Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-07
SEVEN MUTES GRADUATE
Young Men and Women Complete Educa-
tion in the Sign Language.
INTERESTING EXERCISES AT THE SCHOOL
In Presence of Five Hundred Spec
tAtors Deaf and Dumb students
Create Surprise by Their
FeRts.


FeRts.
Interesting and pretty exercises for
seven graduates were held at the Nebraska
| School for the Deaf yesterday afternoon
in the presence of 500 parents, relatives and
| friends of pupils in the institution. II
| was the largest class ever turned out by
the school and had the following mem
bers: Anna Johnson Of Minden, Earl B.
| Haller of Grand Island, Margaret Stillahn
Of Lorton, Harry NJ Meyers of Burwell
Helen Northrup of Wayne, Laura Peter
| son of Friend and Maudie Roath OF Lin
! coin.
/ Miss Ida jackson, who was prevented
| from quite finishing the course, received
an honorable dismissal and was present
with the class, which presented fine APP
pearance and received many flowers The
| auditorium of the school was pleasantly
| decorated in the class colors, white and
| gold, and with the class flower, the daisy.
| Superintendent r. e. Stewart acted as
master OF ceremonies.
One of the most interesting features OF
| the commencement was industrial ex
! hibition of what the 200 students of the
| school have been taught to create. The
! articles shown were mostly of carpenter
work, plain and fancy needle work and
embroidery, drawing, painting, various
kinds of art expression and the first pair
of shoes just finished. The guests in
spected the exhibition after the program
was finished and expressed much pleasure
and surprise.
The board of trustees, composed of
Charles Nownes president, of Papllllon;
John w. Steinhart, secretary, of Nebraska
| City, and John o. Detweiler of Omaha
was present. Mr.. Steinhart presented the
diplomas.
| Opened with Prayer.
The exercises were opened with prayer
! Miss Anna Johnson delivered an essay
| about "Tennysons Women" in the sign
language, it being read simultaneously by
Miss Humphreys Miss johnson, as well
as Miss Maudie Roath, who had an essay
and the valedictory, have been educated so
they can speak, but it was thought best
to let them sign their essays Miss Agnes
| b. fitzpatrick gave an oral demonstration
| with class of fve-year pupils, portray
ing some of the ways in which the be-
ginners are taught to utter words that
they cannot hear.
In a tri-linguistic exercise Joe Morehouse
rected a poem; Earl Haller gave it in the
sign language and Miss c. Jensen spelled it
|
Miss Eva Raymond declaimed in the sign
language, THE Raven" Mrs. Hendee read
ing at an ordinary pace. Even without
speech Miss Redmond made her expression
very dramatic proving that the sign Ian
guage has a peculiar grace and beauty of
its own.
Miss Helen Northrup, a graduate, read an
essay on pretenders orally She is quite
deaf and came to the institution only a
year ago from the Wayne High school. She
learned to talk before being afflicted.
1T is not strange to see apparently fine
men and women convicted to the peni-
tentiary," said Miss Northrup. They are
fine men and women only in the audacity
Of their pretensions. They are pretenders
who have met their Coloden and their
Waterloo, as the royal pretenders of old"
The Lotus Eaters.
A pretty drill, called "The Lotus Eaters"
was given by Anna Johnson, Eva Redmon
and Lillian Rasmussen. Following this six
little girls signed the song, II Have My
Eyes on YOU" Mrs. Hendee singing it, A
very interesting exhibition of oral class
work by fourth year pupils, who helped
capture a gold medal at the ST. Louis fair,
was given under the direction of Miss Lii
liam Bamford. teacher. Harry Kellner
enacted and Joe Morehouse recited orally a
funny pantomime about a backwoods
preacher and some hornets. The acting of
Mr.. Kelner carried even more humor than
the words, 1t being in exaggerated sign
language.
Fifth grade floral class work was exempli-
fled by a group of pupils under Miss Mary
McNamar. Miss Maudie Roath, the vaIedic-
torian, then signed her essay, THE Light
that Has Come to U.s." Miss Regnier read
, ING Wis no M
of civilization, showing how each stage of
4 advancement left some particular benefit
| to the following generations, such as the
religion Of the Hebrews, the arts of the
Greeks and the laws of the Romans. She
spoke of the spread of Christianity and
other great civilizing and educational forces
and declared the light that would never
fail. that OF widespread and useful knowl-
edge, will never wane.
Mr.. Steinhart gave the graduates a great
deal of valuable advice and information in
an address preceding the presentation of
diplomas
THE state" said he lis spending large
sum of money on this school every year
7 In return 1t expects daily dividends OF
0 thrift good effort and exalted citizenship
? To that extent may we be charged with
q being selfish No item of cost would be
2 considered expensive, however, If the de-
3 sired result is secured. We, are intensely
interested in you and wish you Godspeed. "
The program closed with a sign song
Rock Me to Sleep" by group of older
girls.
> OF the graduates Anna Johnson, Helen
4 Northrup and Maudie Roath plan TO enter
= the College for the Deaf at Washington
! ! next fall.