Wisconsin School for the Deaf - Tattler Yearbook (Delavan, WI)

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♦ EARLIEST BOOKS By Richard Davie Many year ago then were no books, paper , pencil or pens in the world. There were no fairy tales or school books, or books that told of brave men and deeds of war and peace. But the people told stories of what happened to them. People have always wanted stories. Long ago they had to listen to their stories told by word of mouth instead of reading them for themselves. These stories were colled legend and were handed down from father to son. Afterawhile the people were not satisfied with stories. They wanted the hunter and warriors to show by pictures what they had done. So the cave men used the stone walls of their caves for drawing . Those who were listening to the tale were thrilled to see the picture of the monster with which their hero had fought. C-ave have been found in parts of France, which have pictures of mammoths, cave bears, and saber-toothed tigers on the wall . Some of these picture are colored. Scientists tell us that the people, who lived in these caves lived so many thousands of year ago that no one knows where they came from or where they went. For many thousands of years the people could not tell anything about what had happened except by drawing such picture . Then they began to use pictures for actions or time. A number of suns was a symbol meaning a number of day . The Chinese and Japanese still use such symbols to represent words in their alphabet . Later symbols were used to represent the sounds of the words instead of the words themselves. This was the beginning of the making of an alphabet. We do not know who first used uch an alphabet but some people believe the Phoenicians had one and passed it on to the Greek . However, the earliest date we can be sure of. when a real alphabet—that is, one that was not picture-writing—wo in u e, i the first part of the ninth century Before Christ. This is proved by the famous Moabite Stone on which were carved the adventures and deeds of valor of Mesha. King of Moab, who fought to free his subject from Jehoram. King of Judah. This story is also told in the Old Te tamenL This stone was discovered in 1868 and can be seen in the Louvre todav. The Babylonians impressed character on soft clay tablets or bricks, and then baked them hard in square or cylindrical shapes. The laws of Solon were carved on wooden tablets and set up on the Acropolis in Athens. The twelve tablets of the old Roman law were engraved on •tone. Plates of ivory, bronr,e, or lead were used for public records. These plates were often fastened together with hinges and looked like a modern book. For a long time papyrus which was made in Egypt was used and the book were made in rolls, being about one and a hnlf feet wide and sometimes fifty feet long. Many of these papyrus rolls have been found in the coffins of mummies in the tombs of Egypt. The people wrote on one side of the papyrus and wound it around a short stick. In reading such a roll the reader held it in his right hand and unwound it. as he

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VALEDICTORY By Anthony Nogotek Friend , one and oil who ure {fathered here tonight to share with tin the joy of this occasion. to you I am, in hehaif of the dost of 1931, to hid farewell. Aa we are assembled here, our thoughts drift hack to the many happy day we have pent at this chool; then they turn to the future and take n more serious trend. This victory han been won. because we hove completed the course offered here. Thi hn been achieved not only by our own endeavor . but through the faithful and persistent efforts of those in charge. Kijuipped with courage. a desire to serve and perseverance we •top forward into the new path of life ahead joyfully. No matter how hard the road may cem, if we hold to the idenl that have been taught us, we nhnll keep climbing. Whatever success will be ours, we shall owe a debt of gratitude to our Alma Mater which provides for the deaf of Wisconsin a practical education and splendid moral training. We have been anticipating this event for sometime; but now that it is here, we are reluctant to say. Farewell.” To the Members of the State Board of Control: I extend the sincere thank of the class to you who furnished so many comfort? and such excellent training for us. Were it not for this school, wo might not have been prepured to take our places a true citizens, and now as we launch forth, wo hope to express our gratitude by making good use of what we have learned. To our Superintendents Much credit is due you fur all that wr hove received. Your interest in and understanding of the deaf have been an inspiration to us. You have instilled into our minds the grout truth that our future success depends upon our independent ability to do things, our scrv-ice to mankind and our good morals- For this practical education, we are more grateful than we can express in words. It is through your wise guidance that we have been able to complete our high school course. I ant sure your good work is. at any rate it should be, recognized by nil who send their children here. From now on we shall not have the benefit of your wise counsel, but we are not going to forget that you are the one ever willing to help us by a word of good cheer. Our thanks to you comes from the heart. To the Teachers and Officers: AH through our school lives you have shown admirable patience and courage. To give us proper training, we realize, has not been an easy task. Your faithful guidance and perseverance have brought us to our goal. We cannot find words that will fittingly express our deep sense of gratitude to you, not only our instructors but our advisors and friends. Though we shall not be under your jurisdiction any longer, we are going to carry with us your kind advice and words of encouragement for future use. Our thanks to vou is a thousand fold. Fellow Schoolmate : To say farewell to you, with whom we have been so closely associated and have hod no many happy times, brings sadness Into our heart , but the memory of nil those pleasant experience will over be n joy to ns no matter where we may be. Perhaps this thought comes to every one who has completed a task. I might have done bettor. With this In our minds we urge you to put forth every effort to make each day here nt school worthwhile ond not to give up before the course is completed. Our ways now drift apart, but our friendship remains. To Paront and Friend : .Sincere gratitude we extend to you for your wise decision in choosing this school for our education. Your kind interest in our welfare and progress along the way has meant much to us. If we pay earnest heed to the valuable lesson which we hnve been taught here, we are sure you will feel rewarded. The co-operation of parents nnd friends is of great benefit to the students here. Again we thank you for your part in this achievement which marks such an important factor in our lives. To my Classmate : In our work here together we have become very dear friends. Sharing one another ' pleasures. triumph? and a few disappointments hits made a friendship that, 1 am sure, will prove lasting. As we go our various ways, take up new work, which perhaps for some of us will bo at Galinudet College, let us keep before us our motto. Climb though the rocks be rugged,” for the only way to learn to do things is by doing and not let discouragement wield the sceptre.

