The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1908-01-03
TO AID DEAF MOTES
VOLTA BUREAU IN WASHING
TONS FASHIONABLE SECTION.
Unique Institution Established by Dr.
Alexander Graham Bell with
Prize He Received for In
venting Telephone.


ing whose peculiar appearance arouses
the curiosity OF all strangers who see
It. 1t is something like library.
something like a mausoleum and
something like small Christian
Science church with a roof garden on
top.
IL is none OF these. II you know
what it is. even after you are told It's
name, you may step right along to
the head Of the class. Persons who
know about the Volta bureau are not
plentiful enough 20 get in your way.
The story OF the Volta bureau IS in
teresting. The beginning OF II lies back
in Italy more than $50 years ago,
when Alessendro Volta. who was 10
make a study of electricity. was born.
Later Napoleon had 4 great opinion
of the Italian scientist and established
the Volta prize.
This prize. great reward for inven-
tons or discoveries. is not conferred
at regular intervals. In fact. II has
been given only three or four times
In 1880 Il was voted TO DR.. Alexander
Graham Bell in recognition OF his
service TO the world In producing the
telephone.
The prize amounted TO about fl0.-
600. Dr. Bell was c rich man. 80 he
set apart the sum as q fund 10 be
used Cor the benefit of the deaf
First he invented It in one Of his
own inventions. That turned out 50
well that The original $4,000. became
100000 and the Volta fund was .
STABLE sum.
Part o. this money was used for
that building Of bafning aspect IN
Georgetown. Helen Keller herself
turned the nrst spadstul Of earth. May
/. 1884
Part Of the structure really Is H.
brary. and absolutely unique at that.
At the rear OF the building. which is
freproof. are the steel book stacks
containing thousands Of books. period
icals and pamphlets. forming the
most remarkable collection Of Stats
tics in regard to the deaf that exists
anywhere In the world.
DR.. Bell has the best OF reasons for
being interested in the deaf Hs own
wife Is what used to be called q deaf
mute. though Il Is no longer an &C
eurats term, Mrs. Bell has been
taught speech. And as she is an &C
complained lip reader. many persons
have net and talked with her without
] discovering her DEAFNESS.
Il was Dr. Bell himself who taught
her to speak. HIS father. Alexander
Melville Bell. invented the system
known as visible speech. and sent his
son from Scotland to this country to
introduce the method in schools for
the deaf here.
Among the young mans pupils was
a daughter OF Gardiner G. Hubbard.
Her teacher fell in love with her and
she became the wife OF the inventor.
The Volta bureau corresponds with
almost every civilized country in re
gard to work for the deaf On its
shelves are books in all languages
! Its aid is sought by various govern
ments
Japan sent a representative 10 this
country 10 study our system OF In
struction for the deaf. and the mar
4 thus sent spent weeks at work in tbs
Volta bureau. Il has complied table,
OF statistics not to be found anywher'
else.
I 1t is a gratifying fact that the bu
|. reau's investigation shows the Unite'
4 States TO lead in work for the deaf
Germany. however. IS a close second
. The report for 1900 shows 1e6 school
) for the deaf in this country. with
total OF 1886 pupils Germany ha
90 schools. with 6.ei7 pupils.
Great Britain comes third an
h France fourth. Even China has tire
schools. although two are French IN
situations in Cochin China. and III
: third was established by an America
missionary and struggles along o
gifts sent from this country and Enl
land As the school accommodate
only Is pupils and China is suppose
10 have about 400. 900 totally deaf pc
sons. II is not exactly adequate.
Japan has three schools. two {
them founded by natives and on
maintained at the public expense.