The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-12
A GOOD WORK.
south CarOlina's Institution Tor the s.duca
tion of the Deaf, Dumb and Blind.

This noble institution is situated in
! Spart3nburg County, four miles from the
county site, and one mile wcS' of the
Spartanburg aud Union Railroad. on the
beautiful and historic grounds of Cedar
Spring. AS is indicated in the heading
of this article, the establishment en-
braces two entirely distinct departments,
the one being devoted exclusively the
instruction of the deaf and dumb, the
other to that Of the blind. The former
department is by several years the older,
having been founded by the Rev. New
ton Il. Walker, native of Spartanburg
County, about 1850. 1t WAS ut first n
private but purely phlanthropic enter
prise, and was therefore quite limited in
its operations until its noble and cner-
gctic founder succeeded in securing as
sistance from the State. 1t was while
laboring to effect this end that he met
the Hon. Bias Henderson, of Laurens
County. who cordially seconded Mr.. W.'s
plans, advocating, ut the same time, the
cstablis' 'ment of, in connection with the
school, department for the blind. Ii is
needless to say that the gentlemen then
composing the Legislature Of South Car
olina warmly approved their measures.
and by. suitable appropriations, soon
placed the noble enterprise on the high
wayto grand success, and in few years
the department for The deaf aud dumb,
under the personal management of Mr..
Walker, and that of the blind under the
who WAS himself blind, each attained to
the highest rank among the institutions
of its kind.
Just here, We would notice briefly the
objects contemplated by the worthy au-
thor and the supporters of this bencvo-
lent scheme. In the case of the deaf and
dumb, as well rs that of the blind, there
were two branches, the intellectual and
the industrial the former needs no COM
ment. further than what is implied in the
term we have used the latter we will
notice more specifically. The industrial
branch of deaf.mute education at Cedar
Spring consists Of carpentering, shoe and
harness making and the arts of agricul-
ture; the blind were taught to make
brooms and mats and to cane chairs
The industrial part of female education
seemed To have been overlooked.
The prosperity of this noble institu-
ton was checked III the year 1861 by the
ontbrcaking of the late war; in 1862 it
was deprived Of its distinguished founder
by his untimely death. AT the opening
| IS ~" session Of 1Sc2 '.c:.!:a a~-':. ::
whs manifest, from marked decrease in
the number Of attendants, and partial
suspension of the industrial branches,
which continued until the spring Of 1865
when the doors were closed. In the fall
of 1866 All attempt was made to revive
this langnishing enterprise, but with
small success. the exercises being again
| ind laEt tfa1x "a, Al
tion Of n short session. Tn 1869 it be-
gan new but uncertain lease of life,
which was interrupted in 1873 by the
imbecie ex- Governor Moses, influenced
by the corrupt and designing Neagle.
In 1876 Ex-Governor Chamberlain
deemed it necessary, by way of cuncili-
ating the Eow aroused and resolute Dem
ocracy, to perform one palpable duty
Accordingly. this noble but apparent
ly ill-fnted institution was permitted to
resume its uncertain career, with a re-
striction to twenty pupils. Under Dem
ocratic rule, the attendance on the sue
ceeding term, which closed in June, 1878,
was increased to forty-fve, of whicl,
thirty.five were deaf and dumb
and ten blind. At present, Professor N.
+. Walker, son Of the founder of the in
stitution, is its superintendent. The
teachers in the deaf and dumb depart
nent are Professor John NJ. Hughss0n, n
deaf mute, and the first graduate of the
school. n gentleman of fine scholarly as
! well as business attainments, and Miss
Ida Walker. sister Of the superntcn-
dent Mr. r. p. Rogers also mute, is
mas or OF the shoe shop.
In the department for the blind, Mrs.
l.. Q. Henderson, another sister OF the
superintendent, has charge of the liter
ary branches, and Professor w. b. North,
who is blind, and n graduate Of the institu-
tion, is the professor of music. Since
the war, the meagreness of the appro-
priations has been such rs to prevent the
reopening of the shops for the industr-
al training of the blind. Mrs. Walker,
the mother of this remarkable family of
teachers, presides rs matron of the es-
tablishment, and we take pleasure in
stating that despite hard times and short
appropriations, she never fails to have
the table furnished with an ample sup
ply of savory and wholesome viands.
1t is evident from the above that these
officers are peculiarly fitted for the i'm
portant positions ~hieh they fill, and it
is due to them to state that though they
have been greatly restricted II their
operations for want OF the necessary
funds, yet the most gratifying success
has crowned all their efforts, and the
standard of scholarship among their
graduates is second to that Of no similar
institution in the land.
In regard to the wants of this institu-
ton, we will begin by stating that the
building itself is greatly out of repair !;
"the roof lets in the rain" but not "the
sunshine" the plas,ering is frequently
dropping, thus endangering the lives of
the inmates the grounds and enclosure
are likewise ia bad condition. The IL
brary for the blind contains little variety,
the few volumes of which it is composed
presenting uniformly dilapidatcd as
pect. With the exception of few text
books purchased from time to time since
the war, the collection has not been re-
plenished during the last fifteen or
twenty years. The musical instruments,
with scarcely an exception, need replace
ment by new ones.
Thus it appears that the only estab-
lisiment in South Carolina designed for
| the mental and physical training of tiii5
unfortunate class of our population is
fast drifting into m untenable condition
for want of respectable support from
| the Legislature. Certainly such n
course on the part of the State has neith-
er the commendable quality of economy
nor philanthropy. If this charity is TO
be sustained Mt ALL let it be done in n
manner which will ensure the fulfllment
of its objects. The blind of South Car
olina do not ask an asylum, but the OPP
! portunities of education, and this no one