The morning call., 1891-08-30
THE ARTIFICIAL LANGUAGE.
Proceedings at The VOlaDuk Convention Held
in ChautaIQla.
Special Correspondence of THE SUNDAY CALL.

CHAUTAUQUA On. ", Aug. IS, 1884,
The second annual convention of the North
American Volapuk Association, which has
| Just completed its work here, has made evi
dent several important facts. 1t has DEM
onstrated that the language is no mere ex-
pertinent, II large and varied literature in
every civilized country, a half = hundred
newspapers published in half as many
countries with an uninterrupted issue-in
some cases OF ten years-and vocabulary
so rich that it can express cOmprehensibly
poetry, science, history and romance, are
evidences of life and diffusion.
Even more, the opening exercises of the
hrst of four public sessions were in the Ian
guage itself. Colonel Charles E. Sprague,
well-known New York scholar and bank
er, as head OF the American V0lapuk Asso-
clatlon, addressed his constituents in VoIa-
puk, and routine business, involving parlia-
mentary proceedings, and participated in by
many persons, were all in this artificial Ian
gnage--a language sweet enough to be at
tractlve even when not inteiligible and yet
sui generis enough To impress its distinct
lveness upon one familiar with language
sounds.
speaker with something tc say followed
Colonel Sprague and prudently chose En-
BllSh to suit the understanding of his atten
i've audience. This was Mr. Alfred A
fost OF Boston, who represents as its chief
Ine Nolapuk movement in Massachusetts,.
His story was of the adoption OF Volapuk
by the Boston School Committee as an cleo
tive study in Boston's Evening High School
ana OIL the numerous clubs and classes
formed In various towns throughout the
States for the study and use of Volapuk
The array of statistics on this line was a
revelation
Mr.. E. D. French of New York, who was
an earnest speaker with sympathetic
voice, gave an instance of the language
proving valuable International medium
tor the discussion, cOrrespondentlally, OF an
art question.
This was followed by an exhibit of a
wilderness OF VOlapuk literature. news
papers, textbooks, volumes of history,
poetry, translations of books of the Bible,
the Roman Catholic prayer-bOok, almanaes,
Calendars, menus, dance lists, theater pro-
gramnes, books OF plays, in fact of every
sort OF printing which the natural languages
display. Here were single specimens Of an
entire years series of forty-seven journals,
a hundred or more grammars and dietion-
aries Tor quarter as many different speak
Ing people. The Conspiracy of Catalne,
the Eclogues OF Virgil the Gospel Of ST.
John, the Proverbs of Solomon, the Fairy
Tales of Grimm, and even an original
Nolapuk drama were in this large cOllec-
tion, while charts of the language, pure and
simple, and charts comparing it with other
amazing and instructive, this exhibit; ;.amaz-
Ing because the life of Volapuk is yet an
infant one; Instructive because it shows
how widespread and varied is the use of
the language.
A highly effective feature of the associa-
tons proceedings was a lecture-le lesson on
N0lapuk given at the second days morning
session. In three-quarters of an hour, Col
onel Sprague, the lecturer, and model in
structor, had demonstrated the simplicity
lanUnQDa hU tlln
homlnem, for he had not only shown the
nouns intiection and the verbs conjugation,
put had actually so familiarized his aud
lence with them and with the adjectiyes,
aaver9s aaV PSI ana propositions that the responses
came last and many to his question, "HOw
would this be expressed in Volapuk?" The
auditors mad, IN hearing about the language
actually learned it by insensible absorp-
ton.
This was Mr.. Posts opportunity. for his
listeners could then readily credit his state
ment That certain language professor gave
MIN attention as he explained the language
IN tWenty-seven minutes by stop watch,
ana was then able to fairly well translate
into folapuk paragraph from a news
paper Mr.. Post followed this incident bv
stories OF almost as amazing an requirement
OF polapuk by other persons Of both sexes
lie summed up by estimating the average
Time needed to acquire working knowledge
OIL the language as ten three-Quarter hour
lessons, without home study. Think OF this,
weary students OF even French, Italian or
Spanish in six month courses with result
OF realized insuffiCiency to order meal at a
restaurant i'll loud tone of voice. Volapuk
IN lew hourS-any other language seri-
Gus study of months or years.
MIR. Charles Currier Beale then COM
manded the quiet attention of the audience
while he told them how the patient priest
OF little German village had studied the
difficulties and the possibilities of human
speech for some thirty years, and then, out
OF the chaos of much information and from
the labyrinth of much disorder, had been
led by divine illumination to so formulate
his thoughts in construction, pronunciation
and word-formation as could be practicable
to all mankind. He traced the history of Vola-
puk from its presentation and rejection
with rldicule down to its acceptance by
few learned men, under whose egis it found
favor In every civilized portion OF the globe,
until now, as its literature shows, iI is an
accepted factor, on the language side, in the
bringing of all mankind in brotherly rela-
tions. --'r'
1t will not answer to shower ridicule upon
Volapuk. AS its friends earnestly affirm,
1t is not, Gnj never was, intended to sup
plant but only to supplement other Ian
guageS, and with such purpose it has its
province, and the proceedings of the con-
vention now terminated go to show that it
will continue its work to sublime fruition,
V.