The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-09-24
A SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF.
What Louisiana is Doing Freely in IL
Great Institute at Baton Rouge.

l Inc scaoOI bells are ringing all owe
Louisiana, calling into the publ
schools hosts Of Marys and Margarets
Freddies and Charles. to say nothin
of the thousands of others who answe
! to names that fall as sweeetly on tn
ears of the household as do these
Books and states are in demand an
the educational ball is again bein
set in motion. Superintendent of Put
lie Education Aswell has had bus
summer attending teachers institute
all over the state, infusing new idea
| in the minds of hundreds of teacher
NV ready for the fray. The college
and universities, too, are gettin.
| ready for large attendance of olde
| Marys and Freds who have bid good
bye to the high school and have am
billions beyond. All these signs O
activity for campaign of brain cu1
ture are indeed most gratifying a
evidences OF the forward, march,
spirit Of the present and following
gener ations of this state.
Nor does the story end here, for il
more than a hundred other homes il
Louisiana where there is a deaf child
preparations are just as eagerly being
made for the returning to school d
the silent member of the family. I'm
like his hearing brothers and sisters
he cannot run across lots to the schoo.
/ house and when school is out, 90 home
to supper, but he must take a journey,
| sometimes from southwest Louisiana,
| sometimes from the extreme northwest,
! and almost from every parish in the
state he must take a ride in the cars to
Baton Rouge, where his school is To-
Gated. And a great school it is! A
fine massive building two or three
times as large as the state house which
1t overshadows. There on a beautiful
plat of ground of 25 acres is where the
state provides a free education to
every white child in the state who is
too deaf to receive instruction in the
ordinary way. There also for eight
months IN the year remain these deaf
boys and girls; board, books. care and
instruction by trained specialists being
supplied freely and generously by the
representatives Of a sympathetic and
Whole-hearted people--the state gov
eminent. Not only thistle unfortu-
nate deaf children become il a sense
the fortunate deaf, for as a recon-
pense possibly more is done for them
10 our noble state institute than is
done for their hearing brothers and
sisters ID the public schools. And
why not? Ii addition to the ordinary
school course OF reading, writing,
arithmetic, geography, ETC., the boys
are given instruction in some handi-
craft which will be foundation for
them upon which to earn living if
need be by following a useful trade.
The trades taught at present are print
ing and typesetting the students pub
fishing little school paper OF their
oWnG cabinet-making and carpentry,
and shoemaking. And this term a new
Industry will probably be introduced:
that OF house painting, paper hanging
and Interior decorating. The girls are
taught plain and fancy sewing and
household science, so that upon finish
ing the course the young ladies can 90
into the kitchen at home and prepare
palatable dishes according to the most
modern scientific rules OF cookery.
The system Of instruction used ia
al these things to the deaf
nutes is an eclectic system which en-
braces the so-called sign language and
niger alphabet, as well as oral in.
'truction and ip-reading. Partially
leaf children or those who lost their
fearing through disease or accident
litter they had acquired some speech
ire SO instructed as to retain what
peech they had and improve upon it:
till others who show exceptional ap-
itude though born deaf can be taught
he use Of their vocal organs TO a use
Ill extent. F.
The superintendent Of the institute
Or the deaf at Baton Rouge, Prof. S.
!. Walker, informs US that while the
tate has thus literally provided for
ae schooling of every white deaf child !,
> the state and many are availing
1emselves OF the provision, there are
ct probably as many more deaf chill ,
rem in the state whose parents either ;
0 not know of the free character of |
&c school or through mistaken pa
entail love are deferring sending their ;
lildren TO school at the proper i'm i
reasonable age. The readers OF this +
ould be doing a most humane and =
act by reporting to SUI I
srintendent Walker the names and Q
idresses Of the parents of any child Y
loWn to them who is not attending !
hool by reason of deafness in any =
gree sufficient to render instruction
the common schools impractieabla.
Y this small act the whole lie of a
lid may be frightened and made use- !.
by education. fo
BuckIen's Arnfca safge n
Il