National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-09-15
A DEAF-MUTE VARIETY.
Prof Bells Researches I'm Martha's
Vineyard for Hereditary Detectives
Rewarded.

Prof Bells Researches in Martha's
Vineyard for Hereditary Detectives
Rewarded.
Prof A. Graham Bell has returned to the
city from Mnrtha's Vineyard, where with the
assistance of Frank 4. Maguirc, he has been
pursuing his investigation Of the persistence
and further enlargement Of defects such rs
those of hearing and Speech through intermar-
rage of affected persons. Some year or so
since the scientific world was startled by the
publication from Prof Bells pen of a dcdnc.
tion from investigations then only partially
completed, to the effect that under existing
modes Of treatment u distinct variety Of the
human race was being dcveloped-th1 deaf
mute. Mr.. Mcguire was met by II REPUBLICAN,
reporter last night and asked regarding the
success Of the Inquiries which he had been
prosecuting with Prof Bell.
"Mmthas Vineyard presents u most favor.
able field for The inyestigatIon we arc carrying
on, he replied. I'VE nre endcavOring to yet
ut the causes of deafness and deaf mutcncs3
which runs through several of the families of
that vicinity, In one case To the fourth genera
ton; and n other families y presents I'M
City, on one part of the island, there are thou
sands of visitors, ut Chilmark few arc seen und
the town Is MS quiet as II bnckwoods village.
The isolation OF this part of the island tends to
the intermarriage of the inhabitants, and I
think II safe statement that fully onethird
Of the marriages that take place there between
lHt OF inllnuTK are COnSnnyninC01S
TO greater or less extent There are 800 in.
habiants, aud in this small population there
are twenty families of one namc residing there
9hl they are connected with every family in
Chilmark who have been there for any great
length oftime. II is not unlikely that we will
make close study Of this family In all It's
varied peCuliaritics."
what are the pecuiarities of this family
while many of its members arc Intelligent
and well educated, as family, amer climbing
lee Al.
are considerably below the average of the
former generations Of the same family. The
ancestor came over from England in the latter
brilliant minds arc to be found in the earlier
generations. But something has caused de-
cided degeneration, and this family Is now
very prolific In the production of detectives.
The insane, the blind, the deaf and dumb, aud
the paupers as well, all bear the family name
speak OF IN the town of Chilmark. As the
old town clerk put u, People bout here
but If knew in what part of my
body that blood was I'd pick IL out
There Is another family name almost as com
mon in those partS rs the one spoke Of Tho
ancestor of this family came to this country
about 1913. Theirflrst marriages were with the
family AFOREMENTIONED, aud they have been
nylng out intellectually, ever since In the
branch living on the south OF tho island they
are known as the crazy rs. But, added
the gentleman who gave me the information,
the Us that have been supported by our
quency OF certain surnamcs on tho island Is
astonishing as well as amusing There are
probably between 5000 aud 1000 inhabitants
on the island. The gentleman who took the
census Of 1850 told me that one in every fifteen
of the population was Luce. Take n half
dozen family names Amost common. In Chit
mark and 1t would about clenr out the town If
al persons of those names were to leave. Take
fifteen names from Lisburg and IL would about
clear out hall that town, although II has pop
ulation OF 800. 1t Is said that one night some
years ago n very heavy storm visited the Vine.
yard, and the lightning struck three houses on
that occasion, and that each house was occu-
pied by man named Luce. St. John Aekers
makes the statement that there are more deaf
mutcs ON the Vineyard in proportion to the
population than in any other part of the com.
try and don't doubt the truth of his asser-
ton"
"What isyour theory concerning the increase
of the detectives on the islandY"
well, of course II Is only speculation on my
part, but the indications seem TO point to con-
snnguinity as having the effect of degenera.
ton. do not believe that u consanguineonS
marriage by itself must necessarily lead to de-
iectiye offspring, but do think that such II
marriage intensiies any peculiarly, be 1t COOL
or bad. For instance consanguinlty in nu-
merous cases on tho island seems to have led to
extreme long life, and In others have un-
doubleday produced defective offspring"