The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-19
TALKS WITH HER ARM.
How James Dorpman Converses with
His Deaf Mute Daughter.
T.. Al r1L sf...asI..L.. l.. r...........

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
''James V. Dorpman and daughter, Lodge
Pole, Neb.," is written in a bold hand on
the register at the Ridgway house, Market
street and Delaware avenue. Mr.. Dorpman
is tall, well-built man of 60 years, with a
long beard, strongly tinged with gray. His
daughter is about Is years old. She has an
intelligent, pretty face, and the brightest
and bluest kind of bright clue eyes.
When Mr.. Dorpman and his daughter
first came to the Ridgway house they
attracted the attention and curiosity of the
guests by their strange behavior. Whether
in the parlor or in the dining-room, Mr.
Dorpman always sat on the left-hand side
of his daughter and tapped her left arm
constantly with the fingers of his right
hand, as though playing on a typewriter
His fingers skipped nimbly at random from
the girls wrist almost to her shoulder and
back again. At intervals he paused and
the girl smiled, nodded her head, or else
tapped her left arm in the sa ne manner
with the fingers Of her right arm, the old
man closely watching their movements.
The strange actions Of the couple were
subjects of continual comment and specula-
ton among the guests. Finally some one
noticed that the father and daughter were
never heard TO exchange q word. They
always sat quietly when in each others
presence, and were always drumming on
the girls left arm as if it were pianofOrte
The girl kept away from the other guests
of her sex, and was never seen in converse
ton with any one. At the dining table
Mr.. Dorpman gave the orders to the
walters both for himself and his daughter.
When Proprietor Butterworth met the
young woman on the stairs last Thursday
and said, affably, "Good morning. she
never answered the salute
The strange actions of the couple occa-
stoned such widespread comment and curl
osity among the guests of the house that
finally Proprietor Butterworth approached
Mr.. Dorpman while he was standing at the
cigar counter one day, and after few
minutes of general conversation, asked him
to explain the cause of his constant tapping
on his daughters arm.
$50 you've noticed that, ehF' said Mr..
Dorpman, with laugh. "Well, that is
how talk to Hattie. She is deaf and
dumb.n
Mr.. Butterworth asked him how he was
able to converse with his daughter by
simply drumming on her arm.
you'll think it Is easy after l tell you"
he answered. "You must remember that
we came from an obscure part of Nebraska !:
settled there with my wife quarter of a
century ago. Eighteen years ago, when
Hattie was born, there was not a house
within mile of us, nor city within sixty
miles. As the child grew older we dis
covered that she was deaf and dumb. We
were at a loss how to communicate with
her. We were far away from a civilized
community, and no one that we knew was
familiar with the sign manual for deaf
muteS so that the baby lgrew to be child
before we could devise some scheme to talk
to her.
FINALLY my wife hit upon a novel idea.
Gba ,Ia faII
for US to tattoo the alphabet on Hatties
arm. The letter "A began just above the
wrist, and the letter 81 ended Just below
the shoulder blade. Hattie was then
years old. In less than a year by this
means my wife and l had taught her the
alphabet.
"Then we began to spell out words by
touching each letter very slowly with our
fingers. As the child learned we became
faster, and when Hattie was IL years old
we were able to talk to her as rapidly as
person can spell out words on typewriter
Hattie, too, learned to answer us by drum
ming on her tattooed arm. OF course, for
several years at first, when we wanted to
talk TO her or she to us, she had to roll up
the sleeves of her left arm. Gradually her
sense Of touch became so fine that she knew
without looking just where each letter was
located. and her mother and l, by constant
practice, were enabled TO strike these letters
with her sleeves rolled down.
The tattoo was not very deep, and by
the time Hattie was 16 years Of age it had
entirely disappeared, leaving her arm as
white and spotless as a woman's arm could
be. But she knows just where each letter
was, and so do /, for / have been drumming
on her arm ever since she was knee high to
a grasshopper. OF course, l am the only
person alive able to talk with her, as my
wife died about six months ago, but hope
TO arrange 50 that she may be able to talk
TO others. While we are on east am going
TO get someone to instruct her in the sign
manual. She is bright aud quick, and win
soon learn.
"Before my wife was married she lived
on farm few miles outside of Palmyra,
n. j., with her parents. Her mother Is
still living there, and | am on my way there
TO give her a message which my wife made
me promise TO deliver while she lay dying. -
Mr.. Dorpman and his daughter left for
Palmyra yesterday afternoon. They will
remain at their relatives farm for month
or more and return to their Nebraska
home early in the spring.
GENERAL AvERAGE.-Easter Man tout
west-Huhl Call this a fac climate, do