National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-05
SILENT SCHOLARS.
coMMENcEMENTAT KENDALL GREEN.
A Notable Gathering at the Coliege-Addresses BY
President Garfield and ex-Speaker Randall
Degrees Conferred Upon the Damb
charlottesville Exercises.

ApiC It's uItSt
yesterday, and presented charming picture seated
amid the rolling stretches of yelvety green lawns
with the background of majestic forest trees jus
| bursting into bloom. The air was laden with the
| delightful perfume of flowers and the numerous
visitors that came to attend the annual presenta-
! ton exercises of the National Deaf Mute College
paused before entering the hall to admire the
loneliness OF her surroundings. AS is the custom
! upon these annual occasions, the audience was
a very large and fashionable one, comprising
many prominent in official and social life. Upon
| the stage were seated President Garfield, eX-
/ Speaker Randall, Mr.. W. W. Corcoran, Hon. W. H.
Hunt Secretary of the Navy; Hon Josiah Dent
Commissioner of the District; General Dunn, eX-
Judge Advocate United States army; Professor ST.
! mon Newcomb, General Eaton, the Commissioners
of Education, Mr.. Peter Parker, Mr. J. C. McGuire,
Judge Niblack, of Indiana; Rev. F. d. Power, pas
tor of the Christian Church J. Stanley Brown, phi
Yate secretary to the President; Judge Drake,
ChiefJuStice of the Court of Claims: Rev. Thomas
Galaudet, D. D., of New York, and the members OF
the faculty. The members of
TIE GRADUATING CLASS
and students of the college occupied seats in front
of the platform. The exercises were begun with
prayer by Rev. Mr.. Power President Gallaudet
in announcing the first speaker jeremiah P
Kelly, of Minnesota. whose subject was 'Our
Countrys Progress" stated that owing to indispo-
sition he was unable to speak. He then intro
duced the next speaker, Mr.. Frank ". Shaw, of
Ohio, whose subject was "John Wyclifc.' Mr..
Shaw is a young man of medium height, dressed
in stylish eut-away coat and as Professor Chick
ering read his essay, he delivered it in the sign
language. The essay was III the nature of bio
graphical sketch, and the silent orator threw con-
siderable expression and force into the delivery.
AT the close he was warmly applauded, and re-
cefTed several bouquets. " Civil-Service Reform
in England" was the subject of an Grafton by
Richard Long, of Ohio. who excused the choice of
a subject by stating that, as
CIvIL-SEEyICE REFORM
was needed inthis country, the experience of other
countries would'be of value At times the reader
of the essay would get in advance of the gesticu-
lating speaker, and would pause, in order to allow
him to catch up. In the dead silence that ensued
the spectacle Of this young man, violently and
earnestly making gestures was rather odd. Mr.
Theodore A. Kieslel, of Delaware, spoke of The
Earth, as Transformed by Man." He was young
man of about twenty, and showed such facility
with the sign language that he not only kept up
with the reader, but seemed by his manner to want
TO convey to the audience the ideas which he was
expressing. During the iutermission president
Gallaudet gave very interesting exhibition of the
method employed in
TEACHING THE DEiFNUTES
to talk. Upon blackboard were written num-
Der of characters representing the letters of the al
phabet and also some words. Three pupils-one
girl of about thirteen, another of eleven years.
and boy apparently about nine-were brought
on the platform. They were absolute muteS. As
President Galaudet pointed out the signs on the
blackboard they articuated them SO distinctly that
the persons on the platform were inmany instances
oh 4I, l.
made were similar to those uttered by all deaf
persons that have the power of speech-harsh and
irregular-but they showed what training could
accomplish. An illustration of reading from the
lips was given by two young boys who were
born deaf One repeated the numerals, and
the other by watching the movements of
his lips, was able to repeat them after
him. Then a boy who had been dumb
from childhood, but had his hearing partially re-
cited poem entitled 1.-The Mill The audience
were able to distinguish OF the words uttered
but the tone was of course harsh and without mod
ulation. This exhibition was very interesting
and warmly applauded. The next Grafton
was on scientific Association" by Isaac n |
Hammer, of Tennessee. He had partial hear
ing from boyhood, and had under many |
difficulties retained his speech. He delivered |
The Grafton in loud strong voice, and the only !
hing noticeable was clipping OF some words in |
Money-ItS Use and Abuse" |
was the subject of the last Grafton, by Albert H
5chory, of Ohio. Secretary Kirkwood was an |
bounced to deliver the address to the graduating |
class, but President Gallaudet stated that he had
been informed that the Secretary was detained by |
pressure of business at the Department.
SPEAKER RANDALL
vas asked to make some remarks, and responded |
II his usual felieitous manner. President Gal
audet then presented the following candidates for
he degrees mentioned: For the degree of bachelor
# arts-Albert Henry SchOry, Isaac Newton Ham,
ner, Richard LHommedicu Long, jeremiah P.
Kelley; for the degree of bachelor of philosophy
frank Wiley Shaw, Theodore Adams Kiesel He
hen thanked the President for his presence, and
eferred to the interest which he had taken during
lis public life in the institution.
PRESIDENT GARFIELD,
n reply, said that in presenting these young men
was presentation to the world of minds that
lad been awakened to new powers. Therein lies
he beneficence of this education. Ii has been |
aid that he is a benefactor of his race who makes
lis blades of grass grow where one has grown be-
ore The men who can multiply the powers of
oy's mind are vastly more benefactors of the
rorld. The old common law did not consider
hese unfortunates responsible either le-
ally or morally. This species of education
reateS llem into broad, wide citizens. He said
hat be had always looked upon this place as the
eutral ground in politics, where all might unite,
of politics. He was glad to note the
rogreSs that had been made, and that it was not
npeded by any change at the Capital He hoped
nat this would always be the case. The Presi-
ent's remarks were heartily applauded. The fol-
)wing
HONORARY DEGREES
f A. NJ. were announced, Mr.. Ekbohen, distin-
uished educator in Sweden, and Mr. w. Ar.
ill, former pupil, and now the editor OF deaf
lutte paper called the Athol Transcript of Mass,-
husettS. At the conclusion of the exercises in
&c hall President and Mrs. Gallaudet held re-
aDtion at treir residence which Was lornalv