out of the Institution. In the
number of Press Reporters in the country
there are very few short hand reporters, ane
of those who converse hy signs, an equally
small number who can hear and translate 1
discourse. 1t is not an every day gift, no.
is it SO easily acquired We consider our
selves, therefore, correct Ea the assertion
) for if the Board had desired to continu,
) these services, they you'd have been necessi