The Washington times., 1906-01-07
DR. BELLS GIFT
TO DEAF PROTEGES
Home of Late Father Placed
at Their Disposal.
AB0LlSHES TERM DUMB"
~yisible Speech" to Be Future Applica-
tion for Work of Educating
the UnfoItunates.
ABOLlSHES TERM DUMB"

Dr. Alexander Graham Bell the noted
inventor. scientist and philanthropist,
comes TO the fore today the friend of
The deaf through his gift OF property.
stocks and bonds aggregating $4,000, he
made Friday 20 the American Associa-
ton for the promotion of speech 10 the
deaf In this he has surpassed all OF
his previous donations in magnihcence.
The property consists OF the fine home
OF his father, the late Prof. Alexander
Melville Bell. at the southeast corner of
ThiTty-hfth street and Volta place
formerly . street 1t is right op~osite
the famous Volta building and stones
throw from the Convent of the Vista
tion. the noted Georgetown Institution
for young ladies.
Notable Men Present.
The presentation Of this building with
stocks and bonds took place at the meet
ing OF the directors Of the association
held in the assembly room of the Volta
building Friday morning, The officers
present on this occasion included some
Of the greatest educators and friends
of the deaf in this country. Besides Dr-
Bell. who is vice president Of the as
sOciation. there were present DR.. a. l..
f. Carter. president of the association,
Nj. Airy. near Philadelphia. Pa; c. A
Yale, of North Hampton, Mass, second
vice president; Prof. r. ~, Booth. OF
Mt Airy. secretary and treasurer h
Mckay Goodwin. of MoTgantown, \.
g. Miss Mary MCGOWAN, supervising
principal of schools for the deaf at CHI
cago; DR. Il. +. Westervelt, superin-
tendent Of the Rochester. y. Y. school
for the deaf; +. A. Gruver, OF the Lex
iagtOn avenue New York City Institute:
Richard o. Johnson. superintendent OF
the Indianapolis Institution for the
Deaf and Edmond Lyons. OF Rochester
N Y; F. W. Biattmer. OF Austin, Tex,
and Dr. Job Williams. of Hartford.
Conn. were unable TO attend the meet
ing.
Quietly and unosteHtatiously Dr Bell
told these men OF his project 20 make
this contribution TO the association as
memorial to his father. the late Prof
Alexander Melville Bell. who was the
inventor of visible speech for the dumb.
This method was the placing of the
pupils finger tips on the teachers
throat, the movement of whose vocal
chords indicate the words.
The forwarding of this work 10
which such an impetus has been given
by DR.. Bell 5 handsome gift viii likely
hanish the word dumb as applied 10
human beings" said one of the direct
ors OF the association YESTERDAY. 1t is
applicable not only To the deaf he
continued. but TO others as we'll.
"Visible Speech"
Visible speech consists of writing
which depicts the actual movements Of
the organs OF speech and thus in what
ever language YOU may have learned
the alphabet of the system. you can
pronounce the sounds of any other Ian
guage at sight OF their symbols al
thoush YOU may never have heard the
sounds produced. It's most interesting
application is In the teaching OF the
deaf and dumb to articulate. No diffi~
Guilty has been found in communicat-
ing the principle of the system TO deaf
mutes and the power of producing
sounds has been readily developed as
s1op as the mechanical means OF their
pru5 uction has been comprehended
The American Association 10 Promote
Teaching of Speech to the Deaf is con-
ndent that by using visible speech SYM
bols as a KEY TO sounds all deaf mUtes
may be trained to clear an intellisibie
articulation.
The Volta Project.
Perhaps Dr. Bells work in the in
terest OF the deaf and dumb has been
hitherto best known through his asso-
citation with the Volta bureau and the
Volta fund. These names alone have
caused many a query as 40 thei~ exact
meaning The word Volta is taken
from that OF Allesandro Volta, the
Italian philosopher. who hourished
from l745 10 1927. His chief distinc-
tion lay in the devotion he paid 10 the
study Of electrical phenomena. Later
on a Volta prize was founded by the
first Napoleon TO be given as re-
ward for some great invention and
discovery. It's object is to encourage
research and invention for the benefit
of humanity.
When a young man, DR.. Eeu was
sent by his father from Scotland %
America TO introduce here the sys-
ten Of visible speech for the deal
and dumb Among Dr. Bells pupils was
a girl who had become deaf at the early
age of four years. Association ripeneC
into love and in the year 1850 she had
the pleasure of hearing that her hus
oand Dr. Bell. was called TO Paris Il
receive the Volta prize OF 50.O00 francs
This was conferred on him by France il
recognition of his discovery of the tele
lhone Being already well to do Dr. Bel
decided to set this amOut apart for th'
benefit of the deaf in whose welfare h
had taken so much interest. Investing
it in one Of his inventions it rapidly
grew to ten times its original amount
/ He accordingly named il the ''Volt5
/ Fund" With a portion of it he organ
lied and built the present Volta Bureau
The ground was broken in May, 1888
amidst an interesting gathering. Be
sides DR. and Mrs Bell. his father and
his mother were present, as well as hii
| two daughters, now Mrs. Grosvenor, th'
wife of the secretary of the Geographi
cal Society, and Mrs. FairchiId Heller
Keller. the world famous deaf. dumb an,
| blind girl, who has excited so much in
tercst. was also there and dug the frs
/ shovel full OF earth for laying the foun
! dation of the present building.
Beautiful Building.
This building is in the Renaissance
style, and lis beauty has attracte,
much attention in Georgetown. In i
to bos,9ad tbs i.l1Faarf which COLLECTS a.