HE funeral of Zenas F. Westervelt,
Superintendent of the Western Velt,

York Institute for Deaf Mutes, who died yesterday morning at his home, in the Institute building, 1545 St. Paul Street, will be held tomorrow afternoon at the First Baptist Church. Rev. Elijah A. Hanley, pastor of the church, and Dr. Rush Rhees, president of the University of Rochester, will officiate. Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery. Mr. Westervelt would have been 69 years of age March 15.

Zenas Freeman Westervelt was born on March 15, 1849, in Columbus, Ohio, son of William Bishop Westervelt and Martha Freeman Westervelt. Two brothers, George and Sylvanus, died in boyhood, leaving him the only child. His mother, after the death of the father, taught in the Columbus schools for a time, but later became matron of the State School for the Deaf, in that city. She died February 27, 1896.

Zenas F. Westervelt was named for Zenas Freeman, his mother's uncle, who was the first corresponding secretary of the Rochester Theological Seminary. Zenas Westervelt made his home with his mother in Columbus during his school years. He was graduated from Columbus High School in 1868, and afterwards was employed in the office of a contractor on the Hocking Valley Railroad. He next became agent for the White Line Fast Freight, and subsequently clerk in the office of the American Express Company in Columbus. On retiring from that position he took charge of the school at Galen, Ohio, in the fall of 1869, and at the close of the school year became a clerk in a bank in Topeka, Kans. There he remained until August, 1871, when he went to Frederick, Md., to engage in teaching the deaf, in connection with Charles W. Ely, who at the same time became principal of the State School for the Deaf, and with whom he remained for

*From The Rochester Evening Times, February 18,

two years. He then went to the Washington Heights School, in New York.

Dr. Westervelt, aware of the psychology involved, was always a strong advocate of manual spelling for the deaf, rather than the use of signs. He believed that by the constant use of manual spelling a deaf child would attain the best mental development and a more accurate and fluent use of English. He also believed and advocated that a deaf child so trained would attain greater proficiency in speech and lip-reading.

This system of combining manual spelling and speech, to the exclusion of signs, was Dr. Westervelt's contribution to his profession, and is known both here and abroad as the "Rochester Method," in compliment not only to him, but to the school.

Dr. Westervelt's conviction was that deafness did not, of itself, produce in the person affected an abnormal mind, spoken of in his profession as "a deafmute mind," and therefore, in the life and education of the deaf, there was no need of the distinctive deaf-mute language of signs. The manual-oral method he so originated and its application in his school was based on that conviction. In the same spirit Dr. Westervelt adopted for his school the same course of study as that established by the New York regents for our public schools, leading to a high-school diploma.

The pupils are instructed and graduated as they are in the public schools. Industrial instruction was begun by Dr. Westervelt as early as 1878, and in 1886 a cooking class was organized. He was devoted to the education, training, and care of deaf-mutes practically all his life. He was superintendent of the Rochester institution from the time he helped to found it, in 1876, and he was known to instructors of the deaf nearly all over the world for his advanced methods.

The Western New York Institute was organized at a meeting of citizens of Rochester on February 3, 1876. Dr.

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Westervelt had been invited to come to this city from New York, where he was an instructor in the Fanwood School, Washington Heights, to open the school. It began its career on March 4, 1876, at the northeast corner of South Avenue and Court Street. In 1878 the present quarters in St. Paul Street were occupied. Before the school was opened, Dr. Westervelt compiled a list of all deaf children in western and central New York who were not attending school. The project of a school here was brought to the attention of Mrs. Gilman H. Perkins, of this city, whose deaf daughter had been under the instruction of Mary H. Nodine, who later was married to Dr. Westervelt. Mr. and Mrs. Perkins made the proposal that he come to this city and superintend the enterprise.

Dr. Westervelt was married twice. Mary Hart Nodine became his wife October 14, 1875, and died January 6, 1893. They were married at Cornwall, Conn. In June, 1898, Dr. Westervelt married Adelia Clara Fay, of Columbus, Ohio, who, with an adopted son, Edmund W. Westervelt, survives him.

Dr. Westervelt was long an active member of the First Baptist Church and was one of its deacons for many years. He was a member of the Genesee Valley Club, the University Club, and the Board of Trustees of the Rochester Theological Seminary, and was secretary of the American Association for the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf since its establishment, in 1890.

