The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-02-15
A Distinct Variety of the Human Race.

Among the many public entertainments of
last week there were two which weBe spe-
cially remarkable. They were the third
annual ball, at Irving Hall on Monday night,
OF the Catholic Literary and Benevolent
Union OF Deaf Mutes. and a pantomime per-
formance on Thursday evening by an anna
teur company composed OF pupils Of the
Institution for the Deaf and Dumb at WASH
ington Heights.
We are told that the ball was an unusually
gay one, everybody taking part in the dane
ing, which included waltzes, polkas. and
quadriles, and was preceded by the Gus
tomary march. The company could hear no
sounds. and yet thoy danced In perfect time
to the music OF an orchestra, their more SEN
sltivs organizations, as an instructor Of the
deaf and dumb explained, enabling them to
feel the music sufficiently for that purpose.
During the course Of the evening conrersa-
tions and flirtations went ON briskly by the
means OF signs. and the young men and
women enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
The performances at the Deaf and Dumb
Asylum consisted OF pantomimio silhouettes,
which caused great merriment among the
mute observers, and a pantomimic comedy,
which told story OF youthful love trium-
plant over parental opposition. All the
actors were inmates OF the institution. and
their clever representations were greatly en-
joyed by tho silent company.
These two entertainments were interesting
because they show both that people may get
much pleasure out OF life although they
lack speech and hearing. and that
those who arc 80 afflicted, according
tina GQOtitnapt
to oil lntents and purposes, class OF beings
apart from ordinary humanity, with meth
DDS OF thought and expression which are so
radically different from those OF tho rest OF
the world that they find satisfaction only In
the society OF their kind. There they are
content with their lot because they are not
reminded OF their inflrmity, as they must be
in the company Of those who speak and
hear, and there they feel altogether at their
ease, which can never be the case with them
elsewhere.
But this tendency OF our deaf and dumb to
contlne themselves to the society OF mutes
involves q danger against which Mr..
GRAHAM BnIL utters q warning, and to
which Dr.. FRANCIS GALLON, the distin-
guished student OF heredity, calls especial
attention In an article which he contributes
to the last number OF the scientific periodical
Nature DR.. GALLON takes for his text the
paper read by Mr.. BELL before our National
Academy OF Sciences, Upon the Formation
OF Deaf Variety OF the Human Race" In
which the evils OF our present system OF
training mutes are discussed.
1t seems that there are now upward OF
$4,000 deaf mutes In the United States, and
that they are mostly collected In large insti-
tutions. forming social worlds OF their own,
and whose inmates intermarry or else con-
tract marriages with the hearing relatives
OF their fellow pupils, who themselves in
many cases, must have hereditary though
latent tendency to deafness. This state OF
things has been going on increasingly for two
or moro generations with the result, to use
DR.. GALLONS words, that "congenital deaf
ness. which In other countries appears spo-
radically. and mostly fails to obtain an heredi-
tary footing, has become artlncially pre-
served In America, and Is intensifled by inter-
marriages, until deaf variety OF the human
race may be said to be established"
The records OF the institutions as to the
after history OF the inmates are, unfortu-
nately very imperfect, but Mr.. BELL found
that OF 5.s2S pupils In six asylums, 29.5 per
Cout' uoVo ucdl EolhIiNcos tu8b nearly u8lI
the pupils contract marriages, and that 80
per cent. OF those who do SO marry together.
The ratio OF intermarrisge, also, Is much
greater than 1t was at tho beginning Of the
century, and 1t appears to be increasing.
Tho Influences which bring about these
intermarriages are almost obvious The
deaf and dumb are an isolated class. who arc
educated together under . peculiar system
In distinct institutions. They are excep-
tional natures who are naturally In sym
pathy, and have method Of expression and
communication known In general to their
own kind only. Each institution has body
Of alumni who regard 1t with great afYec-
ton, and keep up with 1t close sym
patty and association. Gatherings Of
old pupils OF both sexes, CONVERGE
sio~es. and other social meetings are OF
frequent rscurrsnoa and. what y most In