New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-09-04
"PhOnography."......NO. Ill.

"Ph0nography.".. ....NO. Ill.
To the Editor Of The Tribune:
DEAR SIR. have said in my last that Photography
was Of far importance and general utility and prac
iicabity than S,enography An exposition OF the dit
ference existing between the two, will at once convince
the reader Of the truth of this assertion.
Stenoraphy it il generally known the Ant of writing
Ms quick rs the words uttered by the organs Of
speech-an which is Of immediate necessity to those
only whose business report with historical and
thentc fidelity the public debates the oratons Of pub
lie speakers.
It fact well known and which be testified to
by all existing regular Senographers that whatever may
be the system followed by any practitioner there is none
by which learner has ever been enabled TO catch
speech with authentic fidelity in less than two or three
wears Of constant practice of at least from Elk to ten
hours day is also well known that TO read Steno
praphy is still more difficult than re it. and that 70
find out the proper Of the signs is rather matter
Of ntuitye guessing than result Of inable rules, since
the words are all written with the uniform sound OF the
letters of the alphabet without any variation for the vow
els as has been incidentally illustrated in the examples
quoted in my last
Photography. on the contrary. has for it's immediate
object the writing Of the words with not only the proper
arcuIaons Of each syllable but also the sound OF
each distinct articulation with universal alphabet, and
regardless Of all arbitrary rules Of photography also
intended to do this not only the of particular
language but in regard TO al spoken written languages
by submitting them a common alphabet, in which all
their apparent difficulties are to be brought to focus
and thence resolved into simple and homogeneous rules
Thus the ultimate object OF Photography is highly phi
sophical and philsnihropc one, since by bringing at
a future day all nations to write and express their
thoughts with the same universal alphabet ii may in some
degree tend to diminish their national preudices and an
fpathcs The only manner OF bringing about TINS inVa
liable result consisted simply in forming aparcuar sys
ten by which only the dricpiaons hnt the SOUNDS
belonging all foreign languages should be represented
hy particular sign series OF signs And as the No"e
and nasal sounds of all the known languages are no' ny
IL so numerous as the artculations solve the pro
len required il would seem, only 10 think of IT, She
ton whom have already mentioned and Ramsay, who
in 1850 dedicated his system 10 Louis NV were not
only the first who renovated Stenography IN modern
times but they were the frs who created Photography
They both designated the consonanis' says Mr.. Der
tom author of these remarks, "by straight Topped and
curying lines and the intermediate vowel Cor sound
between each consonan made by the hight Cor po
son of the (sgns in regard to each other
PROXY nearly as the case MIR Pimans Photographic
system.
MIR Beron continues thus Coulon Thevenot, in the
wear 1872 took the most ingenious advantage OF the m
,.,,,on Of shelton and Ramsay In his Tacty. Grdpha
the alphabet of the restricted to the sim
PIES, proportions and small dash little hook loop
or spiral dash slightly waved, answer fer the vowel or
diohhong completing thus the sound OF the syllable
but have already remarked that the pen must be raised
in making each articulation" sc. Exactly word Tor
word AS is the case in Mr. Ptmans System Of Pho
no,rapl,y Mr. Berion who. after Constant Provost, il
one of the abest among the senographc corps OF the
French Moniieu expresses himself as follows in the pre-
ceding column the page in drawing the chsrac-
,ersc features by which alone asysem OF Photography
should be considered perfect
would be desirable he says ths' the signs affixed
10 the consonants 10 represent the vo"es OF souncs
were of such degree OF simplicity that they might nne
with them either al the beginning IN the inloue o Al
the end of words without requiring The addition OF
any parasite QaieraD sign And this Is indeed so Iuy
The requisite keystone Of pure Photography mat even
~, RAIDER most supernciay acquainted with the prn
es of the ART will feel al the ustness oil ms Tor
c.pc remark. a,
Now and this i. the main question Of the present dis
,is,,ionN how has Mr. Pitman solved these vital pro
f,,s What are the Characteristic prfscf features OF
me system so much extolled and 80 loudly recon-
ncnded 2
mis- ous.tion can be answered in very lew words
The process by which Mr.. Fiiman gives ue piopsyi
I'm adding sierally an arbitrary parasite sign 70 eacn
cousonant-prccisely in the same manner As sussesee
no wears aso in the infancy of the art ny shelton ana
RAMSAY and executed 50 years ago by Couon lAe'eho
Tt this is not ALL the worst part OF the process
The same parasite sign Is used by Mr. Fiiinsn ior p'es
different sounds, or voweis, according as II : Nso.e
ither At the top the middle. the loot OF eonsonsh
yn no longer than the fourth OF an inch 20 mat MS
IN Is accidentally placed lutte higher or lower
IA .enses Al once another sound than that ior "hieh
VA. intended These parasite signs are the DOT NJ 10.
DISH IL the curve (O) the double curve tNSl anu ~.
a. sular signs % - II these Signs arr Pc 80
thy mean one thing: II they are horizontal diagonal OF
inverted they mean as many other different SOUNDS Il
they made little heavier or nsntsf asah thes -.
ny other sounds that thefc = me s--".,s
vafi-on either in heir,poston or IN men ioin .no
J. At loss in reading over ms wiring " Aio
meaning Il is unnecessary 10 observe tha inese
tr-ry parasite signs requiring the raising OF the pen
ard the throwing back OF the hand 10 place them on
n.ht spot upon each consonant sign become absolutely
u-ees. and altogether rprsctcabe In reporting STEM
r,raphy and Mr.. Pitnan converts his Sienozrsphy
INTO pure Photography by the lateral addition OF each
s,und sisn upon above. below each sign
me reader may easily fancy the degree OF legibhty
tng from this ACCOMMODATION Of parasite signs particu
Lily when applied 10 foreign languages. Indeed in the
>,spsh Italian and Portuguese where every syllable is
,aracteriz-d by dis,inct vowel and IN the Greek par
glsry the Ionic dialect where there are so many diph
thongs and riph;hongs. the MtcHsn'e Signs IN this
Sv,cn 40 we. As in that Of Coulon Thcvenoi. become
:. losd,d with living dots dsshes round aud angular
curves sc tina, the writing assumes the "Ppe"fSh OF
forest of hawthorn displaying. IN eSuptfai Ntsctaoh
n.xo of leaves and thors and branches through who
IL il impossible 20 make ones way, IN seeking aer us
meaning Of the words without acquiring aheadsehe
Illustrative specimens of this description can be found .!
he cu-,ous In Mr. Pmsns lsst edition. London. le4o
ls,no nsees Is IL 10 ~ &c And this IS the System
which Mr. Pinsn gives Us ~ being simple easy, dstncl