The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-25
DEAF MUTES HOLD
CONVENTION HERE
NEARLY TWO HUNDRED OF
THEM ARE IN THE CITY.

THEM ARE IN THE CITY.
Three Interesting Sessions in the
Court House Yesterday--TheD Dele
gates Represent 5000 Deaf Mutes
Who Are Associated Together for
Mutual Advancement and the
Maintenance of Home for Those
of Their Number Who Are Indi-
gent-Delegates Attending
Nearly two hundred deaf mutes from
all over Pennsylvania are in the city
in attendance upon the thirteenth con-
vention of the Pennsylvania Associa-
tion for the Advancement of the Deaf.
In addition to the ordinary purposes
that the name of the organization sug-
gests. the association has for one of
its chief aims the establishment Of q
home for the aged, blind and infirm
deaf. Nearly $4,000 has been collected
for the erection of a building, and
it is likely that the present convention
will appoint a committee to secure a
in Scranton, Easton or Williamsport.
There are 5000 deaf in the state of
Pennsylvania. The most of them are
self supporting, but there are many
who have had to seek maintenance in
poor houses. Their lot is sad one,
cut off as they virtually are from COM
munion with their fellow beings, and
to tighten their burden it is proposed to
furnish them with home of their own
where they can commingle and COM
mune and feel that they are not public
paupers.
The officers Of the society are: Pres
ident, Rev. J. NJ. Koehler, of Phila-
delphia; first vice president, G. NJ. Tee
garden, of Pittsburg; second vice pres
ident, Miss A. c.. Shatz, of Reading;
secretary, Harry f. Stevens, of Mer-
chantville, N. j.; treasurer b. r. ALA
baugh, of Pittsburg.
BUSINESS OF THE DAY.
The convention is being held in the
court house. The sessions were con-
Quoted yesterday. The formal opening
address by President Koehler. the en-
rolling of delegates, the reading of the
minutes of the Philadelphia convention
of last year and informal discussions
of the main projects the association
has on hand comprised the business
of the morning and afternoon sessions.
The organization of subordinate So
cieties throughout the state; the estab-
lishment of the home for INDECENT deaf
and the duty of sending teachers to
Alaska to instruct the many deaf mutes
of that country were the main topics
discussed. President Koehler, Treasur-
er Allabaugh and Professor F. l.. Sell
mey, editor of the Deaf Mute's Regis
ter, of Rome, n. Y, were the princi-
pal speakers. Yesterdays sessions be-
ing but preliminary. no action was
taken further than to appoint COM
mttee on resolutions consisting OF
Messrs. Selmey, Allabaugh and Hutch
inson.
In the evening a public session was
held Mayor Bailey was expected to
be present to welcome the visitors
but business of pressing nature made
it impossible for him to attend.
The first address was by President
! NJ. Koehler. 1t was delivered in
signs by the Rev ]. NJ. Koehler and
translated into oral language by Mr..
Walker, sentence by sentence.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
Fellow Members and Friends: In greet
| ing you at this our thirteenth convention
| l would call after ton to the fact that II
| is the second time we have gathered in
| this city. Twelve years ago almost to the
| day, and in this same room we held tbs
third meeting in what was then the in
| fancy of our organization. Well do VIC
| recall the cordial reception accorded us
| The then mayor, Colonel Ezra II. Ripple
| in receiving us apologized for the appear
| anCe of the city, saying that 1t was in I {
| condition for such welcome as he woulc
have liked to extend us. "Our streets are
| all torn up" he said, And we are in the
| condition of house undergoing the an
nual cleaning process. When next you
| come here | trust we shall be able to eX'
| tend a more hearty welcome to you.' We
note that the "house cleaning" has beer
| thorough and the improvements such as
| to do great credit TO the energy and en-
| terprise of a city marked by its natura
and architectural features with capabil
| tiles of much beauty and attractiveness.
| The history of our organization in th'
twelve years that have interviewed sine,
our former meeting here in 1856 has beer
| one of continual progress. Meeting a
first trer nially and then biennially, W.
now come together annually and the re
suits of these more frequent meetings
| have been most wholesome and beneficial
not only to us as a society but to our
selves as individuals.
THIRTEENTH CONVENTION.
This is the thirteenth convention sine,
| the inception of the society at Harris
burg in 1881. Since then three meeting
have been held in Philadelphia, two a
| Reading, two at Scranton, and one eaci
| To, rIplN,
Transport and Erie. These meetings hav
all been well attended bringing togethe
as many as four hundred of our people Z
one time and there is no longer an
doubt as to their advisabity. There ar
5000 deaf mutes in Pennsylvania, the ma
jority of whom are educated and self sus
tanning. They have naturally many in
terests in common and these meeting
present evident opportunities of eXchang
ing thoughts for mutual good.
Some of the principal works accom-
plished by our association We're the es
tablishment of the educational and I'm
dustral school at Mt Airy, where sew
enteen branches of trade are taught; IN
participation in the erection of the Gal
laudet statue at Washington for whicl
we subscribed 81 900, ard the beginning o
the movement for a home for the blind
aged and infrm deaf of Pennsylvania, TO
which $1,000 has already been subscribe
and which is to receive a $4,000 endow
ment from a gentleman In Pittsburg q
soon as the home is completed
The accomplishments demonstrated tn
practical usefulness of the society and 4
a record We may well feel proud of; an,
it must encourage us to efforts In othe
directions.
SCHOOL FOR DEAF.
One subject we might take up is the es
tablishing of another school for the dea
| in the nnrI woo nf Il 10