The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26
WEIL-DRILLED DEAF MUTES
40 yTUIBITION THAT SURPRISED
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN.

~, the high bank slopng from Fort Washing
,or avenue down 10 the Hudson River Just north
~ ,69d street stand tho buildings Of an institu
,,n that covers several acres. Near the main
sri,dine rises a tall flagstaff and the Stars and
s,,ipes that wave from II show that the institu
don is military in character. Last Monday two
N,,iona, Guard officers were riding up that way
an their wheels when tho sight Of a battalion Of
hoys in uniform turning out for parade attracted
,h.it attention. They dismountcd short dis
,snce away and stood watching the parade. The
hoys ranged in age from ten 20 eighteen years.
MI, the precision with which they went through
a.. eyolutions was such as few National Guard
,,gimcnts in this vicinity could rival Tho two
oicets watched with admiration. but presently
noticed something which puzzled them. Tho
Adiu,ant who was giving the orders was wag-
Ring his fingers and waving his hands In q, TO
th.m ncomprehcnsbo manner. AT tho con.
,usi,n Of each series Of motions part Of the man
nal Of arms was performed.
That's a singular thing" said ono Of the big
oGcsrs 10 his companion. Il don't hear any
orders gwen
aNor /" said the other. Looks like new
wrinkle to me: drill by signals. Works pretty
,,l doesn't IT, Night DO worth looking into"
The two spectators moved up nearer and then
ss the battalion came TO rest they made another
diSoycry. for oil the boys, in perfect silence,
tucd to each other and began exercising their
fingers IN the most animated manner
.Why they're deaf mutcs" exclaimed the frst
oercr suddenly and they're drilling with the
regular orders given in their sign-languago.
How on earth did they ever reach that stage OF
perfection IN drill'
They stayed to the end OF the drill and then
went away declaring that from military stand
euu, the dn,l was the most remarkable eShibi.
,,p they had ever seen And that has been tho
common opinion OF all military men who have
seen the battalion Of the New York Institution
forths instruction of the Deaf and Dumb for man
who has himself had experience In drilling sol
ders who have all their senses can appreciate
the enormous difficulties In the way Of bringing
20 perfection a body Of young boys who must not
only take all their orders from sight. but must
even depend upon the eye for tho primary military
principle Of keeping step, since the natural organ
Of rhrthm tho ear. gives them no aid.
It's no, 10, much to say that thee is no other
dnl 10 I've seen in this city with the same inter
EST that attaches 10 az exhibition by these boys.
To ta, outsider II has all the charm Of mystery.
Here are SONG two hundred boys Of various ~ les,
in sacc,ics, Uniforms with their eyes all fixed
on one boz who is In command; There Is swift
series " movements of his white gloved fingers
and for deaf mute white gloves are about the
same IN cde,i rs a strip Of cloth tied around the
,on:ue e the ordinary man tn, shsrp down
as one man, is turning to 'orm into this evolution
OF that OF is cattying, ordering. or presenting
ferrous PASS and presto different evolution is
BEN; executed ~ snarplv as even more shar'ly
unoa the down stroke Of that directing arm than
the ordinary soldier responds TO the "lirrtump'"
Of his commander which stands for the empower
Ing clause Of the military law making Gen
Francis ' Greene, when he first saw the deaf boys
Adj glttJ. hat IN ODD To oh
fcctilH they must have been trained 10 regular
routine Of orders which never varied In succession,
Instructo! ". H. Yam Tasscll invited him 70 take
charge o. the drill and translated his orders as
fast as he gave them. the battalion RESPONDING
a. swiftly ard surely as when the orders came
from one Of their own body. II was explained 70
him Mat The eYutuduas were the Jesuit Of long and
patient instruction in which the boys took as
much interest IS their instructors for they are
very rold Of their proficiency. and indeed
o. ereiy'hlaS retaining To the institution
fc'lin; Of LOYALTY to the institution far more
dep and sir21% than the affection OF the average
college man for his Alma Mater, II il for that
rc,Son mainly that their athletic teams when
theT use 10 take part in the inter ,cholas,c con.
tests were ue m,S, formidable and feared Of
40 students, of whom about ,wothirds
sao 0'Ts , ans 0n n he s srs that Pupil,
az taken On tie Recommendation Of the pro- cI
STATE OF county officials and the course involves
noeH7ense TO the pupil but the school Is not under
State OF county management and politics does
not enter into the management in any way. The
principal is Dr Enoch Henry Currer and he has
ulier him hlty.two professors and teachers in
TIE academic schools, and fifteen instructors In
liz ,rsfc schools The pupils have both the
scaienic and .hn trade training. The schooling
Is REGULAR college PREPARATORY course. fitting
the scholar for enhance to the Deaf Mute College
H. Warrington The trad school teaches variety
There is a w.ll-eluipped printing ESTABLISHMENT
there waich does all the printing of the institu
ton and quite little outidc work. much OF the
r'InunS being high grade work. In the car
peniry and chhinei-making department the wood
re1aT woFS OF the place is done and the boys
wa WA, are as t1le PaIticularly attached to th,
in'nitnre which are not for show. but for use
Several half blind deaf mutes do chair Gaming by
sWtnsss and aSearacy they viii mi,a,e ~ any T pa
lern given to them. The horticultural depart.
msnt Is represented by a handsome hot house
s'ock on nowcrt The chrysanthsmums are par
HGliar!y me and hav. taken prizes at tho Flower
snow Interesting eSperi ments are being male
scsntGc and the practical side Of horticulture
ald with one hand buried in a pot Of dirt they
na ,at Oh on the o,se The ,S @
aMingS which they are taught are tailoring gar
denim and baking Fol- the, girls, there Is in
and plain sewing Both boys and girls tax,
Ae course in art, and m'ny Of the dea' mute,
Me surprisingly apt at drawing and modelling
lhe new bronze memorial tablet in the chape
saS designed and modelled by pupils in tho in
bItniOn.
Their is a general impression that deaf mute,
rue az" hnd tempered, difficult to deal with
shl ol an unhappy disposition II Is not casy
iot visitor 70 thc institution to believe this, FOL
happier set OF young people one would traye
lar " md They are full OF life and ANNA
SPIRITS and enjoy themselves after the fashion
% Al Young PERSONS, except that there secm
o. more community Of feeling in tho schoo
am less Of n 'isposition toward forming Clique.
ana circles than Is characteristic Of most insti
unions Despite their high spirits there have beer
bu uee case 81 discipline this year in the emit
Emo" The principal, Or. Currier, says tina
Mere is only one point where the deaf arr hast
70 manage, They are extremely sensniy,
70 ni!cIc and extremely suspicious o
from The rest Of the world they i'm "gine, when
EYER mey SIC outsiders talking together, that they
r me nrst Or" ne subject o. the conyeIsation am
presumably of ridiculr This makes them mood,
ahq sometimes ll-tempercd. but aside fror
TTisul'y are Of an cquablc disposition, in general
me best Of good fellowship obtains among IN
huGrh,s Of thcinsiitution That II also obtain
pn'ween N" faculty and the youngsters Ia nc
70 d. doubted by any one who has visited IN
placc and s"cn the little girls lying in wait 10
one or another Of the professors outside the doc
w%iLe upon him and demand ride on his shou
.nei' ~ ne young carpenter who has arrived a
we dignity of his first chest Of drawers, insist
,nuS Dragging Dr. Currier along by the slcev
VIEW nus masterpiece.