Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-02

century n seems proper that it's friends
should ask to what extent It has accom-
plished the objects for which IT was
brought into being l's4i "a
The Columbia institution for the Deaf
and Dumb stands in this position today.
In the month of May, 1857. its doors were
opened under an organization authorized
by an act Of Congress passed three months
earlier. Its object was to educate and
prepare for lives of usefulness the deaf
and blind children Of the District Of Co
lumbia. ,,,,-,er
Amos Kendall may be named as the
foremost promoter and supporter OF the
enterprise. He gave a house and two
acres Of grourS to the institution. and
when these accommodations proved in
sufficient, erected an additional building
nearly s years par. hs q
permanent housing Of the institution. Dur
ing the first seven years Of its existence
the institution succeeded In establishing
District. ~ - - = e
'"The number of blind children was found
to be too small to warrant the continuance
Of q school for their benefit, only six being
In attendance IN 1854, and Congress author
izgd their being placed in the Maryland
School for the Blind, in which Institution
the blind OF the District have since been
educated. In the year 1884 an appeal was
ton to take q step In the education OF the
deaf in advance Of anything which had
heretofore been attempted In any country.
Arguments Prevailed.
Certain senators ridiculed the idea that
deaf persons could master q COLLEGIATE
course Of study. But the arguments OF
the friends Of the measure prevailed and
the bill finally passed without dissenting
vote. and a short time later was agreed to
by the House without objection. Before
the close of the session Congress appro-
Hvfn to4 a. - -
tons Of the institution and the College
for the Deaf was publicly inaugurated In
June, 1854.
1.-The college commenced its operations in
students and two instructors the first year
A number OF free scholarships were pro-
vided by private individuals. but in 1867
CONGRESS- was led to adopt policy which
made such assistance unnecessary.
Thaddeus Stevens Of Pennsylvania, then
chairman Of the committee on appropria-
tons, had become interested In the institu-
ton and had secured important aid for the
college. A youth from his district who had
become totally deaf wrote to him seeking
admission to the college as free student,
he being poor boy.
Mr.. Stevens asked that his young con-
that Congress. had not provided for the ad-
mission Of deaf-mutes from the states as
benefciaries. Mr.. Stevens declared that
Congress should authorize such admissions,
carried through.
This action practically nationalized tho
college, ana subsequent enactments en-
larging the number OF beneficiaries to the
limit OF one hundred have made full pro-
vision for all who have been found capable
OF taking the higher education and deserv-
ing of public aid. One Of the directors
who was the leader OF the House when he
opposed the college. lived to see his own
nephew graduate with distinction as a stu
dent here.
States Represented
''Forty-six states and territories Of our
country have been represented in the coll
lege by 815 students, and there have been
$40 pupils In the Kendall School Very few
Of these have failed to be Independent, self
supporting members Of society; fewer pro-
portionately. there is good reason to be-
lieye. than with those who are possessed of
all their faculties.
cient teachers in the state schools for the
deaf several being principals. and more
than few have been founders Of such
schools"
The speaker then referred to the manv
professions and trades which the graduates
OF the institution had taken up He also
referred to an address by Joseph Chamber
lain. the eminent English commoner, in
the colleges for the deaf and dumb In the
United States. He told Of the a. It COM
mencement In 1889. and stated that three
members of the college faculty at that time
are still with the institution
The Orations.s e,s,s
i. Miss Iona Anna Tade of Kansas, who has
learned to articulate. delivered an grafton
on THE Kansas Prairie She quoted from
Longfellow's "Evangeline," in reference to
which she said; 'Longfellow described the
Kansas prairies In the days Of Evangeline,
but things have changed. The fragrant,
purple alfalfa has replaced the amorphas
ana the buffalo no longer wanders over the
prairie. The only traces Of time left are
the short black horns and. bleached skulls
that one stumbles over in the deep grass"
She spoke OF the differences OF the wild
flowers Of the western prairies and of the
flowers Of the east: also Of the prairie
mirage and the cyclones and prairies flres
Mr.. Robert Earl Binkley OF Indiana gave
an address on New Fields of Employment
for the Alumni of Gallaudet College which
was read In English by Prof Gore. Mr..
Binkley said. In part: "The college for the
deaf has completed the forty third year of
its establishment with the names of S15
students on its rolls and all have entered
upon active labor. About one-third have
taken up professions in competition With
ties" re- rfsF*
He spoke Of the ambition Of. the deaf
graduates which inspires him or her to seek
opportunities for the application of their
labors In channels betting the dignity of
their education. He told OF one of the
graduates who studied electricity, and Is
now working at the Maryland Steel Com
pany works. Baltimore. and has gained sew
eral promotions: and Of others who are
holding good positions all over the country
The speaker urged that technical instruction
be taken up at the institution so that the
students could become proficient in a tech
meal education. and thus give them wider
choice OF opportunities
Miss Dickson's Theme.
1.-THE Culinary Art was the subject of
an essay by Miss Susie Dickson of Wash |
ington state. She said. in part: "Of the |
many definitions Of man, not one Is satis- J
factory. To say that man is rational |
animal Is no more specific than to say
that man is a cooking animal The latter !
seems to specialize as truly as the former, |
for we very well know that man Is the |
only animal that can cook"
She quoted the writings Of a noted |
Frenchman on the art of cooking from the I
time of Adam and Eve to the present gen.
Grafton. She also stated that gastronomy /
is Identical with civilization, for IL, there /
were no such thing as hunger there would I
be no work. Hunger is the most exact
ing and tyrannical of all masters; where |
food is scarce men must work; therefore /
hunger is the grand motive power of. hui