The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-25
SIGN LANGUAGE.
4 Deaf Mute Explains Its Theory,
Use, Value and EIoauence.

Use, Value and EloQuence.
"a Deaf Mute" in Baltimore Sun.
The sign language was originally
brought from France by Rev. Thomas
Gallaudet as the best method of communi-
cation among the deaf. It essentially a
pictorial language The deaf mute thinks
in pictures, always has before him the pic
ture of something. His whole memory is
a panorama, which passes before the Wis
ion Of his mind and every thought takes q
pictorial shape. If You should see two deaf
mutes together and would observe them
clearly, you would notice that they were
making pictures in the air to each other so
to represent these pictorial thoughts. And
this is the genius of the sign language.
We do not begin at the last OF a sentence
and make signs backward until we get to
the beginning. The signs are made in pre-
cisely the same order that the artist puts
his pencil upon paper,
The line that The artist draws first is
that first drawn by the sign maker ANA
one is just as much an artist as the other.
So if you wish to ask what is the order
which is necessary 10 make a complete
living picture. In representing the sign
language, a man has TO be, to a certain eX-
tent, an actor. If person, not familiar
with signs. will ignore all fear of criticism,
all dread of being laughed at, and at once
get at the thing he wishes to express, he
win learn TO make signs very rapidly and
very accurately. One of The points in The
sign language is location. You locate
everything which you wish to express with
its relations to the other things, and there
you have the picture.
In describing animals, you represent
their movements and general shape. For
instance, with the rhinoceros you repre-
sent his big, hard body, short legs and
his irony shape, and the goring of his
tusks. That makes a full pictorial sign.
Foxes are made in the same way in con-
nection with their cunnngness speed
shape, etc. But such fun and complete
pictorial signs take up too much time for
rapid communication and our practical
deaf-mutes reduce these signs to the
shortest space. Take the tusks of the
rhinoceros in an expressive manner and
you have the rhinoceros. We do not go
through ali the movements which are nee
essary to make a complete picture we
make reduced or condensed picture.
1t is natural for the deaf children to
think in signs. Our of school they will
make natural signs in describing things
that he has seen, read or heard. 1t has
been my experience and observation that
those teachers who have the clearest and
most distinct understanding of the sign
language, and can use it clearly in the
school or lecture room, are the most sue,
cessful teachers.
To my best knowledge, I have found
that DR.. E. NJ. Ga.laudet, the president of
Gallaudet College, Profs. Jones and Smith
deaf-mute teachers, of New York and Min
nesota Schools for the Deaf, respectively,
are all the finest sign makers in this coun-
try. If anyone Of these named gentlemen
is scheduled to give lecture about the
parable of the sower for example, he can
make YOU hearing people understand his
signs as clearly as crystal This is only
an instance.
In fact. ne can make you understand
something OF whole lecture on every oc-
casion. no matter how unfamiliar one is
with the ways OF the deaf and the reason
is his signs are absolutely correct. I must
emphasize the fact that there is a power In
the sign language in ats presentation Of
vivid thought ~ il is rightly used, that
the oral language does not possess. IL must
be acknowledged that IL is more effective
ana magnetic IN drawing the attention OF
the listeners than the use OF spoken tan
guage.
or course it must not be thought that
every deaf-mute is "a good sign maker;
some Of them, Ike our speaking brothers
use SLANG some are mediumlY good. and
tho rest are excellent. We dcaf-mutes have
agreed Ia conventions that only one worth.
Jess deaf-muto Us needed 80 injure enc opin-
ion Of ninety-ulue good ones. our practical
ones are always in favor Of much purity
in The flgn language on the street. in ears
ard, indsed, everywhere. 1 remember one
lecture, given by pIof Jones, Of New York