The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1904-09-21
A SCHOOL FOR DEAF CHILDREN.
what Louisiana is Doing Freely In
The Great Institute at Baton
Rouge.

A"o SCnOOI Dells are ringing all
over Louisiana calling into the public
schools hosts of Marys and Marga-
ress, Freddies and Charles, to say
nothing of the thousands of Others
who answer to names that fall as
Sweetly on the ears of the household
as do these. Books and states arr in
demand and the educational ball is
again being set in motion. Superin-
tendent of Public Education. Prof.
Aswell, has had a busy summer at
tending teachers institutes all over
the State infusing new ideas into the
minds OF hundreds of teachers now
ready for the fray. The colleges and
universities too are getting ready for
q large attendance of older Marys
and Freds who have bid goodbye to
the high school and have ambitions
beyond. All these signs of activity
for a Campaign of brain culture''
n indeed most gratifying as evil
nce OF the forward march, spirit
OF n present and following genera
ton of this State.
Nor does the story end here, for in
o than a hundred other homes in
Louisiana where there is a deaf child.
preparations r just as eagerly being
made for returning to school of the
silent member of the family. Unlike
his hearing brothers and sisters he
cannot run acros lots to the school
house and when school is out, 20
nome to supper, but he must take a
journey, sometimes from southwest
Louisiana, sometimes from the ex.
treme' northwest and from almost
every Parish in the State he must take
. ride in the cars to Baton Rouge
where his school is located. And a
great school it is! A fine massive
building two or three times as large
as the State House which it over
shadows. There on a beautiful plat
OF ground of p 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 q sympathe-
TIC and whole hearted people-the
STATE Government. Not only this
e unfortunate deaf children be-
come in q n the FORTUNATE DEAF.
for IS . recompense possibly more
is done for them in our noble State
institute than is done for their hearing
brothers and sisters in the public
schools, and why not? In addition to
the ordinary school course of reading,
writing, arithmetic, geography, etc.,
the boys are given daily instruction
In some handicraft which will be q
foundation for them upon which to
earn . living if need be by following
. useful trade. The trades taught at
present are, printing and typesetting,
they publish a little school paper of
their OWN cabinet making and
carpentry, and shoemaking. And
this term . new industry will probably
be introduced, that of house painting,
paper hanging and interior decor
ating. The girls are taught plain
and fancy sewing and household
science SO that upon finishing the
course the Young ladies can go into
the kitchen ut home and prepare
pslatable dishes according to the
most modern scientific rules Of cook
cry.
The system Of instruction used in
importing all these things to the deaf
mutes is an eclectic system which EN-
braces the &C called sign language
snd finger alphabet as we'll Is oral
instruction and lip-resding. Partially
deaf children or those who lost their
hearing through disease or accident
after they had acquired some speech
are &C instructed rs to retain what
speech they had and improve upon
it-still others who show exceptional
aptitude though born deaf can be
taught the use Of their vocal organs
to . useful extent. Behind al these
scenes Of educational activity sits the
Governor in the capital with his finger
on the pulse and smile on his face
which says well done, 60 on with the