A special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Institute was held yesterday, and the following expression on Dr. Westervelt's death was adopted:

Rarely has a man merited and won so high and affectionate regard of all who knew him as our dear friend and associate, Dr. Zenas Freeman Westervelt. He was connected with the work of the deaf from boyhood, and for more than 40 years was the Superintendent of the Rochester School for the Deaf-an institution which he was the prime mover in founding.

As a successful educator, Dr. Wester

velt is known by teachers of the deaf throughout the world. He broke away from the prevailing methods and devised and adopted a method of education founded on the exclusive use of orthographic English, as distinguished from conventional signs, and thus largely emancipated the deaf from the limitation of their infirmity by enabling them more fully to join in the thought and activities of hearing people. In recognition of his high attainments the University of Rochester, some 20 years ago, conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Laws.

In addition to his exceptional mental gifts and keen perception along educational lines, he possessed remarkable personal traits. His strongly religious temperament was accompanied by a tenderly sympathetic nature, overflowing with sunshine and good cheer. Every one afflicted or in distress found in his big heart a responsive chord.

While the whole community feels his loss, the hosts of deaf persons who have known the warmth of his affection and the support and guidance of his fatherly care will most grievously mourn him. There are many throughout our land who today and in the days to come will offer up a silent prayer in grateful thanksgiving that Dr. Westervelt has lived and that they have been influenced by the uplift of his life and love.

The Editor of The Post-Express, of Rochester, writes:

"Dr. Westervelt was one of the men of world-wide usefulness whose work is inconspicuously done. He devoted his life to relief of a misfortune that afflicts many of his fellow-men, and he did much to make their restoration to happy contact with life possible. The eye is undoubtedly the greatest means of developing intelligence, but there is a great suffering in a life-long silence unless a substitute means of communication is developed for those who cannot hear or speak. Dr. Westervelt was a pioneer in the methods of teaching the deaf and

dumb, and his ideas have in some measure revolutionized the practise to its great betterment. His institution, here in Rochester, has been a power for educational helpfulness for many years, and in its graduates Dr. Westervelt leaves a memorial that will be more successful in testimony to the importance of his work. than any other can be. The quiet efficiency with which this work was done. during many years of fine citizenship Rochester can testify to. Dr. Westervelt did a fine service in a fine manner."

PRESENTATION TO A PIONEER

ORAL TEACHER *

Letter from Susanna E. Hull, to express her deeply felt and grateful thanks to the teachers of the deaf, her fellow-editors, and other kind friends, who have shown their generous appreciation of her life work among them; and also for the handsome check of three hundred pounds, privately presented to her in their name by her valued friend, Mr. A. J. Story.

Kind Friends and Fellow-workers for the Deaf:

Words fail me to express the deep sense of gratitude and astonishment that fills my heart in receiving and accepting from you all this assurance of your most generous appreciation of my life work amongst you, and your practical proof of this, in the manner and amount of your gift, so largely and thoughtfully providing comfort for the years that remain, to be spent, I trust, in continuing that beloved work with you all on to the end.

To work for the deaf has been the joy of my life, and my highest privilege has been the taking part with you all in our educational endeavors, experiences, conferences, and discussions. The richest blessing has been the Divine prospering of all our work, so that now speech for the deaf is winning acceptance and employment all over the world. I trust it will be still further strengthened and perfected by our present aim-the establishment of schools or of home training for the very young deaf, so that by the early

* From The Teacher of the Deaf (England) for February.

181

use of speech-reading and the formation of the language habit, before school age, the hindrances and drawbacks that at present limit the use of speech by the deaf shall in the near future be lessened, if not totally done away with. Then we may hope to see the deaf truly restored to social intercourse with those blessed with hearing power and enabled to occupy parallel useful positions in the world.

And now, though I cannot as fully express myself as I would, let me say that amid all the comfort your generous gift will add to my future years, their greatest gladness, in all praise and glory to God, will be the remembrance of your affectionate esteem and care for my welfare. Many, many thanks to you all. I remain, dear friends, Most truly yours,

SUSANNA E. HULL.

Tavistock, Longlands Park Road, Sidcup, Kent, February, 1918.

WHITE MAGIC *

BY R. F.

Blind folk see the fairies,
Oh, better far than we,
Who miss the shining of their wings
Because our eyes are filled with things
We do not wish to see.
They need not seek enchantment

From solemn printed books,
For all about them as they go
The fairies flutter to and fro

With smiling, friendly looks. Deaf folk hear the fairies,

However soft their song;
'Tis we who lose the honey sound
Amid the clamor all around

That beats the whole day long.
But they with gentle faces
Sit quietly apart;

What room have they for sorrowing
While fairy minstrels sit and sing
Close to their listening heart?

