The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-17
Education of Deaf and Blind Children.
Three Institutiens In one. Under Direction of J. H. Johnson. are Doing Noble Work For Unfortunate Boys and
 Girls.
BY BRUCE KENNEDY.

~ Talladega, April 16.-tStan Corres-
 pondence. )-Alabama, through us agent
 J. H. Johnson, a broad humanitarian and an energetic, business young man.
 is the guardian and preceptor here at
 Tailadega of 3o5 infirm children of the
 State, unfortunate children pefeit oi
 sight. hearing and speech:
 MT. Johnson is the president of three
 State institutions in one. Each is con
 ducted independently of the other. but
 the business management. the daily
 care of the three of them, devolves up-
 on MT. Johnson and these 305 Alabama
 children are the subject Of his loving
 care and devoted interest.
 The Alabama School for the Deaf. the
 Alabama School for the Blind and the
 Alabama School for the Negro Deaf and
 Blind. are institutions that should ap-
 neal to the heartstrings of every pa-
 tr.otic citizen of the State These
 schools and the work they are doing
 for the children of the State. to whom
 nature has heen unkind. should be bet
 ter known to the people; the people
 should take more interest in the work because. through the State government, it is the work of the people.
 Schools Are Free.
 As their names indicate, these are schools, not homes or hospitals. They are conducted on the same plan as the public schools of the State. except that barring clothing. everything is Turn ished free. The schools do not under take to treat diseases of the eye or ear. Children physically unsound, other than being deaf, dumb or blind are not received here. Hope Is expressed by MT. Johnson that ultimately the scope of the work will be broadened so as to inclrde a school for feeble-minded children, His reports show that each wear a number of children of this class have been turned away because no pro- vision has been made for them. The schools are open to all deaf and blind children of Alabama between the ages of seven and twenty-one whose hearing and sight are so impaired as to prevent their being taught In the or dinary way. The physicai eAa" ,- ton for admission to the schools IF based more on common sense than on technical grounds. The time allowed hy law for a pupil to remain In the schools Is ten years. although Tn recent wears discretion has been given the Roard of Trustees for extension of this period in extraordinary cases. Throughout the stay of the pupil a, the schools, board, books, tuition ana r,edical attention are furnished free' the state having granted a continuing ap- nronriation of s23o a year for the main tenance of each pupil. From tune .o time the legislature approprfates money for such improvements in the institu' tions as are required!
 Industrial Departments The State owns forty acres or iano adiacent to the three schools. and eacn os the schools has it's industrial de- nartment. Every pupil receives train inr. in some form of manual labor. Boys are nut to work as soon as they arc old enough. In selecting trade fo' | the boys the individual tastes ana tar ents as we'll as the wishes Of the pa rents are consulted. All pupils who are old enough are required to work a' some sort of manual labor except III cases of physical disability. The deaf are taught carpentry cap, met work. painting, shoemaking ano repairing, printing, cutting and tittine and sewing. The blind are taught pr ano- tuning, and repairing, chair-can' ling, basket making. mattress making weaving, sewing, knitting, crochetine and beadwork. As the work of the schools grows it Is proposed to add other departments of manual training The schools for white pupils arc beautifully situated on South street | one of the principal thoroughfares ir | the residence district of Talladega They are within easy walking distanct of the business section of the town The School for the Deaf, the oldest | institution of the three. may be prop erly called the headquarters of tho