Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-17
HELEN kElLER'S EXAMINATIONS.
Marvellous Record for a Young Woman
blind, Deaf and Dumb.


Miss Helen Keller, having completed her
preparation for college in three years in
stead If in tho four which had been as
signed by st me of her friends for the pur-
pose, vert to Cambridge to take the reg
ular entrance examinations for Radcliffe.
She had successfully given tho usual sub
jects at the preliminary examination, two
years ago and these remained for this en-
trance eNanii atiCn Geometry algebra,
lementary Greek, advanced Greek and adj
NanCcd Latin.
1t is quite certain that M person ever
took a college examination with so heavy
hardiCap-wo may say with 50 many
kinds of handicap-as Helen Kclers on
his occasion. says the Boston Transcript.
As all the world knows she could not sec
the examination papers nor hear the voice
of an examiner. The rdtural method OF
communicating the questions to her would
have been to make use of the fingers of
her d-time teacher and interpreter.
Miss Sullivan. Miss Sullivan does not
know Geek or Latin or the higher mathc-
matcs. and while she is all" to snrVe
Helen by &C mmunication to her prn- cd
Greek and Latte letter by letter. she could
not. even if she had been 50 disposed,
have given her the slightest assistance in
answering the examination questions. But
it was deer ed best by all concerned to
avoid even the remotest suggestion or pos
siblity of assistance. 4 gentleman WAS
found-Mr. Nlning % the Perkins insti-
tuition. who had never met Ecl,n Keller
and who Was o,,ite t:nknoNn I, hog and
unable to speak 10 her-who could take
the eXamraton papers as fast as they
were presented ard write them out in
Brailc characters, the system " writing
in puncturcd points now much used by the
blind. The ouostions. thus Transcribed by
him. were nut into Helen's hands in the
eXaminaticu room. IN the presence Of a
proctor who could not communicates with
her and she wrote out her answers on ;he
tvpewriter
b Here. hcNcver came in one If The addl-
tional points of He,et's handicap There
ace two ~ stems of Rraille writinc-the
English and the American. There are
ere marked differences between them
very much such differences rs those be-
tween tho two ,,rincipal systems Of short
hand writing Helen Keller has been aC-
customed Ia the f., .r,ish system. in which
nearly all the books which have been put
nto Rrailla are printed. As the arrange
merit with Mr.. Vinug was completed but
a day CT two before. and as il was not
known TO h.r that he did not write the
ENGLISH DraiVe II was impcslble to make
anv other arrangement She had to puzz q
ON the unfamiliar method of writing.
much as A writer of tho Pitman stem -
eraplv might use his sense If LOGIC and
general intelligence hv a tour Dc force. to
enable him 10 read tho Graham sho.thand.
and this labor was added to the other Ia =
Dor If Helen Keller's cNataination To add
10 her difficulties. her Swiss watch. made
for the blind. had been FORGOTTEN at lone.
and there was no one at hanG. on either
nj Tho DAYS Of the examination. to give her
the time She worked in TN, DARK with
verard IN the time which remained I, Ier
90 sbe wont along from, question IN iues-
lion
Rut she nassed the examination tritrm-
nbantIv in every study In advanced
LATIN she nasscd with credit" In adj
va,,c,d creek which Nor tutor regard, d
az ber "star" study she rereive1 3, IN -
which 10 ,o,,, hicb m,r, yc, hare the
,imo and no RraiIle difNc,ll,v worked
NOS, baa,.i,v agairst her. WHAT nor
,nori,;,ns u'as IN The Other studi,. * nor
i,rorr. Il &C. orIv known mar .hc nass,d
81,