The times., 1901-03-24
DEAF CHILDREN Tn KANSAS
Methods in Employment at a
School at 0fathe.
The Complaint of "A Pupil Concern
ing the Cutting of His Hnir-Mis-
placed sympathy OF Visitors TO the
schooI-Stutcnt's Life Happy One

me pmDtahbt n
ing the Cutting of His Hair-Mis-
pince5 sympathy OF Visitors TO the
SchooI-Studcnt's Life a Happy One
OT,ATHE. Kan. March 20-The deaf, as
q class, are victims of many mistaken no
tions. Their difficulty in communicating
with hearing people has much to do with
this. as has their characteristic shyness,
ami it may be that the fact that few are
paupers and their names are seldom
found in the records of the common
courts is one reason for their remaining
aloof and uncomprehended. AS class,
they suffer from the ease with which
beggars and swindlers may assume the
role of the deaf mute without detection
and impose upon the charitable. Then.
TOO. there was an age when no one
thought of instructing the deaf and they
were c1assed with idiots, and some of
the odium that attached to them then
still clines to them in spite of the fact
that the deaf mutes of today, educated
and trained in the State schools, have
grown up into a body of intelligent, in
deDendent. self-supporting, and law-abid-
ing citizens alive to the public interests,
and TO their own personal welfare.
1t is not easy TO realize how dependent
une is upon the sense of hearing for the
enjoyment OF life enlightenment, and sue
,ess " hen the door of communication
with the world is closed, then, indeed, the
| world becomes a blank, and the deaf per-
son mingles with the world, but is not
part of it. Such. at least, was the con
dition of the deaf down to comparatively
modern times.
But time has brought about great
changes in the condition of the deaf. They
now hear with the eye, and talk with
| the hand or even with the tongue. They
| go to schools suited to their needs, and
| then take up life in business, in the fam
! lily, and in the social relations, very much
as their hearing brothers and sisters do
| The success of these deaf mutes demon
| strates conclusively that the State in pro-
viding for the edcuation of the deaf, has
adopted a policy of wisest economy, in
! making of helpless dependents self-sus-
| tanning men and women, capable OF enjoy
| ing life and helping others to enjoy it.
| The school at Olathe, which the state OF
| Kansas has provided for it's deaf children
| is thoroughly equipped for educational
purposes, and its corps of instructors are
| trained specialists. 1t is a school, pure
| and simple, the term asylum and its as
sociations being in no way applicable TO
an educational institution which provides
| board and tuition for nine months IL the
| year for course of ten years.
Every year there comes to the Olathe
school a class of children ranging in age
| from six TO ten. who must begin to ac-
| dtlire the English language where the in
| fant just out of the cradle does. Nocab-
/ ulary is built up, word by wor" ana sen
| tence by sentence In association with oh
! iects and actions The teacher presents
| some object. a hat. for instance, and
| writes the name on the wall slate. The
! nupn is taught to write the name and as
| sociate the name of the object He Is
| also taught to spell the word on his I'm
gers. to speak it, and to readit from the
| motion of the lips when spoken by others
| though the instruction in speech and III
| reading is usually preceded by drill or
| the elementary sounds of the language
/ When the names of several objects nave
been learned including the names Of the
| pupils. verbs and complete sentences are
| taught by means of actions. zone OF tins
| pupils is required to run across the room
| and the pupils are taught Charles ran
| So the instruction continues from one
| word TO another until the end of his ten
| year course.
WHAT THE Pupils ACHIEVE.
What does the pupil finally accomplish
A fair English education, including al
| the branches usually taught in our sec
ondary public schools. The greatest diff
| ficulty in educating the deaf is the mas
| terry OF everyday idiomatic language Th'
| pupils opportunities for practice are very
! limited, and the best their teachers car
J do does not approach the easy condi
| tions under which the nearing chliu PICK:
! up language.
| While the pupils efforts to acquire Ian
! guage often fail, his exploits in original
| ity of expression are abundantly success
| full One pupil writes:
| The cat put TO licks the milk.
| Another telling about dog wrote: HI
| hurrahed with his wag.'
| A little boy, who had complained 70 hi
| teacher that another boy had injured
him, was told TO ask an explanation ant
! returned with the remark: Il whyed him
| but he wouldn't because, which, IL no
| strictly accurate in form, was an encour
| agingly intelligent use of the words H.
| knew.
| The following written complaint of ;
| pupil whose hair was cut too short an'
| who thereby got into trouble, is sampi
| of the results sometimes achieved:
| Yesterday / asked Mr.. w. l want t
| cut my hair which is more short H'
| granted me and he staid me. He went Z
| I then he told him, You cut Mr.. c.
| which is less little hair ] put my han'
on this short hair. / was sorry TO say
this was not right. | got cold, and l feI
| with my head from the cause or my colo
! a few months ago l was glad to say mor
! short hair was all right than little less
| In the morning i considered to ask Mr.
w. saying. This. hair is not right, be
| cause my head is got this cold that
| feel most He refuses to me: Coco
| enough | questioned again him, Why
| is the difference Of more short hair o
| some pupils and less little hair of me? ?
| He replies to me, Silent! Again | ques
ton, Why Then he coaXes me into th
| wickedness. l do not tempt him. ! con
| slider to go 10 your office. He tells me
| 'Sitr Again | tell him. but / do not ad
jure him, but he has no law, because tina
| / presume he is not judged himself
| try TO take him away. He yet Stands
! leaning at the door. and refuses to me
| l tell him Back Then he angry to strik
| my throat with a blow. ! feel worse
| now fight with him a few minutes. I il
| patient calmly, but he overCOmes me. H
pushes me to sit, when l miss to pOin
| nay hand at his head, but / miss to Dc
! my fist into his eye. / tell him Back,
| but he refuses to me. Then ] do not pusl
! him away. ! suffer with little trouble.
| think more that | am not bad that Mr.
| w. IS little to injure me. | ask you tina
| | Will not talk with MI W. but | shall
| to recommend TO you. / feel little bad
| But / am not afraid 20 confess to you
| Eut you want to do me. / think what Z
| do. l ask you that | must forgive you
| Therefore | will promise YOU with oatl
| that / will never be fighted by any per
! son"
But the greater number of pupils wh'
| finish the course have mastered the Ian
| guage and suffer in no way By compari
! son with their brothers and sisters wh'
| have attended the public schools. They
| have been taught their duties as mem
| bers of society and as citizens OF tn
State and they have been trained in som
| trade by which they can earn living
| Several have been so we'll prepare tina
| Washington, d. c., a college especially
| for the deaf,