Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-06-02
The DEAF AND DUMB.
inspection of the Territorial School by the
Trustees.

l Ht Il uSuCtc u WV cNiioo' ~ s'o ~
ucation of the deaf and dumb have made
an inspection of the school. They We're
delighted with the good work done by
Superintendent and Mrs. Larson.
An examination in reading, spelling,
arithmetic, geography. map work and
blackboard work was conducted, and it
was shown that the pupils were far add
vanced in studies and that the institu-
ton is doing good work for deaf mutes
sent to the institution. Eduardo Lo-
bato, a fve-year-old boy, is an especially
bright youngster and far advanced in
deaf mute, made an address in the sign
language, as follows:
Ladies' and gentlemen: | wish to
speak a few words to you. Professor
Larson says that education is a good and
worthy thing for us to possess for our
future life and to become good and use
full citizens of the United States. 1t
will repay this territory. The unedu-
Gated deaf have no character, know
nothing about manv useful, great and
successful things, can not labor and
prosper well for themselves, and have to
go about begging for their living, nor
can they improve anything from no
education. Six years ago l was sent by
my dear mother to this school to re-
/ ceive an education. Before | came here
| did not know how to write nor what to
read. and even did not know my own
name nor the name of anything, and
| had no idea about language and about
| Ilol and bic wondarfu1 works Eor tho
past years l worked as a pupil here and
learned all l could in this school. You
| see that l am now able to read
| and cipher and understand language.
| am thankful to the committee in hav-
ing helped this school to teach me to be-
come a good, happy and wise person.
/ should feel very happy of having been
instructed by the teacher. He has led
| me from ignorance to knowledge. Mrs.
| Larson has done many kind favors to
| transport, clothe and board me in this
school. | wish to continue learning an
other term and will graduate here next
term
Superintendent Larson also made an
address concerning certain needs of the
institution as follows:
'In behalf of the school we greet you
all with a few words of welcome. We
suppose that you have already known
that we began this school and have since
worked for it under many adverse and
hard circumstances for the past IA
years. We have not given up the fort
here and hope that our new law will
soon do something better for it, and you
will all work and assist the school to be
better equipped and better encouraged
so that this institution will be surely
promoted to u higher field of usefulness
and success in the near future.
"We wish you to understand that the
closing exercises of today will not make
a big show because all the pupils but
one here have not made any advance in
their studies yet, because they were
forced to stay away from the school for
about two years on account of lack of
available appropriations, and they did
not return here until last fall and had
lost much Of their time at home and for
got most of what they had already
learned. When this school was re-
opened, we had to have it re-arranged
as if it was a new one, but the pupils
have fairly progressed in the way of
learning during the scholastic term and
will continue learning more and more in
after years. 1t is our real hope that Nc
hindrance will be made to cripple this
institution in the future as it was twice
before.
"You will understand that language
can be learned and read by the youns
deaf when they strive to get it will
hard study, though it is still very hare
for them to master on account of the
loss of their hearing being a stoppage tC
full and perfect mastery of it. O.
course deafness is no bar to education
Learning language shonld be of more
Importance to them because they should
talk in written language with the PEG
pie who do not know signs, as the for
mer are living one by one in different
places here and there in communities
of many hundred people-say II tt
l.500 as a general rate.
I'VE are sorry to say that we have nc
hearing lady familiar with the signs OF
the deaf, and we would like to have one
who can be of good service to the schoo
in the way of interpreting. The way tt
get a very good interpreter for this
school is to have a hearing orphan CIR
Of about IS years, with a good education
come and stay in this school for the pur
pose of learning signs from the pupils
and not from the officers, while she car
serve as some hired help to the schoo
with little pay until she gets a good ant
familiar knowledge of signs, so that SHE
will be of better help to tine school
especially as an oral teacher to the
deaf"