The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1874-03-05
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ArpArns IN THE STATE cirIrAt.

Superintendent ol tue Asylum lor the
Deaf and Dumb, ] yesterday (Sun,
day) afternoon Joined q party, con-
sisting of tho Governor aud three or
four friends, for q visit to that insti.
tuition. Mr.. Van Nostrana ! will
remark, is not understood TO be Q
Democrat, having obtained the posts
ton he now holds under the Republi-
can administrations soon after the war.
And thereby hangs q tale. On the
incoming Of the present administra-
ton 1t was supposed, Of course, that
all State officers under the old regime
would be replaced by others Of diff
ierent political faith. And such, with
this single exception, / believe, has
been the result and the reader will
agree that this case was peculiar
which, the same, wish to explain.
The Democratic applicant was DIR.
Doak, highly respectable gentle
man. The Governor, it seems,
thought favorably of DR.. Doak, and
not having authority to make tine ap-
polntment himself, he authorized him
to make up his own Board of Direc.
tors, by whom the appointment of Su.
perintendent was to be made. Doctor
spent several days in choosing and
organizing his Board. Imagine his
surprise and chagrin when the very
first thing that Board did was to elect
"Dr. Van Nos:rand Superintendent ol
the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb 7,
A hard case, truly, was it notp Last
heard Of DR.. Doak he was abusing
Austin and the Administration,
swore he never would be an appl-
cant for Office again, but 60 back to
the practice of his profession and join
tie Radical party-since which
d-o-a-k-e-d has become the word for
sotd. OF course every one was sur
prlsed, but the suppos ition is that the
"Doak Board" on inv estigation OF
all the facts, did what sworn officer
was deemed best for the Institution
and politics aside, am constrained to
say my observation yesterday fully
sustains the. ASTON of the Board, DIR
Van Nostrand is thoroughly versed in
the language of the mutes; from long
experience he understands their wants
and the best mode of management
and instruction-and these are all
important qualifications, which the
novice, however skilled in other
things, could not possibly possess to
begin with, and could not readily ac-
quire. 3ga
This Institution, like the one for
the Insane, is admirable in location,
a high hill with a pretty grove, a
view of the city and of
the picturesque scenery OF the Colo
RADIO and at the front of the hill, on
one side, as pretty a valley as ever
smiled invitingly to the hoe and
plough. This valley, fifty acres, il
cultivated by the mutes, and one
would infer from appearances that the
males among them have all acquired
the gardeners skill.
The buildings, one for each Of the
two sexes, are modest and unpreten-
tious, in style frame houses, two
stories high. The school rooms are
provided with books aud blackboards.
and the facility and skill with which
the mutes learn to read, write, and
express themselves through the medi.
um of their fingers, is surprising to
behold. The sleeping apartments,
and also the dining rooms are good,
and the general arrangement appears
to be a successful combination OF
comfort and convenience with proper
economy. What especially lnhusn-
ces and pleases the visitor, is, that the
poor unfortunates are cheerful, if not
happy. Indeed, you will scarcely
find better humored class any
where; and you should have seen the
"auiet Irritation" between two little
misses Of our party and some of the
boy mutes.
There are at present only forty
IN the school. The Institu.
ton has ample capacity for many
more, and If perchance this should
meet the eye ofthe friend in question
of our deaf and dumb, my ahvice is
.-sAks. Al IL A