Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-03-19
SELF-MADE MAN.
And One Whom Iowa County has the Honor o.
Claiming as Native.

of the late Hon. William Robinson of
Moscow, this county. The subject is
an alumnus Of the Wisconsin school
for the deaf and of the National Col
lege at Washington, and for the last
twelve years has been leading in
structor of our state institution at
Delavan:
although Mr.. Robinson is a deaf
man he talks well, writes well and
works we'll; and is living exponent
Of the attachments which young
man may secure il he really desires
to succeed. The township of Mos
COW, Iowa county, Wis, was his birth
place, and June s, in the year 1860,
the date of this first event in his life
Born on a farm, he readily found the
fire dom so essential to a child's
physical and mental growth, and
from nature and the every day con-
versation of the people surrounding,
him he imbibed more knowledge
than is to be gained from the study
ing of books.
When seven and a half years of
age he was smitten by brain-fever
which robbed him of his hearing,
and changed the whole course of his
life. Previous TO this illness he had
attended school one summer and part
of winter, Upon recovery, he con
tinued to attend school but received
no definite instruction, he read with
his class but went no farther than
subtraction in arithmetic.
Nearly seven years after his loss Of
hearing he entered the school for the
deaf at Delavan, Wis, from this
school he graduated in 1879. In the
fall of 1879 he entered Gallaudet Col
lege at Washington, ID. c., where he
took the regular course, graduating
in 1884.
He returned to Delavan, Wis, as a
teacher ia the fall of 1884, where lie
has taught all grades except the low
est He Is a thorough believer in
practical education, and is practical
not theoretical in lis work, to that
end.
10 still further carry out his ideas
on the practical side of this subject
he has lately gone to great pains in
securing private collection Of min-
erals, Grains, liquids, cloths, woods,
metals, etc, using them as aids to his
school-room work.
In 1887 he received the degree OF
NJ. A., from Gallaudet College, his
special studies being on the line Of
mental and moral science and his
tory, the subject Of his thesis was
The Will
He Is close observer and student,
having given much thought to every
phase of the education of the deaf,
he has written much on the subjects
in this field, brought to his notice.
The Wisconsin Journal of Education
in April 1850, published an article
from his pen entitled the Education
Of the Deaf in America. For year
he wrote reviews for the Educator;
he has done and is doing considerable
work on the Wisconsin Times.
OF late he has been much inter-
ested in technical and manual train
ing schools. AT the convention Of
A p,arioat inotp,,otar- 90 H. 1,,f
held in Flint, Mich, III July, 1895, lie
read an able paper ON the History
and Scope Of Manual Training He
had at hand models and patterns Of
wood and iron work 70 assist him in
illustrating his subject. At this con-
yention he WAS chosen head Of the
industrial section.
He compiledsa brief history Of the
Wisconsin school for the deaf in
1893, since that time he has secured
additional information and in the
November, 1885, issue Of the Silent
Worker, paper published at the
New Jersey Institution for the Deaf,
he has published a fuller history of
the school.
IN this connection it will not be
out Of place to quote from com
munication from Mr.. W. q. Weeks,
the editor Of the Delavan, Wis,
Republican: Prof. Robinson has Il
natural taste for newspaper work.
His style II clear forciblc and con-
yincing. Several articles that ne
has written for the Republican have
been copied and favorably COM
mented upon Ivy the city press. we
believe that if he devoted his time
exclusively t. newspaper work. Fly
would ably fill tie editorial chair Of
i leading newspaper.
Mr.. Robinson now holds the Office
" president ~ the Wisconsin Alum
mi Association.
ln lsa1 He Was martied u Letilia
i Van Ness, of Sayona rteuben Io.
II. III, lady blessed with All Her