The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-09-30

THE DEAF AND DUMB ASYLUM
ABLE sUPERISTENDESCY and
ONE OF THE STATES MIsTA X rs
The Deaf and Dumb Asylum. I'M
der the superintendency Of Col
Ford, Is attaining more reputation
than ever before in its history. Last |
year he took charge Of the institu- |
lion, and when the session began
there were twenty-five pupils. The
highest number attained during the
session was sixty-two. This year |
the school opens with thirty-nine |
pupils, and within less than a month |
the number has increased TO sixty
six. while II appears exceedingly
probable that the attendance will 90
to seventy-five. all that can now be
accommodated. Since appropriation
for the asylum were based upon n
limited past attendance, and since it
is not the policy of the state 10 turn
away applicants as long as there is
room for them, it is evident that the
XtLegislature will be called upon TO
meet deficiencies for this institution
The present corps OF teachers is said
to be the most able yet employed.
Prof. X. G.. Furgeson, the principal.
is a LOuisianian by birth. and has
been n teacher at Romney school.
West Virginia, one of the very best
schools in the Union for the educa-
ton of deaf mutes. The Professor is
man of classical education, while
he is an adept in the art of teaching
deaf mutes. Mrs. Furgeson, an ac-
complished teacher, native of Vir-
ginia, and wife of the principal, is
teacher of the fourth class Miss
Emily Lewis, of Travis county,
deaf mute, educated at the Asylum,
under Prof Van Nostrand, has
charge of the third class. Miss Josie
Callahan, a Texas lady, has charge
of the second class. Ebert Z. Les
ter, deaf mute, also educated at
the Texas Asylum under Prof Van
Nostrand, has charge of what is call
ed the fifth class, lately organized as
necessity. All the classes are pre-
sided over by competent teachers,
and the progress of the pupils this
session, we feel confident. will dem
onstrate the fact that the superinten-
dency has been confided to the right
man. There is only one thing about
the institution, in which the deaf
Inutes do not make satisfactory pro-
gress, and this is in printing. The
outlay of money for printing mate
rial was made more in the nature of
fancy job printing establishment,
something which 1t was said by
prominent printer would he for sale
before long At big discount. than
il was for material upon which
mutes might he taught the art pre-
servative of all arts, in which to be-
come an adept requires the exercise
of all the faculties usually given to
man, besides general education and
reading. Some printing is done at
the Asylum, but il is by Austin
typos of acknowledged ability,
at twenty dollars per week, under
the direction of the superintendent
OF the printing Office. Even a press
man is employed, rs are these prin-
ters, and the public. while looking
at neatly executed jobs turned out
of this office. erroneousiy suppose
they are the work of deaf mute pu-
pills. Hal The institution cabinet
shops and carpenter shops. black
smith shops and other mechanical
shops, boys might be educated to
useful trades, and when turned oui
of the Institution they would at once
command good wages, and would be
Independent men. Should a deaf
mute learn 10 lie even a tolerable
mechanical typo he would fail to
get employment on leaving the in
stitution, because he had obtained |
only II slnattering of an art in which |
it is utterly impossible for him to be |
an adept. Ifa newspaper and print
ing establishment could be estab-
lished with deaf mute editors and
devils, and with deaf mute foremen
and compositors andpressmen, and
with deaf mute business men and
clerks and solicitors; in large and |
highly prosperous deaf mute COM
munity, then deaf mute pripters
would be in demand, and an Elysi-
um, if not an Utopia, might be es-
tablished. But the world moves |
amid talk and hustle, and printing /
offices have gasy editors and impu-1
dent devils, and noisy typos and
effervescing foremen and sweet
tongued canvassers, and were it not
for talk, and plenty of it, printing
office were better established on the |
apex of the North Pole than turned |
over to deaf mutes. A printing
force should be all takers and listen
ers in talking and listening COM
munity, or the most perfect re-
verse in deaf mute community.
There can be no successful mixing
of two peoples. one commumicating
by oral language, the other by signs.
A deaf mute printing Office would be
one of the imDossibilities, hut this is
not the first time state ever drifted
into such farce, and Texas, like
other states have done, will have to
drift ont of it, after being subjected
to an expensive experience Col
Ford found the printing Office on
hand when he took charge Of the
institution. What his opinions about
il are we do not know.
THERE is alarm in the Republican
camp. Secretary Sherman is dis
couraged nj the outlook. and asserts
thai the Republicans should have
made their fight on the financial