New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-09-02
THE TRIBUNE.
"Phonography." ....NO. I.

s,sz Gr,,iey. Esq
lisa Convinced. az | am, from long experience.
.no,.,nip, your columns 10 the development Of any
,beory whether social political or scientific you are
~ bv the desire Of presenting the subject under con
,on with candor and npartaliiy to the thoughtful
..n If the public take the liberty of addressing to
remarks on the subject of Ph0HogrGpty, which.
ia, no doubt will meet with your entire Appreciation
- entering into the question, must observe that,
I'm, An acquaintance OF many years with the subject
no, intend to speak Of il from hearsay or mere sup
...op. but from acquired experience practitioner
h.true as you have stated in some recent editorial
..,,.,k. that Photography art mot science, As
..,verly styled By some enthusiastic sdepts) deseTv
=, every respect the particular attention OF The sci
se world and destined long 10 a wide popularity
"A pennaneut among all classes Of society
rse :, indeed, no truer principle Of immediate aud
,,,d, usefulness than that which is embraced in this
ga word Photography.
hi. admitted lei me first ask Is the system of Pho
ognohy now proposed by the disciples on Mr.. Pitman
,1sx,oled with such emphasis, truly PtoH0graPiic
,,.,u-such an one as ought to be admitted. pr'ort
,.soui word Of examination aud upon the simple A.
ou ofts excellence and efficiency by the neophyies
80 have not seen yet any other system to compare
n. one with although there might exist elsewhere such
w, Of comparison
The very importance Of the subject requires that ih
.,,.uon should be answered with some minute pre-
tsion.
The Author snd prOpOunders ofthe system mo-" under
consideration define the word Photography thus THE
N Of writing words in oH languages with their mn
wryDs and they say that II can be learned in the
gsce Of hree reeks
Now, Mr. Editor 'Phonography. such ms illustrated Ia
Pnmans work and az any see, for selisa
ston by looking the pages Of the work is nothing
se but system OF stenography' with a particular
Ohcaiion which renders il photographic, and the prn
pie Of which j. Of unQucstlOnable advantage over SIN
- stenOgraphy were II carried ~ incOnestibc pcricc
lon But the author himself gives the system for bOih
photographic AMI SienOgraphic' system will con
der under this twOiOd aspect beginning with stem
snphy
The requisite characteristics. which have hitherto
cen considered Indispensable in perfect system OF
svnoUaphy are the following VIZ
Snplicrg united with disfiHcfgess IN the formation
Otihc signs.
L. Rapidly united with icgibUdy
III Erasion Of arbitrary signs for entire words.
H. Distinction of oa<h articuaied syllable with s proper
sound without the lateral addition a. ARBITRARY Pa
RAsfrr SIGNS tOtcprcscnt the sounds requiring ih,
raisiHg OF TIE pen and hroriag back Of the hand
while. after writing the words
Rational or al least plausible dHdi0gjcs between the
s9ns and the calculations and sounds which they
are intended 10 represent
Now MIR. Editor Il fact well known to the mum
eres neophytes who have attempted 10 learn Scnogro
phy that the four last of the above named requisites have
ssays been the stumbling blocks OF the authors who
have al various epOchs given 10 the world new ana
improved system of StenOgTaphy from the days OF yro
The smanuenss of Cicero and of shelton and Ramsay
the r,nOvsOrs of the in modern times down TO our
days. Whenever iegibiitfy and dstinctness were
rsined rdgidig invariably lost-and rice rcrsd Oh
some hhy systems of stenography which have sprung
into existence since Ramsays Tacly GraphiG published
l6s0 not one OF them has solved this and the other
Vita problems
Has Mr. Pitman solved them in his SenoP honogfaphic
System That is Ia say;
Does his System unite al the requisites above emu
meraied' In other words
Does Il enable the learner system OF PWf Srf>O
ckAPBs. to report Speeches with more hgbHHy thah
that OF Constant Provost the chief Stcnographer Tor the
last twenty years Of the official French Moniieurf
And, as system OF pure PnONoGRArIf. does II ena
lie the learner 10 write without the addition OF lateral
rtErarg parasite signs distinctly and completely. an
The words only of the English language but OF any
other gwen language with their and propr SOUNDS
his system in fact truly Photographic one such ar
10 ue seems 10 indicated II SO. both the author anu
eeys,em deserve the full appreciation and patronage o
toe public II not something ought to be done to bring
about this desired result But what and how
These are questions MIR Editor, which with your
permission will answer IN my next