The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-05-14
. ~ <ERSAL ALPHABET.
From the Boston Globe.

Ance occupied the attention OF the
w. dy of Arts connected with the Massa-
= dsetts Institute of Technology, last eve
Aing, and proved OF sufficient general at
traction TO draw together large and in. ell
lectual audience, composed of ladies and
gentlemen interested in the cause OF educa-
tioh The occasion was the eluci datlon, by
Mr.. A. Graham Bell, Of the system of 'sVisi-
Die Speech" invented by his father, Mr.. A.
Melville Bell, Professor OF Vocal Physiolo.
gy, which has now been brought to state
of almost absolute PERFECTION, and received
warm encomiums both in this country and in
England. This system has for its principal
object the teaching of the deaf and dumb to
articulate; it is, however, of more extended
app!icst ton as a Science of Universal AL
phabetics," and may be made OF great use
in learning foreign languages. la all pre-
ylous alphabets the characters themselves
are mere arbitrary signs for the sounds they
represent, but by this system every letter and
every part OF letter has defiDits physlolog~
ical m Gaming. The characters bear the same
relation to sounds that chemical symbols do
to subtace. These characters or symbols
represent parts OF the mouth, and each
sen elementary symbols, and by the combina-
ton of these all sounds are represented.
Before entering into an explanation of his
system in detail, Mr. Bell proposed to give
some practical results Deaf m utes, he said.
are only dumb because they cannot hear,
because TO sounds have entered the closed
portals of their ears. The reason they do
not talk is because they do not know what
to do to form the sounds. Physiological
symbols show the concealed organs of speech
The first application of this method was made
in England in 1869, and, though highly appre
ciated there, was not carried into practical
effect. 1t was noticed in Chambers Enclo-
paedia, and ia 1868 Professor Melville Bell
delivered lecture in the Lowell Institute on
this subject, and afterward experimental in
the school for the deaf and dumb in Penn
berton Square. There are now between
thirty and forty teachers otthe deal and dumb
by this method in massachusetts,. In January
of this year these teachers met in convention
at Worcesters and, and, as q result of this
meeting, a periodical was started In March
for the purpose of extending this method it
is to be published forstpiehtly, and it is to be
printed in the characters OF this "Visible
Speech" Mr.. Bell remarked that future
generations will undoubtedly look back with
surprise to the time when children were
allowed to grow up with undeveloped minds
and dumb Mr.. Bell then introduced to the
audience Mr. Goldsmith, one of his pupils,
who was born deaf and dumb, and who had
received only thirty or forty lessons in this
system. Mr.. Goldsmith then read the fol-
lowing lines "a short time ago was not
able to speak you see how can talk now.
l hope L may tie able to speak, by and by.
I am happy to see you all. Good bye
Every sound was uttered with the utmost
dis tinctness, aud the chief points noticeable
were the labored utterance, the prolougatiou
Of the vowels and the peculiar quality of th e
voice. a
young lady was then presented to the
audience who had learned TO speak by the
use of the ame symbols. Che could converse
on ordinary subjects, AID lived with her
friends at home, although deaf end formerly
dumb. Mr.. Bell wrote on the board in the
symbols OF Lis al phabet the words Society
OF Arts" which the young lady then pro
nounced distinctly, and in different pitches
OF voice. Mr.. Bell mentioned as a relparka-
BILE fact that In recent visit to the insti~
tuition tor deaf mutes, in Northam ptcn
where the system is in vogue, he heard a class
in infection discussing the rules Tor emphasis |
and other arts of elocution.
Mr. Bell then made detailed explanation |
of his system ofvisible speech, and of It's use
as a universal alphabet. The main feature |
OF this system is the pictorial nature of tie
characters used. There are ten elementary
characters or symbols each Of these repreo /
sents certain part Of tie organs of speech, |
and by the com olnation of them all possible
sounds may be 70 iuced for they show ex-
actiy the position of the organs of speech |
required to produce them. These can be
combined in an infinite number of ways, |
and each combination informs the student
how to arrange his mouth In order to pro-
duce the sound required. A remarkable |
Illustration of this was then given. A young
lady who had studied this system, more par
ticularly In It's application to the deaf and
dumb, left the hall, while the audience dicta-
ted different odd sounds and words difficult
to pronounce from the French, German and
Spanish languages to Mr.. Bell, who wrote
them symbolically upon the black "board
the young lady then returned and gave the
sounds correctly, tie nearest approach to
fsiure being in the attempt to whistle,
In which young ladies, however musical
otherwise. are not generally successful.
In this system the vowels and consonants
are distinguished by representing the former
by straight lines and the latter by curved.
The straight lines have dots placed Ia differ
ent positions upon them, SO as to represent
apertures, and when crossed by straight
lines show q rounded action of the lips. An
experiment which was called performing
an equation upon the mouth" was then
shown by Mr. Bell. By q pressure of the
lips during the emission Of y vocal sound, 1t
was made to change entirely its character.
Mr.. Bell, in conclusion, spoke Of the practical
use of these symbols i'll the mission field in
acquiring foreign languages and in the edu
cation of children. The audience listened
with great attention during the evening, ana,