The San Francisco call., 1896-06-10
DEAF AND BLIND RECITE.
Remarkable Exhibition YeSter
day at the Institution in
Berkeley.
Stanford UniverSity's President Talks
to Deaf Mutes Through an
Interpreter.

BERKELEY, CAL, June 9.-The pupils
of the State Institution for the Deaf and
Dumb and Blind gave remarkable and
| highly interesting series of exercises at the
institution this afternoon, when the gradu-
ates OF '96 were presented with their
diplomas.
| The programme of the afternoon opened
with prayer by the Rev. DR.. Mclean of
Oakland. DR.. Wilkinson, principal of the
institution, stood by him on the stage and
! repeated the invocation in the language OF
signs.
The work of the younger pupils was the
| first to be shown. DR.. Wilkinson took in
charge three little deaf mutes in their first
year OF instruction and showed how they
were taught, when wholly without ideas
or language, to accept common terms and
| learn the meaning of nouns.
The very expressive deaf-mute signs for
"cat," "dog" and other animals were made
by the teacher, and the infant deaf mutes
raced to outdo one another IN writing
upon the blackboard the nouns repre-
sented.
Classroom exercises were then given,
under the direction of the principal, by J.
Paxton, Robert Spangenburg, Susie Davis
and Lima Erickson, four bind pupils. The
sightless little boys and girls showed won
| derful proficiency in reading, writing
arithmetic and geography. Though rang
| ing from to9 years, they were thoroughly
| up in the multiplication table to ''25 times
25," and displayed a knowledge of physical
geography that not many pupils of such
age possessing all their faculties could
duplicate.
4 largo relief map of the United States,
each State cut in separate wooden block,
| was brought into requisition and the little
blind pupils were able to readily recognize
any State by feeling its outline. The map
was thrown into confusion by DR.. Wilkin-
son and Susie Davis, aged 8, with Johnnie
Paxton, years old, speedily placed the
various Estates" where they belonged, re-
constructing a perfect map.
| G. o. Isert, Miss Florence Alexander,
Isadore Davis and Miss frankie Norton,
| senior deaf pupils, gave an interesting ex-
hibition of slate exercises, writing upon
subjects furnished by the audience. The
| two girls were asked for their views on
woman suffrage.
Miss Alexander had strong views on the
question and won loud applause by writ
ing: 81 think that if woman has prop
efty she has right to vote"
Many ignorant people vote who have
never been to school a day, and why
should not she? think she could vote
in fifteen minutes and then 60 home and
attend to her duties, if she has any. l
| think woman should have voice in the
disposition of her taxes, but do not like
| man-like woman
''The Republicans will meet in st. Louis
next week for the purpose Of nominating
| Mckinley" wrote G. o. Isert, in response
to request for something about the COM
ing convention, and the large audience
cheered its approval. Mr.. 1sert also wrote
about Cuba, giving an eloquent plea for
| \ ,rlt 70
Miss Alexander gave her idea of the
silver question, showing herself well up in
that most intricate of present-day political
issues. Miss Norton wrote about woman
suffrage and about Armenia and Isadcre
Davis had hard subject to handle in the
Kansas-Nebraska bill.
Dr. David Starr Jordan asked for some
thing on music and Miss Alexander
told of its power over man and beast and
declared that it was the highest art of
| civilization.
A remarkable pantomime was given by
Demartini as az exhibition of the ''slgn
language" Mr.. Demartini told by use of
his hands and arms and other motions a
story OF hunters trip.
The signs and movements employed
were marvelously expressive, and loud ap-
plause followed the conclusion of the
novel narrative" Miss Peralta gave fur
ther samples of the art of expression by
signs, which DR.. Wilkinson declared to be
much the same as that of primitive man
and before articulation was a human
faculty. 'Our pupils could readily make
themselves understood among savages by
the use of these signs" said he.
A recitation" by Miss Mabel Gaude
closed the sign-language exhibition. Miss
Gaude gave poem, DR.. Wilkinson follow
ing her with words.
Before the presentation of diplomas an
oAd m a crrn6uotQG II w dpliUqron hU
Dr. David Starr Jordan.
DR.. Jordan said that he had been much
instructed and pleased by the exercises ol
the afternoon. "They furnish a lesson as
to the cause of much failure in us teach
ers who instruct ordinary mortals," said
he. 1--WE do great deal of slipshod work
and do not take the pains that has been
shown here to-day. The result is that the
real end of education is very often lost
The effort which it requires to understand
rightly is one which our pupils do not
always put forth.
Few pupils with sight and hearing o1
the age OF those who have recited here to-
day can duplicate what they have done. "
| Continuing DR.. Jordan spoke with praise
of the application and study that had been
evidenced by the afternoons exercises
He said in closing:
"The time for US to enjoy life is now and
the way is to do something-to be always
employed upon some WORK.
1.-The very essence of wisdom is to know
the right thing to do next, not to know all
things, but what to do next-this is wis
dom and it is virtue to do that thing.
In this scheme of life one is not
hampered by the loss of one or more
senses and such loss is not necessary
obstacle to happiness.
''The worlds redemption is only waiting
for each person to do the best thing be
knows how"
The graduates are William &. Cotter,
Isadore Davis, Gustav Isert, Miss Carrie
Crawford, Miss Isabel Hennessey, Miss
Mable Gaude.
The musical exercises of the afternoon
consisted of piano trio. "Pas Redouble, u
by Miss Erickson, Master Oaeeres and