"I am confident that your subscribers have never received more helpful service for dollar invested than is given in THE VOLTA REVIEW," is the opinion of one reader of our magazine.

*From Punch, London.

MRS. NITCHIE'S ANNOUNCEMENT From now on the New York School for the Hard of Hearing will give its normal course throughout the year. Any one coming to New York for the summer, as many do from the South and West, may arrange to take this course at that time.

This school will also have an out-of-town instruction and practise class in lip-reading during July and August, either at seashore or mountain resort, depending on the preference of the pupils. We can promise a good time to those who join, as a place will be chosen where there will be opportunities for fun or quiet, as one may wish. Mr. Nitchie started this work ten years ago, but was not able to continue it.

A class in citizenship is being organized for the spring. This is the first time such a class has ever been formed by any one and we believe it will fill a long-felt want.

Miss Lina M. Crain has arranged with Miss Clark, assistant principal of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing, to give the Normal Training Course which Mr. Edward B. Nitchie planned giving, in the Boston School of Lip-Reading, 30 Huntington Avenue, Boston. This course will begin April 8. It was most successfully given in the Chicago School of Lip-Reading last spring. Miss Crain writes: "It is the method used in the public schools, both in Chicago and Boston. All who wish to become teachers of lip-reading should communicate before the class is full. Here is an excellent opportunity to help those who return from service in the war with impaired hearing, as well as to help all persons afflicted with varying degrees of deafness."

Beginning February 1, 1918, normal courses in speech-reading were offered by the Denver School of Lip-Reading, Denham Building, Denver, Colo. A preliminary course, or preliminary courses, in lip-reading will be necessary for applicants, as a working knowledge of the subject is the foundation requirement for the teacher. College graduates or persons with some teaching experience are preferred for this normal course. This is the time to equip yourself in this specialty. The need for teachers of lip-reading, for both children and adults, is growing everywhere, every day, and the government may soon need you to assist in bringing deafened soldiers back to a normal place in life.

What is religion? Not the repetition of prayers and platitudes. Not namby-pamby goodness. Not forms and ceremonies. Religion is courage, strength, uprightness, rectitude, devotion to principle, unselfishness, service of humanity, consecration to high ideals. When have these virtues ever been so gloriously demonstrated as in this war? These sen

timents, these fundamental conceptions, should be impressed by every teacher upon every pupil in all our schools and colleges.-From Education.

ANSWERING ADVERTISEMENTS FOR

TEACHERS

Per

A mother writes to us: "I received many replies to my advertisement for a teacher, but most of them went into the waste-basket. haps you can find a way to suggest to teachers that from my view-point it looks as though there was something wrong in the mental make-up of a teacher who writes 'Please consider me an applicant for the position,' yet gives no serviceable details about her experience, the salary she will expect, how soon she can commence, or whether she is qualified to do what I expect the teacher to do. Why do teachers fail to tell in the first letter what they are capable of doing, the salary they expect, how soon they can start to work for me, where and how long they have taught, and give the names and addresses of their indorsers. If they would do this it would save a lot of worry and correspondence."

Mrs. A. B. N. Moss, 6017 Von Versen Avenue, St. Louis, has issued a circular on lipreading from which we clip the following paragraphs:

Lip-reading, or speech-reading, is the art of reading the speech of others, and while it will not restore the totally deaf person to as perfect intercourse with the world as he would have had with perfect hearing, it certainly gives the greatest relief to the constant ear strain and makes coming in contact with friends and fellow-men one of pleasure and convenience rather than a matter of embarrassment.

Most people have at least some ability for reading lips and possess intuitively a certain measure of the fundamental knowledge of the mechanism of speech, and unconsciously they read lips; and how much more readily could they understand the speech of others if they would learn the correct positions of the different elements of speech and the movements of the organs when proper enunciation and distinct articulation are used.

This knowledge, combined with a mental skill and accuracy of the eye that comes only with training, would eliminate all chances of it being mere guesswork.

Lip-reading is an art that requires mental skill, for the mind must be trained to interpret into thought the movement which the eye sees, and if it means developing mentally, it means that a person will most assuredly acquire thereby an alertness, a power of concentration, and a quickness of perception, and this, together with a vast amount of self-confidence gained, should be considered quite an asset indeed.