The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-29

OuSl SlOSSu ~'INls- Ee upIIS WSTS
Observation-Disclosures Training Will
Be an Important Feature of the
School Work.
After prosperous and successful
year tho Pennsylvania Oral School for
the Deaf closed June Is and the sixty
five pupils departed for their homes.
Il is expected that when the school
opens this fall with the new girls
building completed and ready for
occupancy that the list OF scholars will
number nearly 100
IL is gratifying to note that when
the school closed not an accident had
occurred during the school year.
neither had there been serious case
Of sickness. During the year the girls
sewing class was started and tho boys
were given instruction and entsr.
tainment by means Of shop Next
season 1t IL proposed to establish a
manual training department for the
boys and from year to year the depart
ment will be extended until u number
of trades can be learned by those who
attend the school.
A visit was made to the school by a
TRIBUNE reporter yesterday and it can
hardly Ue compreheuded that the large
institution Of today is the outgrowth
of practical sympathy on the part Of
few Scranton women to assist few
deaf mutes in this city. When Henry
Beliu, jr,, visited Philadelphia twelve
years ago for the purpose Of studying
the methods employed for teaching the
deaf no thought was entertained for
any other than sign school. His at
tention. however, was called to the
oral method AMI Mr.. Bslin became so
tuthuSed with it's prActcability that
the method was eventually decided
upon.
BEGAN WITH TWELVE PUPILS.
The first school was stnrted with
twelve pupils Sept 10, 1893, in the
chapel OF the German Methodist
church, a memorable place for the be.
ginning of many notable undertakings,
Miss Mary Allen, OF Chester, pupil Of
Miss Emma Garvst, who started the
oral method in Philadelphia, was en-.
gagged MS teacher.
The board Of control in 1885. appro-
priatsd 81, 900 toward maintaining the
school, and Miss Garret, who was en-
gagged the previous year. became both
principal and sole instructor. From
this foundation grew the SEQ, 900 con.
tributed by private citizens and tho
breaking of ground in 1888 for the
present magnificent buildings, three
in number, and connected by areaways
and covered porchcs,
Mas Garrett resigned her position in
1891 to establish q home for the train
ing in speech of deaf children before
they are Of school age. In her stead
was engaged Miss Mary B. c. Brown,
from the oral department Of the Ala
damn Institute for the Deaf.
Miss Brown is still the principal Of
the school, and was assisted during tha
past school year by the following staff
Of teachers: Miss Jean Christmas,
Miss M. Powell, Miss Frances Rses,
Miss Anna NJ. Richards, Miss K. L.
Brysrly. Miss Ada King. Miss Connor
and Miss Church. J. F. Geddes has
instructed the boys in wood working.
The nurse is Miss Virginia Moore.
To the credit of Mrs. G. Y. Schueller.
mann is the heal thful condition of the
institution and the pupils, and the
comforts Of home surrounding the
place.
The bonrd Of officers is as follows:
President, Hon. Alfred Hand, Seran.
ton; secretary and treasurer, Henry
B-lin, jr, Scranton; directors, Hon.
Alfred Hand, Rev. S. G. Logan, D. D,
William Connsll, William 7. Smith,
Charles H. Welles. E. B. Sturges, Hon.
L. A. Watres, James Archibald, r. j.
Matthews, 3. G. Morgan, Henry Bslin,
ir., Scranton; Rev. T. F. Coffey, Car.
bondale; appointed by the governor,
Samuel Hines, Scranton; Hon. c. E.
Rice, Wilkss-B4rre; Thomas Ford,
Pittston; John Jermyn, Judge f. w.
Gunster, Scranton; John b. Smith,
Dunmore.
TO OPEN NEW BUILDING
Recently the girl pupils have been
quartered in the main building and
the boys have occupied the addition ad.
joining and to the south. When
school opens in November the girls will
be located in the now addition to the
north, and the main building will be
devoted to offices and tho purposes of
the staff OF teachers The new addi-
tion in process Of construction is being
erected by Conrad Schroeder, under
the state inspection Of G. 7. Matthews.
1t Is Of native stone and of the same
number Of square feet as the southern
addition. All three buildings are of
the same style OF architecture and are
connected by arsaways and porehes.
Much might he written or said about
the remarkable success in teaching the
deaf and actual hutes to articulate,
but two cases are sufficient; little
girl but years OF age, as innocent of
the meaning and nature of sound as
any object without life, could articu
late a vocabulary of fifty words June
10, after being in the institution but
one school year. What the full 10 year
course will accomplish can be easily in
ferIed.
Atthe beginning of the term a boy
Is years of age entered the school. Hs
came from o backwoods home where
during the lest few years no had been
used as veritable beast of burden by
his ignorant parents In winter he
was harnessed 10 sledgs and hauled
fuel from the forest, His work in sum-
mer was OF a like nature. When re.
csived at the school the stairway and
its purpose WAS as unknown to lin as
it might have been to saw
sge. He showed the same ignorance
in regard to other commonpla ace
things. When he departed for tho
summer vacation he went as A human
being. His former stopped shoulders
had been Strengthened, his crushed
spirit had been fashioned anew he had
been Taught the purpose Of articulation
and could speak a few words. The
npYt nine vpnrs will rasnft - ,..t:.-