Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-08-22
DEAF MUTES ARE PROFANE.
They Swear with the Wave of the Hand
with the Greatest of Ease.

Ihey Swear with the Wave OF the Hand
with the Greatest of Ease.
Several frantic passes of the hand in
front of a companions face, and e man
who never had spoken a word and never
will speak a word had sworn at the
other as plainly as if the art;culate
words had been shouted. 1t is some
thing of puzzle to many how persons
who cannot hear a sound acquire a
profane vocabulary, but the solution is
easy The average deaf mute, educated
by the most approved methods, can tell
what a person is saying by the move
ment of his lips, provided they be WISH
BILE. Deaf mutes who can read the
movement of the lips or the sign Ian
guage study the Bible, and in conse-
quence they are familiar with the
phrase consigning sinners to everlast-
ing perdition are those gifted with
speech and hearing.
Following this line of argument, one
of the most successful teachers of the
deaf and dumb in this city sail re-
Gently: 1T is not at all difficult to see
how the deaf and dumb learn the use
of profanity. 1t is strange thing, per-
haps, but they rarely make their pro-
fame signs except under circumstances
which provoke any ordinary person to
the use of profanity. On the other hand,
deaf mutes vary in temperament as
widely other people, and where one
has a seemingly complete vocabulary of
profanity, others seldom or never give
expression to such sign language"
Said another instructor: 1T is some
thing which we cannot explain any
more than can parents, as a rule, tell
how their little children, brought up
among all the refining influences of
home. learn to swear almost before
they can talk plainly. Like other things
which we have taught, the pupils pick
up profanity in the streets from seeing
men swear at one another, and when
one learns the use of profanity the 9TH
ers soon pick it up"
There is no greater authority in the
country upon the subject of deaf mutes
than Rev. Thomas Gallaudet, who has
been a preacher to and teacher of those
without speech or hearing for half
century. His father, Thomas NJ Gal
laudet, in 1917 founded at Hartford,
Conn.,, the first school for deaf mutes
in this country, anHin 1859 Rev. Thomas
Gallaudet began his mission work
among them.
DIR. Gallaudet said, when asked about
deaf mutes and their ways: aside
from their inability to speak or hear,
deaf-mutes are in no wise different from
other persons. They have the same
feelings and the same passions, and in
their way express themselves just as
forcibly as those who speak and hear.
AS a matter of fact the sign language
used by these people is, in many cases,
more expressive than any spoken
words, and in cases of anger the deaf
mutes find no difficulty in expressing
themselves or making those with who m
they are angry understand exactly
what is meant.
'sTo express sorrow for anyone the
deaf-mute will assume sorrowfu1
countenance, and rub his hand over his
heart in a circle, meaning thereby that
sorrow is grinding his heart. In anger
what is more expressive than an angry
countenance and the clinched hands
shaken above the head?
THE sign language for deaf-mutes
was invented about $50 years ago by
Able De PEppe, teacher in a French
school. He noticed the signs which the
childen made to each other and under
stood. He elaborated these signs and as
a result what is known as the manual
sign language was evolved. The oral
system, that of understanding by
means of watching the lips of the
speaker. was a late invention. There
are to-day between IS and so schools IN
this country for the instruction of the
deaf and dumb. There is also college
for them at Washington, ID. c. Most of
the schools teach what is known as the
combination system, which is both the
oral and manual systems combined.
There is church mission in this city
for deaf-mutes and the Gallaudet Home
J1tP
just below Poughkeepsie."- Y. Re
corder.
IhE CHIEFS DOG.