HISTORY OF WINNEBAGO COUNTY.


I owe much for their kindly interest and their words of cheer
and encouragement, which helped me over seemingly insur-
mountable difficulties in my pathway. Leaving the university in
June, 1896, I was a newspaper woman, until February, 1902,
when I suddenly found myself a teacher to the first deaf-blind
pupil in the history of the state, Eva Halliday.
She. was fourteen years old then, had not been to school since
she was six, and her mind was practically a blank. It was an
experiment, but during the first five months I succeeded in teach-
ing her over 230 words, besides the ability to compose sentences,
and to read and write in American braille. That same year I
taught her also to operate a Remington typewriter, and she
could do sums in arithmetic, and all this by the sense of touch.
So pleased was the board of control with my success that they
opened a deaf-blind department at the Wisconsin school for
the deaf and put me in charge of it. Eva's affection for me and
for Mr. William Wade, the great warm-hearted friend of the
deaf-blind everywhere, was and is as pathetic as it is charming.
I in turn loved her, and had decided to devote my life to her.
But I did not then know what destiny had in store for me.
Eva's fame grew and grew, the papers were full of her, and up in
Menasha Charles Reed, the deaf assistant postmaster, read these
accounts and becoming deeply interested, journeyed to Delevan
at the time of the celebration of its fiftieth anniversary. There
he met Eva Halliday and her teacher, then Miss Hypatia Boyd.
He was interested in the remarkably bright deaf-blind girl, and
next found himself more than ordinarily interested in the
teacher, so much so until finally he succeeded in carrying her off
to Menasha as his wife, where they have since lived a very happy
life. One child, Charlie Boyd Reed, came to bless their home,
but died in infancy.
I have written but one book, "Paul Binner, His Noble Work
Among the Deaf," which book was published in 1901. Titles of
some of my papers published are: "The Deaf and Sound Vibra-
tions"; "University Experiences,"; "That Wonderful School"
"Deaf Woman's Friend,"; "Name of Milwaukee, Its Derivation
and Meaning,"; "Hallowe'en in Auld Lang Syne,"; "How
the Deaf
Are Taught to Talk,"; "Christimas, December 25; Uncertainty
as to the Year and Month of Birth of Christ,"; "Why the Deaf
Intermarry," ; "A Visit to the Yerkes' Observatory at Lake
Geneva"; "Unique Sermon in the Sign Language,"; "History
of
Kissing; Its Origin as Old as the Bible," "Voices of Deaf and

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