New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-15
HELPING THE DEAF-MUTEo.
THE GALLArJpEr FAMILYs NOBLE WORK.


near PALMYRA. N. Y, two persons who were oe-
- ,ho reach of the clergy of that place
,va,,a not be do something? Yes lie went 10
p.,,n,,o nv the first train hired carriage there
"a Srovc 70 the home of the two people lhey
..s,,oa N ne deaf-mutes man and wife, the former
;h,v four wears old the latter scventy-hhe'
r. wears they had been silently reading their
Rible and silently praying but the Church hau
naolected them The good Doctor spent nall the
dav with them, and before leaving the mousse
baptized both .,.
There is nothing remarkable in the incident
II is only one in thousand Dr. UalauueV
has been ministering 10 deaf-muteS all his me-
going about with an extensive stock OF eoou
Samaritan benevoence in his hands ana i'll MS
heart. rescuing those who. deprived OF speech an"
hearing. have been unable to keep up with the
nrocession of life The Doctor is son Of Thomas
HOPKINS Gallaudet, the first great educator VI
the deaf in America. Thirty-seven years ago he
formed parish in this city and called u 81.
AIMS 1t was double parish, madc up VI
people who spoke ana people who dd not sieaN'
II had no church Its place OF worship was the
small chapel in the old University bulluiiF J"
Souare Here morning services for those
who could talk and hear and afternoon s'rN lo'S
for the deaf end dumb were conducted for hve
sbenberd and his fast-increasns flock removed to
q new fold in the building then occupied by the
American Historical Society. Their stay in this
nlacc was brief, however, as at the end OF two
vca,s they made a bold step and secured perma-
nent home.
There was "A small church in West Eightecnth-st.
near Fifth-ave., which had been built by
Episcopalians but had fallen into the hands OF
the Baptists 1t had been called Christ Church.
IT, was so saddled with debt that the BaptlStb
soon found themselves unable to carry 1t, ana
they proceeded forthwith TO dispose of'lt Dr.
Gallaudet his family and his parishonerS became
its BUYERS. the price being $4,000, of which sum
they paid $50 900 in cash. while the other 10000
was secured by mortgage on the property. That
mortgage has just been taken up, the last 81 ,O0G
of it having been paid this year. The church
was rechristened st. AIMS, and st. AIMS 1T has
been ever since.
Ont of this parish in 1872 grew a society called
the Church Mission 10 Deaf-Mutes, of which Bishop
Potter is president, and Dr. Galaudet general
manager The work of this mission extends through
out the docescs of New York. Long Island, Albany
Newark, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts,
New. Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. In 1885
the Mission founded the Gallaudet Home for Deaf
Mutes an institution admirably situated in the
centre of fine farm of ! sc acres on the Hudson
River between New Hamburg and POughkeepsie.
1t is estimated that there are about 10000 deaf
mutes ir the United States They are under
lasting obligations to the Gallaudct family.
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet graduate OF lae IN
1905, was the apostle of the deaf-mutes in Amer
lea. lie intended for the law. but his health
failing, he entered mercantile house. Later he
felt called TO preach and began studying theology
in Hartford, Conn. His next door nelghbor was
DR.. Mason Fitch CogSwell. one of the eminent
surgeons of the day, whose daughter Alice AT the
age of two, was stricken with an illness which
destroyed her hearing and caused her speech to
pass away before she four years old One
day. Alice was playing in the garden, she
met young Gallaudet, and by her gesture-talk
attracted his attention. lie began to teach her
by signs the names of objects. and succeeded IN
getting her 10 understand words and sentences
Dr. COgswell was impressed with his daughter
progress that he started inquiries for other deal
mutes, with a view to helping them, ana
finding eghty-fOur in the State of CONNECTICUT,
called meeting OF influential citizens at his home
10 take action with Iefe en- TO Their luci On IL
was resolved TO senu a suitable person TO Europe
to learn the art of inslructlng the deal ME-
Gall IuGct was univ ersally regarded DIS tie man
for the mission, and in few weeks he set sail
lie spent fifteen months in Paris. and, rturning 10
Hartford in 1917. took charge of the Conhectcut
Asylum for Deaf-Mutes which DR.. COgswell had
established in his absence
This was the beginning Of deaf-mute lnStruc-
ton and education in America. Mr.. Gallaudet
consecrated his life to the work. lie married
dea mute. and to the couple were born eight ms
and daughters. The Rev DR.. Thomas Gallaudct,
the eldest son, is the pastor of St AIMS Church
and general manager of the church mission; Inc
youngest s,n, Edward Miner Galhudet, Pm. D.,
LII. d., went TO Washington in s57 and opened
p small school, associating with himself Amos
Kendall Dat of that school grew the Columbus
Institution, the only college for dea;mutes in the
world. In the United States alone there are now
sixty schools for the education of
persons deprived of speech and healing
eight being conducted ted ,;n on the Oral ~
in the others what is known the combined
system is used. The oral school in this city is
at Lexingtonave. and SiXtyseventh-st. There
are eleven Episcopal clergymen in the United
States who preach To the deaf in the sign
language. Five of them are deaf-muteS.
This sign language IS neither French nor Eng
are concerned il is universal language Says DR..
Galaudet when preach to my deaf-mutc
congregation OF sunday afternoons | lose all
consciousness of the English language
There is no spelling out of words on the fingers.
Signs are used which express words. sentences.
and even phrases. To hearing man, who I'M
derstands English only Dr. GaIa9det IN the
thought every line. is understood through gesture
and action. DR. GallaudetS rendering of the Lords
Prayer in the sign language is a beautiful and
AMther member of tho Gallaudet family. who
he's identified himself with the movement for pro-
noting the temporal and spiritual welfare of deaf
mutes is the well known. highly esteemed and in
fuential banker. Peter w. Galaudct, whose long
established banking house is AT Wal-St. and Broad
way. lie is brother of the Rev. DR. Galaudet
Thomas Hopkins Galaudet died in 1851 Two
monuments have been erected TO his memory, one
ut Hartford and the other in front Of the Co
lumba Institution at Washington The latter
a bronze statue Ivy d. c. French. represents the
apostle OF the deaf in sitting posture. with Alice
Cogswell at his knee. With his right hand he is
making the letter A. and the little girl is trying
20 initiate him. Ii is the first lesson. That statue
cost 81 ., 600, and was dedicated in June
ERROEEOUSLY SAID TO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED