The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-27
DEAF .MUTES EMPLOY
IDI0MATIC SIGN
LANGUAGE
DR.. j. N. Tate, Superinten-
dent of the Faribault
School for the Deaf, Tells
of the Peculiar and Clever
Accomplishments Of the
Inmates.

DR.. ]. n. Tate, superintendent of the
state school for the deaf at Faribault
was registered at the Windsor yester-
day, and in conversation with
G o b e reporter told man interesting
things of the institution and it's in
mates.
There are at present., said the doc
to, 1853 pupils divided among the diff
ferent grades. Yes, it is interesting
work, this teaching of the deaf and
dumb, and sometimes it is very tedi-
Gus, too. But there are many things
in connection with the work, matters
that tighten the labor and lessen the
tedium, of which the person who knows
nothing of the work can imagine but
little.
Nov, for instance, there are very
few persons who know that there is a
deaf and dumb idiomatic language.
Yet such a phenomenal thing exists
and is In constant use. 1t is just as
much used as the oral idiomatic Ian
guage of the person who has full pos
session of all the lingual and aural
faculties There are signs in constant
use that are taught by no instructor;
indeed, it Is a firm opinion with me
that the natural sign language is al
most universal. 1 believe that We're
one to meet with a Chinese deaf mute,
who had never received any instruc-
ton, he would employ almost the same
signs as an American who had not re-
ceived any instruction.
"It seems as though these signs are
instructive. You know 1t has been told
that when the first prospectors and
frOntierSmen went into the Southwest
of this country they met with a race of
Indians who conVersed at long range
by signs. These signs were so simple,
and so clearly and instinctively did
that none could mistake them. In
other words they were the signs or
movements that you and I would nat
urally make We're we suddency de-
prived of our power of speech and
means of writing.
Sign Language Instructive.
''There are very few of the untaught
children brought to the school who viii
not, Immediately upon their arrival,
commence to tell me, at my request,
the complete history of their little
lives. They will tell me in the most
vivid manner whether or no they have
been treated well, whether they Liked
to leave home or no, and many other
things that you would naturally tell me
were you in the same position and pos
sessed of your powers of speech. or
course many of the signs they use are
not what we call approved signs
but they very accurately serve the
purpose of conveying ideas. These
idiomatic idea conveying signs are not
at all like the alphabetical symbols
They are different both in appearance
and use.
TO illustrate to you what I mean,
let me tell you of something that took
place at the school this winter Dur
ing their spare time several of the
more enterprising and literary-inclined
pupils painted scenery, manufacturer
stage properties, and SO on, and about
Christmas time we had production of
several Shakespearean plays. Now, In
the sign language these plays could
not have been produced at all. By the
mere use of fingers and facial contor-
tons it would have been nothing but
torture, for even those who under
stand the finger language, to sit and
watch it. But by the use of these
many subtle, idiomatic signs, such as
you who are unacquainted with the
many little minor sidelights and shad.
ings were employed. making the exhi-
bition one of pleasure.
Facial Method of Talking.
"Then there is another means of
complete conversation in the use of
which neither the hands, arms or body
are used. 1t is the facial method of
the transmission of ideas. Looks,
twists of the different muscles, the
many inclinations of the head, all have
different and significant meanings that
are readily interpreted by the one
Versed in their meanings.
BY means of this 1 once gave an ex-
hibition before the state legislature
placed student outside the door,