Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1873-09-12
THE SIGN LANGUAGE.

7 had not spent many days in the in.
.,;,ntion before awoke to the fact that
,bs sign language is an exceedingly curl
ars and attractive matter to study.
Tbouqh had elsewhere witnessed some
s,;oht exhibitions of its pantomimic
story-telling, and have even been taught
= few of its terms-if / may call them so
it was rather startling to discover here
a complete language, adequate to all sorts
Of ideas, with which words have nothing
TO do. 1t is more English than it is Chi
nese. Its signs represent objects, ac-
tious. qualities, and whatever else words
express; but they do not represent words.
Many people fancy it to be merely
shorthand way of talking. signs being
;nterspersed here and there Just to save
the trouble Of spelling out all the words.
Doubtless it does save trouble: but that
ia not the main thing. Signs can make
their way where words cannot. They 90
before words; they prepare the way for
them; they rouse the unconscious soul;
thew bring candles into its dungeon; it
b. stirs itself at last. and cries for the
light Of day. When words begin to be
admitted, signs introduce them; and not
until the expanding intellect has grown
beyond its childhood does the sign
language at length withdraw from the
scene, and give place to the language of
words.
At table use to notice the lively con-
yersations carried on by the mute teach
ers between themselves. Some OF them
scarcely needed interpretating, since the
expression of the face supplied the key.
The grand principle of signs being re.
semblance, they are not very difficult to
comprehend when they refer to visible
objects and acts, or to simple emotions.
Beyond this the uninitiated are apt to
find themselves in the dark, unless there
is somebody to interpret. For example,
the sign for "Quaker" is made by twirl-
ing the thumbs about each other. the
fngers being loosely interlaced. Hum
bug is intimated by extending the right
hand upon the back and extended fingers
of the left, while the thumbs are wagged
.-sarcastically, no douLt-upon either
side. If you wish to initiate "courting,
YOU interlace the fingers so that their
tips are toward you, and the tips OF your
bent thumbs about an inch apart; then
wag the thumbs slightly. as If the happy
pair were nodding and chattering in a
cozy tete-a-tete, and You will be struck
with the aptness of the representation.
One day, happening to inquire wheth-
er il we're possible to express in sign
language the grammatical notifications
OF mood, tense, etc., Professor Cook did
me the favor to summon very intelli-
gent pupil in the collegiate department.
ment, named Jones, to give illustrations.
He Immediately represented various
forms IF given verb, in each instance
naming the mood, tense, person eno
number with great precision. am sor
nv that cannot recollect how to make
for instance, the third person singular
pluperfect subjunctive, of the VERDE t'
write, in sign language; but l was glaC
to learn that upon pinch the thing cal
be done. In point of fact, however,
presume it is not always done. Some o
these grammatical accidents may yer.
we'll be left for the imagination to supply
After having exhibited the signs rep
resenting various animals and other oo
jects, the young man gave us some spec.i
mems OF pantomime, in which he excels
To see how he would succeed with some
thing entirely new, the teacher related L
the class the well known anecdote 9
Henry Clay's adventure with the goat
All eyes were intently fixed upon the RAP
idly moving fingers as they spelled wor
after word and no sooner was the stor
finished than Jones proceeded to drama
ize it in the most amusing fashion th'
can be imagined. We saw the gre'
Senator taking his dignifed "eonstit'
tonal in the streets OF Washington
the little ragamufins maliciously teaslr
the long-bearded goat, the benevolent 4
reference OF Mr.. Clay in behalf OF II
unhappy animal, the ungrateful Alta
of the goat upon his deliverer, the g
of the rascally little spectators, and n
ally the ignominious retreat OF the gre
statesman when he was forced to let
and run like blazes, OF course it "
ten times funnier in pantomime than
words.-[ Harper's Magazine for septe'
her