The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-11
JUDGE KELLEY AND THE MUTEs
A Story of the Veteran Congressman's
Travels in Europe.
N.om "a PhiLadelphia Ne!cs


Judge Kelley, the Father of the House,
keeps his vigor and strength wonderfully
while under the increase of years, says +.
G. Carpenter His voice has still that Deep
rich dramatic quality. which is due, it is
said to Mr.. kelley's ambition away back
in his early days to go upon the stage He
Is a most delightful racOnteur. and likes
nothing better than an appreciative listener,
who will sit by his tireside half an evening
and give him an opportunity to tell what
he has seen in his travels and the experiences
of lifetime.
lone of the most remarkable things /
ever witnessed, " SAID the Judge the other
evening, occurred at Dover some years ago
while | was waiting to cross the channel on
my way to Switzerland. | was hungry and
had some time to wait, so | went into a
small eating honse. seated myself at a table
and gave my order There, as everywhere
else, 1t took some time for the walters to
bring what was wanted, and began TO look
about me. At the table at my left sat three
gentlemen. One Of them was an old gentle
man with silvery white hair another was
full-bearded man of 81 and the other was
young fellow with a slight black moustache
and a wonderfully alert, keen manner !
could not help hearing their onversation.
They were talking of a iourny on into
Belgium, and CLEANED that they were to
attend some convention which was of an
educational nature. The speech of the two
elder men, ! observed, was very distinct
and clear. This was Interesting TO me, be-
cause it indicated that they were well edu-
Gated men. The language of the young
man excited a good deal of curiosity He
spoke tiuently, smoothly and vet with pc
culiar accent / cannot describe it in any
other way than to say that it sounded as |
should expect the language of an automaton
TO sound, or as n friend once suggested
when told him the story, there was a
sepulchral, CHASTITY edge to his words, as if
they had been pronounced by some grinniug
skeleton. When we had eaten our lunch,
and the three men and myself all arose
simultaneously, 1t became easy for me to
make the acquaintance of the elderly gentle
men. | soon learned that the three were
on their way to attend a worlds convention
of deaf mute teachers at Brussels Then,
very much to my aStonlShmeut, my new
found acquaintance told me that the Young
man, whose eech had seemed so strange,
had been totally deaf from his birth, and
never heard human voice and that what
| had heard him saying was all ma tier of
requirement. He had been taught by the
best teachers of England the art of visible
speech and had mastered not only his own
tongue, but German and French, and spoke
tiuently in three languages To satisfy me
that this was so the Old gentleman INTRODUCED
me to the young man and asked him to give
me an example Of his familiarity with French
and German and he did So 1t was simply
the most wonderful demonstration of the
delicate prehensible faculty of the human
mind that ever came t. my knowledge. |
had never supposed, and certainly should
never have believed, if | had not witnessed
1t on that occasion, that it was possible for
the human mind to so overlap such terrible
barrier as total deafness and master an I'M
known realm of knowledge and accomplish
y