Telegram-herald., 1891-04-19
ALIKOUMAIAN CLUB
How the Voiceless and Deaf
Meet and Greet.
MARRIAGE AID MUSIC OF EuTES
A Descriptive Article showing the Pc
estiAEitss-s ts@bItss Edaeasiss ans
Progress sE taa Cafortu1afes ~hs
Ass BsF<1t az Poser - spsak.

There exists in this city a club oi
which fe~ kEow the existence, and stlli
fewer the name. Il : the ''AllkouEla. F"
or .eiienE club" TIE name : or In
dan derivation and . fuu OF meaning,
as the membership OF the club, about
twenty, consists entIrsiy OF deaf mutes-
To those blessed with hearing, there y
a certain charm Of mystery about the
deaf mates' method OF communication.
The quick. almost nervous movements
OF the agile fingers. the expressive ges-
turess combined with the still niore sag-
gestlFe expressions or the face, &c al
most az abnormal curiosity IL know
more about the language and more OF
the unioTtunates snO have heen DeTctt
OF hearing and voice. The deaf mutes
OF Grand Rapids number about thirty
hye. OF these several are foreigners,
three alone coming from Holland. 10
the unnitlated the s.gn language seems
al the same. but With the deaf there
are different languages. The Holland
ers associate but little with the Ameri-
cans, as tie languages used are dl1er-
ent and conversation : almost an im-
possibility. There are one or two Eng
hsn deaf mutes IN the city also, aud the
Engllsl and American methods diner
almost As much. Ia EBgiand the dear
learn 10 read each others thoughts by
the oral method, that IL, 20 know what
words are spoken by the conformation
OF the speakers vocal organs They Also
use a slgn language, but the slgns are
totally different from those used by the
Americans. They use the Preach sys-
tenn, introduced into this country n
1917 BY DIR, i. III. Gallaadet, At Hart
ford.
signs ana sYmb bois OF Talk.
The deaf AMI dumb use not only the
one and two hand alphsnets. but stlll
more largely = system OF Signs. some of
which are very expressive. lt Is the
difference in these that makes cOnver-
satlOn between English and Americans
so difficult. To illustrate. the follow
I1g directions tel how 70 make the
word "who" IN English: Point out the
fore finger and make motion as
though drawing q circle with the point.
American; The same motion pointing
the finger al the Ups. To say ''glrl" IN
Englsh. rub the lips with the finger.
In American, rub the cheek with the
thumb. To say Gle" IN English. run
fore finger across the chm from left To
night. la American, from right 10 left
To say 'fhorse" in English, place the
fore finger OF the right hand between
the first and second of the left and
while joined make hoeing motion. In
American, put the hands 1T the side OF
the head and wag the extended first
two fingers. Tire difference with the
word g,rl Ia the two methods IS very
suggestive, indicating that the English
girls are kissaole, ana that the Ameri-
cans use powder. A reporter called on
~ deaf and dumb friend q few days ago.
lie asceuded the steps and pushed on
the electric button, but heard no bell.
Then it dawnod on him that If he had
heard the bell, the inmates could not.
lie did hear. however, 4 vigorous bark
ing. The door opened aud the visitor
was gwen hearty welcome. Words
were useless, and at first the situation
seemed novel indeed. THAT dog Is a
very useful one to u.s." the deaf man
wrote on a note book. "IOu see we
cannot hear the door bell. but he does
and comes and gives Us notice by tug
ging at nv trousers. Look at THIS he
wrote, At the same time showing a little
arrangement with heavy brass ball
arrangement. IL was deaf and dumb
door bell.
The senses Made Doabiy Acute.
The loss OF hearing makes the other
senses douhly acute, and particularly
the sense OF touch. The gentleman's
wife. also a mute, lost her hearing IN
childhood through long sickness, but
suil retained the use of speech. OF
course she couldn't hear herself and
seldom spoke. She wrote, That door
bell : the Invention OF Chicago mute.
What sounds we DO perceive. are per
ceived by the sense OF touch. The brass
bail drops on the flOor making a Iar.
whIcn - at once perceived by us. 4
larring produced by sudden cOncusslOn
a. BY a door siamming, = revolver shot
or Ike causes we can at once perceive,
though they always make usnervous."
Soon some OF their friends came IN.
Busy brains and quick eyes, flashing
fingers, and expressive faces eoutrasted
oddly enough w,t1 the almost absolute
silence, broken only by harshy asp.r-
sted laughs.
Marriage OF untes.
"Tbere ere So many things n connec-
fon With the deaf that | fear are gem
eraliv misunderstood. - wrote the lady
-The subject Of marriage among the
deaf = one of great scientific interest.
You know Alexander Graham Bel. the
inventor OF the telephone, was the son
OF a deaf mute and himself married \
deaf wife. Tie has made exhaustive
study INTO the subject and conc udes
tnat tho children 81 deaf parents are
no more hkeiv 10 be born deaf than the
chlidrea OF other parents, excep, when
one or both OF tne parents are CON
genitaIiy deaf In such cases the La
bhtv IS greater. The tendency IN na-
r;rs Is aiWavs 90 revert 80 the normal
type Of tie race. By Tar the greatest
percentage of the deaf and dumb have
Become a. through sickness. This
happened 70 be the case With ali 0f
those present. She wrote further IN
response 60 utqulry conctrnng tue IN
struction Of the deaf and g orign.
zone Thomas tssIisulet, of Hartford
sucs met a little girl mute. At that
tiuae there was no means of educating
her a, tins country. tie went over 70
the Old country. In England he was
very unsuccessful. for the instructors
Of the aesf thers were very unwilling
to help hun. From there he went -
France. lie induced on Of the teach
er.. A mute. 70 come over 70 this coun-
trv. Hs name WAS Cierc. They both
started = school n Hartford. The llt-
tie sfri spoke Of was educated there.
When she was grown Gsilaudst married
her. Her name wss Alice Cosshall
The resrit Of the unicn vas four child
ren. All hearing. One = ths president
80 Inc National Deaf Mute cniieee st
Wssnington. y. G. Another = MINIS