The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-01-16
The Deaf and Dumb.

The Deaf and Dumb.
TURNER AMONG HIS OLD FRIENDS.
At the hour for service Sunday evening,
Trinity Episcopal church was well filled by
the tleaf-mutes from the Institution, ard
many other persons who had gathered to
hear the Rev. Dr.. r. Gallaudet tell Of his
labors asa pastor Of and missionary to that
large and little known class-the deaf-mutes.
After the service, which was read by the
Rector and interpreted to the mutes, DR..
Gallaudet took the pulpit. He said that one
of the first difficulties in nnde rstanding the
work in which he was engaged, was in not
approaching the language mainly used by
these Infortunates to communicate with
each other-the sign language. This, he
said, consisted of conveying ideas by flashes
of the eye, similar to that used by persons
with all their faculties of conveying ideas to
the mind through the medium of the ear. by
flashes of sound.
The sign language In use in the Institu-
tions of this country is identical with that
in use in France, but different from that of Ger
many and Great Britain. The person to whom
this language owes its origin is the Able i
Epee, a benevolent priest and philosopher
whose attention was provdentially directed
to the education of deaf mutes in the year l775
The Able drew class Of mutes around him
and soon noticed that they used certain
signs among themselves for the expression
OF their ideas and wants. This suggested
to him to take those signs. crude as they
were, and work them into system. He did
this to a very great extent, and after his
death the work was taken up and completed
by the Able Secard.
The father of DIR. Callaudet was sent by
society in Hartford, Connecticut, to acquire
the sign language, and had the good fortune
to study under the Able Secard, in Paris.
He soon became acquainted with the use of
the signs and returned to this country, ac-
companied by NJ. Laurent Clere, who had
taught for many years with the Able, and
acquired great proficiency in the use OF the
signs.
Together they introduced this language,
for the first time in this country, in a school
for deaf-mutes in Hartford, Connecticut.
After teaching the mutes the signs, which
| might be called means for the communica-
ton Of pure thought, then came the diff
| Guilty OF teaching them the association be-
tween ideas and written words, or rather
| giving language-the English here, the
! French in France, and so only means Of
| which they were educated. thus gaining ac-
cess to the knowledge of books and the
power to communicate more or less freely
with their fellow-men. This was slow at
| first, and along with it they were taught the
use of the manuel alphabet.
From this DR.. Gal,audet went on to speak
of his special mission-looking after the
| spiritual well.being of deaf-mutes. After be-
ing teacher for many years in an Institution
in New York city, and acquiring thorough
knowledge Of their capacities and needs, he
| conceived the idea Of organizing Bible
class for them. This he did in the fall OF
that the idea of forming church was sugges-
ted to his mind, and with the consent and CO.
operation Of the Bishop and clergy OF his do
cese, he formed the nucleus of wha after
| wards became st. AIMS Parish, in New
York city, OF which he is at present the
Rector. From this little mother church he
has gone to various other cities to preach to
| the mutes, form congregations, and get suit
able places for them to worship in, and from
this germ has grown up missionary society
for the spread of the Gospel among deaf
mutes. This lead him to speak Of gentle
man who lived for years in our midst--Was
well known and much beloved by many of
us-AIr. Job Turner. Mr.. Turner is with
DR.. Gallaudet, and was especially DESTROYS
to make his old home stopping place in
their progress Southwark.
DR.. Gallaudet said thai Mr.. Turner had
come to him several yeals ago asking to be
employed in some way to aid in the religious
development of his fellow sufferers; that
finding him very earnest and devoted to his
work, he had sent first to Boston as lay
exhorter, and afterward to many other places
North and East.
After laboring for some time there with
great success, Mr.. Turner expressed strong
desire to come South and bring the same
good news to his brethren here, whose con-
dition was not as favorable as in the North.
ern cities. The consent was given, and last
winter he had made tour OF the Southern
cities and accomplished great good so much
so, that DR.. Gallaudet was induced to break
away from the pressing demands on his
time at the North and accompany him on
his tour this winter. The Doctor, in appeal
ing to his hearers in behalf Of the work to
touching incidents of the evidences of faith
given by and through the consolation de-
rived from their faith by many OF this unfor-
tunate class, which numbers in the United
States $4,000. He urged upon them the
duty of aiding literally toward carrying it
on by their contributions. He is fine look
ing man, and an earnest and eloquent
speaker.
DR.. Gallaudet spoke in very high terms of
Mr.. Turner and asked the indulgence of the
audience long enough to allow him to speak
for himself Mr.. Turner spoke in signs,
which were interpreted for his hearers by
DR.. Gallaudet and which, when used in
his earnest and feeling manner, were more
eloquent than any spoken words could have
been. He tolG of his associations with
Stanton, which had been his home for
some.years was the burial place of his first
friend, Dr.. Tyler, and of his wife, and was
now the home OF his two sons, and of his
kind friend Colonel Skinner, at whose sug-
gestion it was that he engaged in lis pres
ent work. lie then gave a rapid sketch of
the work-what had been accomplished in
the past, and what, with the blessing OF
God, he hoped to do lii the future. Mr..
Turner's heart seems to be thoroughly en-