The Weekly comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1853-1855, 1855-05-13
THE NV sr or 8 n.


the arts and sciences than is common
" allotted to it. It's usefulness is not
confined to any particular science or
profession, but Is universal /; it is
therefore, by no nears unworthy
the attention and study of men
Of genius and erudlion. Of all
the systems Of short hand writing,
which at var Gus times have been in
vented and employed. nnne have been
reduced to any simplicity or com-
pleteness, except the comparative
~ new art Of photography. Many
persons have been enable, by means
Of .Stenogpphy to write intel|igibly
with the rapi'tty Of human speech; but
great difficulties have always attended
this attainment, and they WHO have
mastered their art have never been
able to exceed certain degree of
speed beyond which it is ofieh desira-
Bile to gu 1t was not until the inveh-
ton Of photography, which is one Of
the simplest. and at the same time,
one of the most complete of all the
arts, that the words Of the orator, in
his most rapid utterance, could he
caught on paper as they tell from his
lips. The deviser of the system is
Mr. tsaa,, Pitman. of England, a gen
tleman who is still living, and who
has had The satisfaction Of witnessing
the great popular favor with which
his system has everywhere been re-
eeived. The first introduction of It
into this country took place about
seven years ago. when it vas made a
branch Of study ii sonie If the com.
mon schools If Boston and New York
and ut the opening Of the New York
Free Academy, was put upon tho pro-
gramme of its college course. A few
years ago it was introduced into the
United States Congress, and the de-
bates III beth Houses are now tsport-
I'd BY means Of this system Stenug
raphy was employed there previously,
but The s,enographers them elves aban
doned their old art, and learned The
now. At the present time, in this
country, the newspaper press, as it
has been for fifteen years in England,
lis indebted almost entirely to pl.oncg-
raphy for all the verbatim reports
which It publishes. II may be safely
said that in so large a city as New
Yo,k, there are INT half a dozen YER
hatim stenosraphic writers,-perhaps
the number will not exceed two Or
three Photography has almost en-
tirely superseded the other system Of
short hand writing, and justly SO
No other evidence Of this fact need be
adduced, than its comparatively recent
invention. and present wide diffusion.
We have received from the Phon-
ography Institute of Connecticut, and
ohio, several new publications. in
Photography, which have just been
issued by Beun. pi'man, the author
and publisher, and brother Of the in.
ventor. These volumes we do not
hesitate 10 commend as the best works
Of the kind that have ever yet been
given to the public; they are the sim
plest, the most ineligible, and the
neatest that we have eyer seen. In
regard to their typographical appear
ance. it seems hardly possible that
they can be surpassed while as to
the manner in which they set forth
the art, they must for long time
render any other works on the sub
ject unnecessary. The first is,he Man
ual Of photography" which is in
troductory. and intended for beginners.
Its ample illustrations and iudiciou>
writing and reading exercises will
serve to render The task of acquiring
the art more labor Of pleasure than
Of difficulty and will enable the in
telligent learner to succeed, to his
entire satisfaction, without the aid of
a teacher. The second il the Re-
porter's Manual and Vocabulary, I"
which is the joint production Of Benn.
pitman, and r. P. Pros-er, A. B.
THIS is a book that will he Of service to
reporters, inasmuch as it presents to
them. at a glance of the eye, the
forms and authorizations which they
might not otherwise be led to employ