New-York tribune., 1901-06-16
READS ALL BLIND ALPHABE1S
A UNIQUE GIRL PUPIL IN THE INsTlio-
TION FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB.

Young deaf and blind girl. Katie, McGirr'
nunu in the New-York Institution for the instruc-
,,o,, of the Deaf and Dumb, Broadway and one
bundred-and-sixty-t third-st., the commencement or
which was held last week. has accomplished What
- is safd no other person has done-ability TO
read with equal facility every alphabet for the
bund This knowledge enables her TO become
familiar with all the literature prepared for the
sightIess no of the systems presenting all the
important works. Her latest achievement Is the
almost unknown Lucas" which is no longer IN USE
Katie being the only blind person in this country
IL is said who is familiar with it. The girls
achievement disproves the long accepted theory
that only writing is possible to the blind with
out confusion. Besides Lucas Katie reads
Moon Line Letter" "Ne&-York Point and
both American and English "Braille" From the
beginning of her course she has made rapid ad-
vancement and in English her work is particularly
noteworthy.
There are three other blind and deaf pupils in
the institution. The youngest. Catharine Peterson
a girl of fifteen. became blind when she was eight
wears old and two years later. lost her hearing.
She uses typewriter. and reads American
''Braille"
The other two are boys. who will, 1t is be-
ueved he capable of seIf-support at the close of
their school course. The younger, Orris Benson
is the possessor of a complete set of carpenters
tools the gift of a benevolent man who is deeply
interested in this special class of afflicted children.
The tools arc used under the instruction Of
teacher. at regular perlOdS edcn ddSt ana lHSI
owner ia able now make joints in wood that
would do credit TO a seeing hoy. Orris also works
metal
The oldest of the four. Stanley Robinson. is pur-
suing a post graduate course of mechanical train
iuc He possesses no little literary ability. having
already aided in his support by contributing
TO one the daily newspapers of this city, we'll
as to technical journal
Lip reading and articulation taught 20 all
the other pupils Of the school and where there IS
a remnant of hearing the is trained. The
course of study Is similar TO that required In com
mon schools and academies. and a mechanical
trade Is given To each pup-to the boys. printing,
carpentry and cabinet making. gardening and fori-
culture house painting and tailoring; to the girls,
drossnaking sewing. cooking and housekeeping.
All the vegetables required by the large family
during the last year with the exception OF potatoes
were produced by the labor Of the twenty-five
hoy members Of the gardening classes. Based on
the current wholesale market prices OF this city. the
nr0drts of the fields and greenhouses were valued
department last year received the award OF
nrst prize at the Walden fair for celery and red
cabbage.
The boys class in cooking in the last year has
outnumbercd the girls. thirty being in the former
ana only twenty in the latter.
The institution has library Of 1914 volumes,
the Mercantile Library Association and the op-
portunities afforded by the Washington Heights
Free Library. situated near the school.
~ were girls Two hundred and twenty of these
were supported by the State. 2I2 by counties "A by
state and counties. II by parents and guardians .
by the institution ana ny county ana iisttptlon;
one hundred and tweuty-nine were born deaf. and
l26 became deaf under the OF two years.
In his last report Charles Augustus StOddard.
president Of the board Of directors urges the neces