Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-11-05
Letter from Montpelier.
MONTPELIER, Oct. q.

MONTPELIER, Ocl- -.
To the Editor OF the Free Press and Times:
1t It's, perhaps, an open question as to WHO
is entitled TO be called the leader of the
House. There are a half-dozen members,
any one of whom would easily occupy the
position were the others absent. Mr.. Fifield
of Montpelier has hardly recovered from a
recent fever, and has to be sparing of his
strength. 1t is safe to say that no member
is more certain TO have the ear Of the House,
or addresses it with more effect. Mr.. Taft
of Burlington is often on his feet but never
speaks unless he has something to say, and
says it in 4 clear and convincing way. He
is very apt to carry his point when he un-
dertakes to make One,-as witness
his jury bill (relating to summons
of jurymen) yesterday, which, after any
quantity of attempts 10 amend it, was passed
almost or quite exactly in the shape in which
he introduced il. Governor Page Of Rutland
is very strong and influential legislator.
Mr.. Dartt of Wcathersfield is an able and
influential member. Among the new men,
bers, Judge Thompson of Irasburgh, Mr.
Harvey of Topshan, Mr.. Palmer of Jericho,
and others have already made their marks as
effective dcbaters and working members
Mr. Brown of Grand Isle sus,ains himself
well as the spokesman of the small Demo
cratic wing of the Assembly.
The exhibition of deaf mutcs in the hall Of
the House, this afternoon, attracted a great
crowd of spectators, and was exceedingly
interesting-as the similar exhibitions at
former sessions have been. Mr.. Williams,
the present principal Of the Hartford institu-
ton. gave first biief statement of the re-
lation of this and the other New England
States to the asylum. The institution
has an endowment which gives it an income
of about $1,000 year and pays a consider
able proportion of the cost of the support
and instruction of the pupils.
Vermont has at present sixteen boys and
girls in the asylum. The annual expense OF
supporting and educating each one is about
$500, of which sum the State pays Sl15, the
balance being supplied from the endowment
fund. As on an average it is found that
there is deaf mute to every 1000 persons
of the population, it is probable that there
are a number Of other children similarly
afflicted who ought to receive the advantages
of the asylum. The pupils are instructed to
some extent in articulation but as it is
found that only small portion OF them can
he made to use articulate speech, without too
| great expenditure of effort and time, the I'm
ger and sign languages are those chiefly
! taught.
Little Anna Maruock, from South Albany,
Vermont, Il pupil of one years standing,
/ Illustrated the earliest processes of deaf-mute
/ education as conducted at Hartford. Prof.
r. s Storrs, the Oldest of the present corps
of Hartford instructors. then exhibited some
of the more advanced processes, b. the aid
of Misses Julia E. Gibson of IIartland, Vt,
and Nora Moves OF Franklin Falls, New
| Hampshire, and Master Willie Ely Of Had
/ dam, Connecticut, who were older in years.
| and had had from four to six years insrruc-
| tion in the asylum. By signs Prof. Storrs
| communicated the substance of several items
| from the Montpelier daily papers 10 The
pupils, who at once rapidly wrote out in
their own language the ideas conveyed.
| Miss Noyes was questioned on colonial his
tory and showed herself accurately informed
in this portion of our history, and in English
| history The method of instruction in arth-
metic and in the analysis of the English SEN
tence was also illustrated by Mr.. Williams
and Prof. StorrS, with the aid of the same
pupils in Il manner which must have con-
WINGED all of the thorOughness and success Of
the methods employed at Hartford. The
exhibition concluded with some very inter
esting and amusing exercises in pantomime
by Miss Moves and Master Ely.