The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-14
SWEARING WITH HAND WAVE.
The Silent Profanity of Deaf 1Iutes
and How They Learn IL.


Several frantic passes OF the hand in
front OF a companions face and a man
who never had spoken and never viii
speak a word had sworn az the other
as plainly as II the articulate words had
been shouted.
Il IS something Of a puzzle to many
how persons who cannot hear 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 movement OF the lips. provided they
be visible. Deaf mutes who can read
the movement Of the lips OF the sign Ian
guage study the Bible. and in consequence
they are as familiar with the phrase con-
signing sinners 10 everlasting perditiOn as
are those gifted with speech and hear
ing.
Following this line of argument, one
Of the most successful teachers of the
deaf and dumb in this city said yesterday:
1t Is not at ali difficult 10 see how the
deaf and dumb learn the uses of pro-
family. 1t is a strange thing, perhaps, but
they rarely make their profane signs eX-
cept under circumstances which provoke
any ordinary person 10 the use Of pro-
Iamty- On the other hand, deaf mutes
vary IN temperament as widely as other
people, and where one has a seemingly
complete vocabulary Of profanity, others
sign language"
Said another instructor: 1T is some
thing which we cannot explain any more
Inan can parents, as rule, tell how
their little children brought up among
all the refining influences of home learn
10 swear almost before they can talk
plainly. Like other things which we have
not 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 others soon pick IL up"
greater
country upon the subject of deaf mutes
than the Rev. Thomas Gallaudet, who has
been a preacher TO ana teacher of those
without speech or hearing for half a cen
fury. His father, Thomas ". Galaudet
IN 1917 founded at Hartford, Conn, the
nrst school for deaf mutes in this country
and in 1853 the Rev. Thomas Gallaudet
began his mission work among them.
Dr. Galaudet said, when asked about
their inability to speak or hear, deaf
mutes are in nOwise different from other
persons. They have the same feelings
and the same passions, and in their own
way express themselves just as forcibly
as those who speak and hear. AS mat
ter Of fact, the sign language used by
these people is in many cases more ex-
pressiVe than any spoken words, and in
cases of anger the deaf mutes find no diff
iculty In expressing themselves or max
ing those with whom they are angry
understand exactly what is meant
To express sorrow for any one the
deaf mute will assume a sorrowful coun-
In a circle, meaning thereby that sorrow
is girding his heart. In anger what IS
more expressive than an angry counte-
nance and the clinched hands shaken
above the head?
The sign language for deaf mutes was
invented about $50 years ago by the Able
de lEpee, teacher in French school
He noticed the signs which children made
to each other and understood. He elab-
GRATED these signs, and as result what is
known as the manual sign language was
evolved The oral system, or that of I'M
derstanding by means OF watching the
lips of the speaker was later invention.
There are to-day between seVenty-fiVe
and eighty schools in this country for the
instruction of the deaf and dumb. There
IS also college for them at Washington,
ID. c. Most of these schools teach what is
known as the combination system, which
is both the oral and manual system, COM
city for deaf mutes and the Gaiiaudet
Home for Deaf Mutes on the Hudson
river, just below Poughkeepsie."