The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-23
ENEMY OF SILENCE.
A Man Who Teaches the Deaf
to Use Their Tongues.
cooowoRk OF TELEPHONE BELL
DIR. Giliett Tells Of the New Method
for Helping the Afflicted a Dear
Girls Toast to sherman.

Or. Phillip Gillett. of Jacksonville. III.
who has devoted MS life 20 the instruction
OF deaf mates and for nearly thirty eight
years was superin te8dent 81 the Illinois
institute al Jacksonville, Ill. which IS de-
voted to the education OF tfis unfortunate
class. was a. the Rainier-GrAna yesterday.
Dr. Giliett Is the president Of the AmsFi-
can association 10 promote tho teaching
q, speech 20 deaf n1utes. When seen yes
terday he said: The eduea ton OF deaf
mutes began IN the United States In 1871
a Hartford. Conn. - means Of the sign
or gesture language. IL was not until
fss5 that the deaf we're laugh. 70 speak
by being shown how 10 use their vocal
chords and 10 know what was said by
watching the lips OF those who we're talk
ing. 4 deaf person has the organs OF
speech. nut when he utters q sound does
not know whether it is high or Low. but
they are nov taught 70 modulate their
voices and TO speak in ordinary CONVEX
satioaal tones. Il Is surprising how well
some OF them talk wIIo have never heard
81 sound ia their Ewes. have been en-
gagged ia teaching the deaf hos TO talk
ever since 1s5S Since ] was appointed
superintendent OF the American associa-
ton 10 promote the teaching Of speech 20
deaf nlHtes have spent most OF my time
IL fIrthsrlug the objects OF the society.
have visited all the deaf sshools on the
continent several times. and have travel
Cd over 49gg miles IN carrying on the
work There are over 100 schools and 30
600 deaf rnBtes on this continent. or this
number $3.50 are In schools and they are
being taught by 80 teachers.
The method of teaching the deaf 10
talk and to understand what Is said to
them is In use IN nearly all the schools
Of the country. and Il IL great boon 10
the deaf II - remarkable how apt In
language many of them become. short
time since / attended reception IN Phil
adeiphla which was given by couple.
neither - whom mad ever heard a sound
IN his lie. Not n aign was made during
the entire evening and he host and host
ess understood every word that vas
spoken 20 them and any ore wnO heard
me taking would never guess that they
were Of the class termed deaf mnles. They
were far from mutes on this OCCASION apd
talked as agreeahly and as much as any
who were present 4 gentleman in the
Philadelphia institute. who - deaf, has
charge Of four OF the classes In the oral
department and he Is a splendid teacher
Notwithstanding the fact that iie Is de-
uriveh of one OF his senses. l recently
saw young fellow ia the Albany acad-
envy. a school which Is leo years old. who
recfted Latin in company with fifteen
in physical geography. and vas told by
the teacher that ne vas quite as good as
the other lads. who had all their senses.
Miss Helen Keller Is deaf dumb and
blind has never seen an object nor heard
81 sound In her llfe, and yet she can speak
English French and Latin. and can un-
derstand them. too. h. placing her fingers
on tho lips - tho1e with whom she con-
verses I think that she is even smarter
nFgA oh "a
Dickens mentioned I'm his American
Notes" short time since she was at
the house of pr. Eeii tho inventor OF the
telephone In Washington city, whore sew
craf distinguished men werc assembled
They expressed a desire 10 see this Is
year-old prodigy, and she was brought
into the parlor. and her bright sayings
amused the guests greatly Senator Sher-
man was present, and toast was pro
posed IN his honor. and little Miss Keller
was commissioned 10 deliver an appro-
pirate sentiment. The child with the
aightless eyes and tho ears that never
heard sound arose and said. I propose
tho health and happiness OF Senator Sher-
man. and may he be as useful TO his conn
try In tn future Hs he has been in the
past. and may he be blessed with all the
good things of this life and In tho life TO
come.
sincere toast coming from a mind that
was locked In. SO to speak. that tears
came 10 his eyes and all he could say in
response was God bless you. my ut'te
girl Little Miss Keller IS a native OF
Tuscumbia, Ala. and her father is Mai
Keller. editor or the Alahamlan
Il visited the school for defective youth
at Vancouver. and II struck me that 81 Is
a very good school They might do more
a. to. IN -
the deaf how 10 speak than they are doing
Prof Watson. tho superintendent. inform
ell me that tust IA soon as. the financial
condition OF the school vas improved he
Intended 10 add "a the force Of teachers
in the speech department About thirty
ont OF the sixty deaf inmates OF the school
ara taught how 10 ,se their voices
The society of which | am president
was organized I'm tS4a. and Dr Alexander
1icll. the inventor Of the Bell telephone
was IT'S first president. pr He'll endowed
the society with a gift Of S25.cl0 when ne
received the Volta prize OF 50oe) francs
from the French government for invent
Ing re telephone he used Il 10 establish
a laboratory IN which he perfected tho
photograph. invented ny Edison and he
also invented the graphophone there. He
sold stock in the graphophonc e. the OK
tent 81 SlooWa pr Rell proposes 20 do
Vote this Sioo noo 20 the dissemination Of
Information beneficial "a the deaf and 10
their education. and has established n
Volta bureau az Washington city for
their use ami benefit The reason that pr.
He'll takes such an interest tn the deaf Is
that hiss mother and wife are afflicted with
deafness"
pr Gillett paid a viSi' 20 Deputy Coliec-
tor az customs Mcdonald. who Is an old
acquaintance Hc leff for Helena last ev-
=
Dakota and elsewhere before hc returns
II III nnnat