Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-06-22
CLOSING EXERCISES.
Novel Entertainment at Within Hall
by the Pupils of the Territorial
School for Deaf, Dumb
and Blind.

and Blind.
Yesterday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, the
school year of the Territorial Deaf, Dumb
and Blind asylum closed with very inter-
esting and pleasing exercises held at
Within hall.
The program comprised twelve parts,
viz:
Invocation by Rev. G. G. Smith.
Opening address by the superintendent
Mr.. Lars NJ. Larson.
How the deaf learn alphabet and words.
How the blind are taught alphabet and
words.
Blackboard exercises by deaf pupils,
language, arithmetic, geography, history.
Reading exercises by the blind.
Song-"Dare to do Right, Dare to be
True" given in signs by deaf pupils.
The Lords prayer by deaf pupil.
The Lords prayer by blind pupil.
A story in signs.
Signs for words given.
A musical selection executed on the
violin by Mr.. Geo. Baine.
How the blind write.
An address by Mr.. j. E. Pershing, of
Ohio. 81 a. .'T'...
An address by Mr.. Geo. Baine.
An address and the benediction by Rev.
G. G. Smith.
In his opening address Mr.. Larson ex-
pressed his pleasure at seeing 80 large an
assembly of the friends of the school;
declared his belief that the institution
had done good work in the past year;
congratulated all upon the record of I'M
interrupted health which the inmates
had enjoyed; mentioned that the school
had been visited in the past year by
more people, "including prominent poll
ticians and educators" than ever before,
and called attention to its condition aud
needs.
There have been in attendance:
Deaf pupils. 8; girls, 2; total 10.
Blind pils.--Boys, S; girls, l; total g.
Deaf and blind included in all, 16.
The superintendent complained that
the parents of some of the pupils imagine
that their children can be taught all they
need to learn in few weeks, and so take
the pupils away before their education Is
fairly begun-"as it," said he, "a grain OF
corn planted one day would produce a
ripe crop the next day. Parents ought
not to be permitted, he justly argued, to
take the children away, without reasons
i'm operative, and approved by the board
that manages the institution, before the
end of the school year. He called atten
tion to Improvements made in the build
ing and Its premises and to the wise man
agement of the affairs of the school by
! the directors or committee. One hun
bred and fifty shade and fruit trees ant
berry plants and cuttings of vines hav'
been set out and kept growing. HI
thinks that the culture of fruit and al
kinds of gardening should be taught IL
the school.
Some appliances for the practice o
gymnastics have been introduced recently
MIR. Larson says. Some of the blind chill
dren who learned their creed we'll unde
Rev. j. H. De Fouri have been confirmed
in the Catholic church and have takel
! their first communion.
Mr.. Larson kindly but earnestly pro
tested against the name the Legislature
has given to the school. He says it is no
an asylum. 1t is not an institution fol
the support of helpless class of paupers
but school in which the territory is try
| ing to do for those who can not be laugh
IN the ordinary public schools Just wha
it owns the obligation to do for pupils o
those schools. The state owes the dea
and blind an education. They are not tt
BIZ regarded as paupers, recipients o
public bounty. The school for them il
simply another kind of public school IL
which the state discharges its duty to
peculiar classes OF children. He argues tina
| if the deaf and blind school is to be called
an asylum consistency should require ou
ward and district schools also to be callet
| public asylums, inasmuch as the children
who attend these schools are no less Gle
pendent upon public funds for their edu
cation than are the inmates of the schoo
Mr.. Larson superintends.
Mr.. Baine gave an interesting bio
graphical sketch of Laura Brldgman,
remarkable blind mute educated at tn
Perkins school for deaf and blind in Bos
| ton.
Mr.. Pershing spoke of the seventy
nine schools for mutes in different part
of the United States. The first was es
tablished at Hartford, Conn.,, in 1917
There are over 10000 mutes in the coun
try, of these 9,542 attend schools for thu
deaf and dumb. Besides the branches
of a common education, mutes are taught
in some schools, various trades, and be
come carpenters, painters, printers, en-
gravers, farmers, wood-carvers, etc. Mr.
Pershing spoke in the highest praise o
those in New Mexico who are engaged IL
the good work of enlightening mutes ant
blind youths and qualifying them to TAX
care of themselves. His whole address!
was worthy of reproduction in these col
umns.
A large audience was present, the room
was suitably adorned with the flag of on
country and with evergreens, and tn
plaintive piece executed on the violin b.
Mr.. Baine was enjoyed by lovers o
music.
The surprising progress made by tn
pupils under the faithful and efficient in
struction of Mr.. Larson and Miss Het
man surprised and delighted the friend
of the school and deepened their convic
ton that the institution is in good hand
and ought to be supported by the legis
lature, in order that all the deaf and blin
children of New Mexico may share it
advantages.
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