The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-01
WORK FOR DEAF
AND DUMB IN RIO
BY Southern Missionary News Bureau
! Ida Clyde Clarke. Editor.

IDA (lf0C GtaTke. ElutpT.
An extremely interesting report
comes from the Peoples Central In
stitute, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. sent
by II. +. Bailey. He says:
The deaf and dumb department Is
entering on a new phase OF Its his
tory. Within a few days the first
number of their new periodical--the
only organ OF the deaf and dumb in
the Portuguese languages--will be Is
sued 1t already has q goodly mum
Der OF subscribers. widely scattered
over Brazil, and Is q handsome and
we'll edited monthly periodical. The
school for the deaf and dumb Is in
process OF being extended and ex-
banded Several new courses are be-
ing added. and we are opening
boarding department at the beginning
of the next school term.
1.-THE Institute physician native
Brazilian, but a Vanderbilt mans
to give one OF the new courses on the
physiology OF the organs OF speech,
A large part Of our mission TO the
deaf and dumb consists in teaching
them to talk and TO read the lips OF
a speaker When success IL achieved
half the burden OF misfortune Is mt
ed No other institution in Brazil
10 attempting such a comprehensive
program OF ministry to the deaf and
dumb.
THE medical clinics and pharmacy
were never 80 prosperous ~ new. we
have two physicians. who come on al
ternate days and the clinics are thus
open every day OF the week. Very
many of those who come for medical
assistance and medicines would be ut
terly unable TO procure either but for
the opportunity we offer them AT q
merely nominal price. The average
price of drugs In the drug stores OF
Mo IL not far from ten times the
prices customary In the United Staten
1.-THE seamen's department has
cared for the crews OF three OF the
British merchant ships sunk by the
Germans--vix. the Hyades. the Holm
ter fine freight and passenger ship
, operating between the United States
and Brazil. In each of these instAn-
ces the crews were removed from tho
doomed ships and released on parole.
But the shipping In the bay of Rio
has greatly decreased since the OUT
break Of the war, and there has been
corresponding increase In the num-
Der Of men who have been 'on the
beach'--to use the language OF the
sea. signifying a sailor who has little
or no money and Is unable to secure
q position on a ship. Under the cir
cumEtances the financing of the sea-
mems department has been very dif-
iicult. At che time we had three
families OF Germans with us, who were
put off French ship at the outbreak
OF the war. We we're able to employ
the women, and such children a. were
large enough to use hammer, at
beating rock for some cement work
we had in hand, and the men worked
at heavier labor Thus we were able
to care for them for severay weeks
until they could care for Themselves
Before the party left. l had the pleas
ure Of pronouncing the marriage GER
empny--in Saerman--foA the young
woman Of the party and our seamen's
mission steward, who Is a Holiander.
"Our church membership has grown
more rapidly since conference than
for any similar period in its history.
Met we have received scarcely half
| the applicants so far. The candidate
classes are composed quite largely Of
persons who have been living to-
gether, and perhaps reared family
OF children, without the formality Of
legal marriage. 1t Ia difficult for q
North American Anglo-Saxon to con-
ceive the difficulty and expense Of
becoming legally married In Brazil.
and 1t Is little wonders that the poor
rarely marry. hence many Of them re-
main In the candidate classes indefi-
nitely who would otherwise be speedt-
~ admitted. Sixteen new members
have been added to the roll since con-
ference. and eleven of these were on
baptism and profession OF faith. The
net growth has been fourteen. a. only
two have been dismissed to other
churches. Our centraY Sunday school
has an average attendance larger
than the church membership. The
branch Sunday schools--three In num-
per---arc prospertng.
I'VE have transformed the new
property into one OF the prettiest
places in Rio. The prospect II that
by the time this goes into print ~.
church will b the owner OF Il"