Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-31
CITY AND DISTRICT.
HEARING WITHOUT EARS.



A CURIOUS AND INTERESTING sPECTACLE-TEACH-
ING DEAF CHILDREN VISIBLE sPEECH-AssO-
CIArTSG THEM WITH HEARING CHILDREN IN
THs SAME sCHooL-MR. BELLS NEW IDEA
IL PRACTICAL oPERaTIoN-wHAr HE HAS To
SAY OF HIS METHOD AND THE NEW DEPARTURE
IN THE TREATMENT OF DEAF MUTEs.
In the midst of the splendid residences that
surround Scott Circle there still stands little
Old-iashioned brick house Retired from the
street with its modest front partially concealed
by growing vines, 1T seems to court seclusiOn az
If overcome BY the ma-nificcnce of its neighbors,
and in deprecatory way to apologize tor its
audacity in daring to be- in such company. The
lawn which bends about the front and side of
the house. conforming in shape to the segment
of the circle upon which it faces. Is
Ike the house. old fashioned. with its hedge
and vine-coyered arbor. There is however
about the house and grounds in t now the sweet
gladHcsS OF childish voices and laughter. which
Is never old fashioned The merry groups pour
Ing ont al the doors and fitting about the lawn
In gleetui play forms u picture of loneliness
ahout the Old place which contrasts sharply tn
the stately silence of magnIfcenct all around it.
III any one should attempt to pass uI the walk
which leads to the front entrance as a STAR
reporter did the other day. he must remember
to 20 slowly. For the little ones are all about,
and they are playing games. aud a Thought
less hand careless foot might COM
nit irreparable injury and bring the
quiver TO the mouth or the tear to the eye
OF some sweet baby face. So. by carefully
going around some mystic circle of little tod
d!ers- or edgin@ past a tiny saval deep in geO-
logical de'viny and dirt. the visitor finds him
self on the front porch. Through the wife open
door ao,ance reveals the hallway and stairs, COW
cred with a rich. soft carpet. and long room
at the SIDE. young lady answers the summons
OF the bell and the visitor inquiries
lis this Mr. Alexander Graham Bells school
for deaf mutes?'
1t is. replies the Young lady. and then with
an inquiring look at the stranger she continues
'Mr. Bell is at present in the school room;
who shall say calsd:'
Her question had suggestive sound. and i'm
parte'! an air of renOteness ~ if she had said:
MIR Bell is at present at the North Pole;
who shall say caed?'
With some misgivings therefore the visitor
produced a card. and the young lady was Oblig-
Ing enough to take it upstairs.
SCHOOL on NEW PLAN.
Presently Mr.. Bell himself came down and
greeted the visitor in his cordial manner.
IL have come to see your new school," said
the reporter. rather abruptly.
1T is new school in everv sense Of the
word" replied Mr. Bell as he led the way into
the front room and took a seat 'We have
hardly taken possession vet of this building
We are still mOvin" from the other house which
we have been occupying since October LIST.
have rented this house fOr a year. and it is
about READY for use
The children seem to be rather talkative for
mutes. observed the reporter as q flood of
childish chatter and laughter foated in through
the doorway and windows.
Mr. Bell smiled and said:
Il will show You lily school. These rooms
down stairs are for the use of a kindergarten
scnoo!. and the children playing outside are the
scholars The school for deaf muteS Is up stairs
and IL IS the only school of the kind in the coun-
try. for the reason that it is an attempt to edu-
cafe the two classes OF children together. Per-
haps YOU are not aware" he continued in
an earnest tone of voice showing that he
was deeply Interested in the subject THAT
there have been two methods of educating the
deaf mutes- The first by placing them i'm schools
with other children. The result of this has
always been that one class of children has been
neglected for the other. and justice done to
neither Then the deaf mut S were placed in
Institutions by themselves. aud this has had the
unfortunate tendency Of Keeping them separate
and apart from the rest of the world.
GOLDEN MEAN.
Nov. in this school. propose to try new
experiment. which will be the mean between
these two systems. The deaf children will be
instructed by Themselves but they will play
with the hearing children in the playground,
and join them for an hour OF every day In the
kindergarten Occupat ons. The deaf children
will watch the actions Of the hearing children
and see them talk. and thus In their play hours
they Will acquire facility in the articulation
method. which We will try to teach them. Chill
dren learn more rapidly from each other than
they do from Older persons. as any parent will
tell You. and these little ones will supplement
the instruction given to their less fortunate
companions.
But come up stairs. and you will see the
school in operation" exclaimed the inventor as
he rose to lead the way His tall form made the
rooms OF the little house look smaller.
AN ATHLETIC SCIENTIST.
Mr.. Bell has not the spare figure and lack of
ply cal vigor which too often characterize the
student He must be over six feet i'm height.
and his broad shoulders and developed chest in
dicate reserve power of health and strength
Judging from his powerfully built body one
would not cOnciud. that he was one of the emf
nent members of the Nationa; Academy of
Sciences as well a. fellow of several of the for
eign academies HIS face is striking one
broad and strongly marked with the high fore
head, from which the black Wary hair is
pushed back IN heavy masses. dark lu<trOus
eye. which br, CITIZENS up as ne talks, gives Char
actcr to the face
could not help but recall that this distinguished
man was but a few short years ago a poor and
unknown teacher in Boston. While Dolbpar
Gray and Others were deep In experiments to
makcthe new discovery of the transmission of
the sound of the human voice pract cal by secue
Ing d.stinctness. Mr.. Bell with the knowledge
obtained m teaching deaf mutas visible speech
solved the problem. and astonished the world
with the invention OF his telephone At that
time. Row barrel 3 seven years ago he had hardly
sufficient money to meet the expense of secur-
Ing patent on his new invention. TODAY he
has an immense fortune. and his name is known
wherever the latest achievements of scientific
investigation are appreciated. His life is like d
tale out Of
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
10 those who only see results; but the Aladdin's
lamp was. after all. his own brains and industry.
tie Is still young man, spending his days be-
tween the laboratory ON Connecticut avenue and
the work shop which he has fitted I'D In his
elegant residence on Scott Circle ard finding
time In the midst OF his electrical investigations
Tor phiianthropic work Of this description
But the stalwart figure standing at the head
OF the stairs recalls the visitor from the brief
Retrospect When the landing was reached he
opsned door into bright CHEEKY room and
said:
This Is our schOOl-rOom."
lt did not look like any schOol-room the
had h0Tx, IH "A