Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-10-08
STAMMERING PEOPLE.
A Painful and Annoying Habit That Ma.
BE Easily Overcome.

A richly furnished suite of apartments
on one of the thoroughfares of the city
is devoted to peculiar purpose. A
gilded plate of modest dimensions, on
which a name, and nothing more, is in
scribed, is among the Haunting signs
by the main entrance to the building.
Ascending one flight of stairs the visi-
tors attention will be attracted by the
marked care with which the doors lead
ing to the front apartments are curtain
ed. He will understand at once that it is
not private establishment, for the name
which appears on the plate below is
again inscribed on one of the doors. A
reporter was ushered into a small pri-
vate apartment, where tall and hand
some gentleman in a fashionable suite
waited on him. In large parlor con-
Meeting with this anteroom by glass
door a conversation was going on. 1t
ran in this wise:
TRY once again, please"
'Th-th-the th-th-thr- thrush th-th-
things th-th-thweetly in th-th- the th-th-
thpwing of th-th-the year."
A young lady was endeavoring to
state in plain English that the thrush
sings sweetly in the spring of the year.
The place proved to be a private
school for teaching persons who lisp,
stammer and stutter to anticulate their
words distinctly. The instructor con-
scented to explain the secrets of his in
teresting business. He said that not one
in twenty of those who lisp and STAN
mer have any organic or natural defect,
and in proof of his assertion he cited the
fact that few children commence to stam-
mer efore the ages of five or six years
'Various causes can be assigned for
suffering, lsping and stammerng, he
proceeded. Fright often causes this
result, and sickness which does not at
all affect the vocal organs produces the
same effect through nervous action.
Stammerng, too, is contagious, and a
child whose speech is perfectly distinct
will almost certainly become stam-
merer if permitted to play and associate
with stammerers. The habit is acquired
by sympathy"
''Can persons whose habit of stam-
mering and lisping is matter of long
standing be taught to speak distinctly"
1.-The habit can be overcome in very
short space of time with training and
patient practice where there is no in
fammation of the vocal organs. Take
such veteran as Mr.. William r. Ira
vers. He could be easily made to
converse like other people, but it would
be crime against society to change his
speech. If he spoke plainly he would
lose some of his fascination"
as it not true that many ladies pride
themselves on their ability to lisp pref
tilyp"
''ln some circles lisping is considered
fashionable and desirable accomplish
ment. The trouble about lisping,is that
when lady has once acquired the
habit she can not adopt a new style as
she would new dress. Most young
ladies who take lessons in lisping when
frolicking with companions of their own
age, are sorry for it later on, and the
habit is not then so easily dropped"
''How do you distinguish between
stammerers, Sufferers and lispersp'
"Stammeripg is simply spasmodic ar
tieulaton, while the sufferer speaks
from an exhausted chest, and is unable
to commence speech easily. Both de-
fects arise from misuse of the voca
organs, sometimes brought about by
ignorance and sometimes the result Of
habit. Lisping consists in giving the
sound of tn and z and some other Of
the consonants, and is almost invaria.
bly, an acquired habit. When not ac
companled by serious difficulty ir
articulation it is surely unnatural and 6
result of the forced use of natures or
gans."
'.Are not the facial contortions which
frequently manifest themselves when
strtterer tries to speak proofs in them
selves that some physical defect ex
istsP"
mot by any means. These contor
tons result from a misuse of the respir
atory organs. Teach the sufferer b,
word and example the proper use o
these organs and gradually these con
tortions disappear altogether. | have
seen persons who would almost 90 int,
spasms on attempting to speak, afte
careful training for two months, con
we're with perfect composure as dis
ITCHY as you or l. The mechanical
part of speech is an unconscious effort
to correct defects in speech it must b.
made conscious-that is to say, the at
tcntion must be concentrated upon thu
vocal effort and the action of the articu
latory organ" The instructor explain
ed that the male stammerers exceed tn
female in number in the proportion O
seven or eight to one, for the reason, h
said. that women possess more mobilit
than men in the organs of speech.
bad stammerer, who has no physica
defect in the vocal organs, can
taught to speak distinctly in from on
to two months. While under instruo
ton, or Immediately afterward, he mus
not be allowed to associate with other
who stammer, or with persons VIII
speak very rapidly. Stammering an,
lisping are more general among wealth
people than among the poor, for som
unaccountable reason. Several clergy
men who stammer in ordinary converse
ton articulate distinctly in the pulpit
but only when they read their sermon
from manuscript. A leading LAWYER i
Scranton, Pa, is the most accomplishe