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read, with hi left hand, at the «anir time rolling up the part he hnd read. In Rome when these rolls were made, one man would dictate mid many slaves would each write one ropy. This made books a little rheaper than hofore, and there were many book shop anil public libraries in Rome. But these Jong rolls were not convenient and papyrus did not keep well, so people began to use parchment or sheepskin. This was cut in rectangular sheets and bound together at one side with thongs. So, about the 4th century after Christ, people had books which looked very much like ours. But. for a thousand years after that there were no books except those which had been copied by hand. All through the middle Ages books were made by the monks in the monasteries. Each page was lucked on a pioco of wood and it often took several years to copy one single book. The lettering was very beautiful. The beginning of each part and sometimes the first word of each page was written in bright Ink of various colors. Herr und there were initial letters with pictures in brilliant colors. These colors were ground and mixed up by little peasant boys. The cover of important works were often studded and banded with gold and •OQO- ailver and fastened with huge clasps. Most of the book were copies of Greek and Latin classics and Bibles and church works written in Latin. The monks were very painstaking in their work and through them many important books were saved for us. For more than a thousand years, a period when almost all writing was done by the monks, the quills of geese or swans were used. In the 18th century, quills were improved and hardened by dipping them into a boiling solution of alum. Book remained very scarce and expensive until after the introduction of paper made from linen and the invention of printing. When the first libraries were established in England, books were o rare and vuluablr thnt they were usually attached to the shelve. by iron chains to prevent their being stolen. Some of the books were bound in fine cloth embroidered and trimmed with gold and precious stones. W are lucky because we have more and better books to read than people used to have. The old books were hard to rend. We can be thankful that wc do not have to study our history from clay tablets or long papyrus rolls, but live In a time when everyone can read and enjoy good books and have several in his home. • o o o ALONG THE OREGON TRAIL WITH EZRA MEEKER By Elisabeth Oakland On April 10, 1830. the first wagon train started from St. Louis on its way to Oregon with thousands of men and women to make new homes. Exra Meeker, one of the later pioneers, was born that snnie year in Huntsville, Ohio. In 1852, Exra Meeker and his family left Eddyville, Iowa, to make their way by ox team over the Oregon trail to the Pacific coast. They reached Kanesville, now called Council Bluffs, where they found many wagons wuiting to cross the dangerous Missouri River. In 1852 the army of pioneers was at least five hundred mile long. Many wagons were ahead of the Meeker as they left the Missouri river for Meeker found date inscribed on Independence Rock and elsewhere along the trail. Beside the ox teams and homes there were cattle to follow behind or around the wagons. Sickness and death followed the terrible dust of the wagon train. Thl pioneer army of a great body of people and moving animals made a column about a hundred feet wide along the deep wagon ruts. Tho men on homeback scouted for Indians and game, while the women and children drove the team and stock. Sometimes the sand would be hurled by the strong wind of the prairie into their faces and hands. They suffered great loss through the wind and rain storin'', for winds and flood along the Platte River carried off many thing . Most of the river , that they had to ford, were about half a mile wide and very dangerous as they had quicksand in them. The Indians made trouble for the pioneers, for they could not understand tho white men using their lands, gross and game. One night the wagons, each chained to the one ahead, were arranged in a circle with the cattle inside. Soon after the weary pioneer had retired, they heard a great roar which proved to he a buffalo stampede of such sixe that in the morning the men shot the stragglers and saved the meat for the trail. By the time western Nebraska and Wyoming were reached, traveling was easier, for the un-