Greener, Augustus B.

Born in Germany. While quite young, was sent with his sister to America to live with a brother-in-law (why his parents did not also emigrate is unknown). He ran away due to mistreatment, living on the streets of St. Louis, MO; with the arrival of winter in 1860, he allowed himself to be taken to a house of refuge. Indentured to a farmer for a short time, but again ran away, eventually landing in Cleveland, OH, where he was persuaded to attend an industrial school, then he was taken to a reform school near Lancaster, OH until 1864. He then indentured to a farmer "until he had reached his majority" (age 16?). Spotted fever in 1865 then left him deaf; he entered the school for the deaf at Columbus, OH in 1866. Attendance was interrupted for over a year when the school was closed due to an epidemic of typhoid fever, but finally he returned and graduated in 1868. Entered Gallaudet College but had to withdraw in his sophomore year due to eye disease. Returned to Columbus and worked as a bookbinder until he became a teacher in the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Deaf from 1876 onward. Wrote many articles for the deaf press and some for hearing publications also.