The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28
DEAF MUTE BOTs At DRILL.
A well-set-Up battalion at the New York In
stitution Uptown.

A Well-got-Up battalion nt the New York In.
stitution Uptown.
Upper New York IL q terra incoonfta to the
average lower New Yorker. He may know
whore the Polo Grounds are; that is, he may
know more about their location than that they
are "at the end Of the elevated" but he doesn't
know much more than that. Yet there are
many places worth visiting at the upper end of
what old Now Workers will still call "the city"
Harlem, which isn't 30 far up. is worthy of q
visit; and beyond Harlem there are other places
-Lawson-Fullerville for example. and High
Bridge. &c.
Somewhere up there in q hollow between two
hills. looking out over the Hudson, stands the
New York Institute for tho Deaf and Dumb. To
be exact, it stands at 163d street and the Grand
Boulevard; but when you reach 1t you forget
about It's being at the corner OF two streets-you
would say that 1t IL on some main travelled"
country road. And in spite of its name you
wouldn't call 1t an institution; you'd say 1t was
Q military boarding school. It stands In the
middle of It's own grounds. twonty.threo acres
of 'em, with O manual training school. and all
sorts of things that Institutions don't have.
But this story isn't to describe the institution.
which in Its eighty years Of life has been do
scribed often; it's to tell about something that
goes ON there now that didn't begin to go ON at
all until two years ago, but now is q permanent
and continuing and very active fxture-if q
fixture can be active.
They do many wonderful things up there ct
the Now York Institution. They teach the deaf
and dumb to be something-they mako boys and
girls of them. and put them in the way of being
men and women. teaching them all sorts Of
trades and doing everything that can DO done TO
Offset Natures handicap. And not the least
wonderful thing they do there Is to make the
boys into soldiers,
Two years ago they began 1t. Everybody In
the institution except the women teachers and
the servants was put into uniform. The girls
are in dark blue sailor suits. with blue Tam O.
Shanters, with the monogram of the institution
caps, and the men teachers in dark blue. WITH
caps patterned like the regular army officers
great trouble with the deaf is that thoy SLOUGH
along and scuf1e their feet as they walk. Since
s ssssis SG's sn sS01 Walk az m IKE sSSl dr!il 'h sSt stang so fo up
ago one Of the teachers chased q boy whom no
found he belonged to another school entirely.
That little fact shows how the institution boys
&C., over the ground since they began to drill.
each, with officers chosen from among them for
military, bearing, class standing, and good con.
rons like those worn by cadet officers at West
chsvrons. Tho drill Is taught by q special in.
on E!riSay. Nov. 10. tho anniversary Of tn:
Sirt The Of ,a Drii psG5; f sSe p BATTALION yissrss s sa1 . p sd%aSsI
tive drill to determine which company should
have the colors for the following year. The
companies marched on to the parade ground
formed on the centre company In accordance
peekskill. Line was ormed, guides sent te
dnKers oi tho Xdjutsnt; he brought them % pre-
! s Ss1 .s sERs ' Wit. tsh 81. l asEs hand no si i lis ss y csp; s snd
sSssg iasIf NJ ;ao T5 %o| MstSr j Pr 4. s %.t S=ss{a ISsi
can be executed without arms; the First Ser
gsants reported. orders were published. the Off
lence. the parade might have been of the gray
. Then came a review. when the boys showet
what they could do In marching. There was NJ
music, ofoourse, SO they didn't have the steady
: Grams, and kept their proper distances witt
great success. After that came the comnpetitiv
nsan;d C Sers given G 81 tho tns os to- the hn M sG%
fui to see how quickly they were put and exc
o companies. The mistakes that were made wer'
such as u hearing Captain often makes when h
8 1 %hsn so sSo NJ give wf SLsfsii" ana gives right
t The companies In turn marched in compan,
o front, broke into fours. formed line to the RICH
and left and 70 the front; opened ranks, did tn
o facinRs, closed ranks. formed columns Of twoi
ranks had to watch their, Captain hand, to Sc
the boy ahead, and to look after his own feet. !
was q wonderful example OF rising superior t
circumstances.
t Company b. the present color company. wo
the colors for another year; lite tours kept u
Is gether better. and it's cadence was better tina
o IN A Company, Company Is composed of ~
It Ito chaps. and though they put up a good drill
they were outclassed. Barring the competitiv
o drill, the Same ceremony occurs every, clear al
ternoon up there at the institution, and any on
who is interested in wonderful things shout
K 20 up there, And Il he waits long enough }
make him proud-the color guard Of tho
deaf and dumb boys marching. up to tn
flagstaff. and standing ssreheadsd as the SO
% and Stripes touch the ground; it's folded in th
10 air and carried back to headquarters; and da
by day 1t is hoisted and lowered, and that der
"A and dumb color guard keeps it up out OF III
dust and mire. and sets q mighty good exampI
to many a man who can speak and uses h
,r powers 10 throw mud on Old Glory.
There arc a good many things TO make OF
think I'M Mt tho institution.