Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1919 — ALL KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE [ARTICLE]

ALL KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE

Peculiarity of Inhabitants and Visitors to Beautiful Island Town of Massachusetts. Sign language is the chief means of expression of the entire population of the township of • Chilmark, Marthas Vineyard Island, Massachusetts. With its rolling country, pretty lakes and inlets, it is the most picturesque part of this beautiful Island. Visitors who have invaded its quiet atmosphere declared Chilmark is a “paradise on earth.” Deaf and dumb folks rule the quaint old island township.— Tire general store and post office is conducted by a deaf niute; the village church is in charge of a deaf mute clergyman ; the fish and lobster Industries, the truck gardens and the dairy farms are all operated by deaf and dumb people. Indeed, there is no family of tlie 400 inhabitants In which the sign language is not understood and spoken. It all came about in this way: Thirty or forty years ago Chilmark was a deaf mute colony. Practically every family living there now traces from deaf mute ancestry. In a few cases entire families today are made Up of deaf mutes, aswereTheir fathers and mothers before them for over half a century thus afflicted. “Summer people”-have come in large numbers and they have all learned the sign language —in order to buy their supplies of tlie deaf mutes. Plenty of unusual experiences are to be had there. One family Of visitors recently was in need of potatoes. They carried a potato to a farm to show what they wanted. The farmer’s wife went into the house, got a telescope and signaled to another farmhouse on a far-off hillside. Very soon that neighbor appeared carrying a telescope and a bushel of potatoes. In every home there is a telescope and Mso a retired sea captain.