The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-11-04
THIS GIRL IS ALMOST A RIVAL,
OF WONDERFUL HELEN KELLER
katherine McGirr, Absolutely Blind, Absolutely Deaf,
Needs Only to Clasp Your Hand to Be Able to
Recognize You Always.

NA~0 - = Va 4xS u 4
ocaton to be absolutely deaf, she car !
numbers Of compositions by !
placing her hands upon the piano |
while it being played. She does not |
put her hands upon the keyboard or
ouch the hands OF the player. It is
hi vibrations which tell her what the |
composition is, n these she responds
TO Tar more keenly than the normal |
person. She places her hand any
where On the piano where the vibra-
tfons may be felt. Dixie Yankee
Doodle" Onward, Christian Soldiers
and other melodies are recognized in
standy. h also recognizes more
elaborate compositions.
Enjoys Music.
Not only is she able to identify the
composition and give she name Of it
at once when 1t is played, but she can
recite the words which go with the
music, keeping perfect time, guided
/ by the vibrations. She stops when the
music does and resumes instantly as
1t does, keeping the neasu abso-
lutely throughout. She receives mech
pleasure from these musical expert
ences, and the spectacle Of the afflict-
ed sitting near the piano., her
hand on the instrument, her face alert
with interest, is most appealing. The
person who plays for her most often
/ Id IL 6AiJllc w Il Dllilu IIcIS&ll,
weighted down with the burdens Of
poverty as well as with Affections Of
the person. Mrs. Wells is able to earn
a little money at needle work, but the
earning Of both women in comparison
with the cost of living today is pitt
fully meagre.
Katherine car also dance, although
1T is necessary that her companion
should be able to hear in order to fol-
1OW tho roJJCir A. Cnnn &c K athorina
gets the time she can follow it per-
fectly.
Writing on Her Hand.
Writing in the palm Of her hand,
; or rather the stimulation Of writing by
) the formation Of the letters is one
; method by which Katherine McGirr's
+ friends communicate with her. It
has the great advantage that every
6 one with whom she comes in contact
+ is able to speak to her instead Of
o only those persons who have learned
O a peculiar language. The person who
wishes to speak to her takes her hand
opens it with the palm upward AND
then spells out what he wishes to say
: by forming the script letters on the
@ palm at q fair ate of speed. but with
n special diStinCtneSS Of form.
, In addition to writing on the type
n writer, which she does with a remark
ably small percentage Of errors, Mis-
! McGirr writes on a small machine
which makes the characters used II
n printing for the blind, her work il
o this respect being comparable to tina
Of the printer with his linotype ma
chine. AS yet she has not made US
~ of this machine except for such pur
% poses as sending letters to her bin
friends. On a small scale, however
70 she does with it exactly the am
work as that lone by the men VII
4 prepare the plates of the magazine 10
"a the blind for the press.
" Katherine McGirr was not Dor
~ either blind or deaf. According to tn
records Of her case made atcche tim
:, both of these misfortunes came upo
her when she was ten years old an
were the result Of terrible exposur
in the blizzard Of 1888. Until tha
time she had been considered a brigh
~ smart child, although owing to famli
circumstances, she had never ha
N many advantages.
1v When it was found that Wou'
rs not recover her sight or her hear1n
she was sent when she was twelve
- vears-old to the Deaf and Dumb IL
stitute. at Fort Washington avenue an
- 1870 street. Here she stayed II
twenty-five years, the institute taxi
entire care Of her except in the vac;
gr TONS, when she went home 10 see n'
az mother. After n had atIaineu u
X, age at which it was no Longer Pc
"a sible for the institute to be at |!
EXPENSE of her care according to !
=" rules, a special fund was created +
her so that she might remain lonse
q. She left the institute a year ago. d!
10 after a few months came unoeI y
intelligent did she appear, tnat I, "
~ notice of Mr.. Holmes. So remarhAo
nc intelligent did she ppear thai IT "
~" decided to give her an opportunity
learn proof reading SO that she cou
"a. become self supporting.
80 Her delight in her new Ire kno,
ho,ndc Tn the evening after s.
II has returned to her family she rect
"a TO her mother all h little happe
IL, nd ;ngs Of the day in the Office OF I
tic magazine. Her bright Philosophy PROV,
yer IL She never has the blues and
ea never bored with existence. wn
's on she was asked by h reporter Ire