The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-29
AN IDEAL SCHOOL
FOR DEAF MUTES
The Great Institution at
Morganton.
EXCELLENT TEACHERS

tFFdCuCdI TTIItiIIy, 0HOc-WdhtHy
and Agricultural Depart
ments.
To the EditOr:-The people of no
State in the Union take a deeper in
terest in their charitable institutions
than the people of North Carolina.
Her legislators, from all classes o. her
people, have been as generous in
their support us the finances OF the
State would admit Two of these in
stitutions, the Western Hospital for
the Insane and the School for the
Deaf and Dumb are located in Nor
canton, and it is a matter of COM
mon knowledge that they rank with
the foremost institutions of their kind
in America. 1t is the purpose of this
article however, to discuss only the
latter.
School For the Deaf and Dumb
On an elevated plateau, overlook
ing the town of Morganton, and the
rich valleys of the CataWba and Johns
river, with the blue and girdling
mountain sweeping around it from
every angle, is located the school In
telligent minds and competent hands
have wrought marvels on this spot,
dedicated to the development of those
who could not help themselves. The
near and distant scenery is that OF
which the poets dream; while the re-
gion round about is known far and
wide for the salubrity of it's cline
The main building is one of the lar
gest and most commodious IN the Uni
ted States. and is considered by ex-
perts as one of the best arranged.
The plant as equipped is valued
at about $220,000. There are three
hundred and twenty acres of land in
the school property, OF which one
hundred and seventy-fiVe is in actual
cultivation.
The school opened in 1894 with 102
pupils and seven teachers. There are
now twenty-one regular teachers, five
industrial teachers and 242 children.
Schools.
There are two distinct departments,
oral and manual, both covering the
course taught in the public schools of
the State. In the oral department the
children are taught speech and speech
reading, using the same studies as are
taught in the manual department. Un-
der the .practiced eye and hand OF
Mrs. S. G.. Belts, all the children are
taught free-hand drawing. In visit
ing the school a few days since 1t was
my pleasure to so through 4 part of
the oral department, visiting the first
grade, the fourth grade and the last
or ninth grade, and what l saw in
mind development, and in speech and
speech-reading, was simply revela-
ton to me. The entire oral depart
ment is in charge of Mrs. e. G.. Hurd,
who naturally gifted, highly educated
and proud of her profession, is per-
haps the equal of any teacher in her
line on abe continent. She has spe-
cially fine corps of assistants, all
trained and skilled in their work.
Miss Sibelle King, who has charge of
the primary grade, and Miss Frances
Bell, of the fourth grade, impressed
me as being specially fine teachers.
The aptness of their pupils is more
eloquent of their achievement than
any words of mine. | speak of them
as / saw only their work and that of
Mr.. Hurd which was of a high stand
ard of merit. My information and be-
lief is, that all the teachers in the oral
and in the manual department as
well, are the best that can be had.
When it is known that David II. Til
linghast is at the head of the manual
observation-disclosures alone is a guaran-
tee of it's excellence for the name Of
TiIlinghast is the synonym for broad
culture and lofty ideals.
Oral Department.
AS the value of the manual depart
ment is so universally recognized and
as there is some skepticism as to the
real worth of oral teaching, / trust
your readers appreciate the following
somewhat extended account of it.
There have been 118 pupils under
instruction in the oral department of
this school during the past year. These
children when born deaf, or when
made deaf at an carly age, have no
speech. and no language, because they
have never heard speech and Ian
guage. When they are admitted to
this department, at the age of about
eight years, they do not know their
names, they do not know the names
of the most common objects which
they have seen all their lives.
They are placed in classes under
trained teachers, who patiently work
with each child, in turn teaching him
to watch and to initiate the move
ments of the lips, then to feel the
vibration of the voice, and to initiate
it until the child is able to speak
words quite distinctly. He is taught
what these words mean and then, step
by step, he is taught to use two or
more words in proper order to eX-
press his thoughts-that is. to say
something. A pupil in school one
year spoke this sentence: "A boy lost
his knife and found it," He is also
taught to write and read and, as he
passes from grade to grade-for the
work is as carefully planned and grad |
ed as in schools for the hearing chill
dren-he becomes able to express
himself we'll.
Pupils in the fourth grade are able
to work practical problems in addi- |
ton subtraction, multiplication and |
division; to converse about themselves