Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-08-17

[From the National Magazine. :.
0TYPIES AND 0GRAPHlES.

pounded Of the Greek words phone,
voice. and typos n type,) signifies
voice printing, or the reducing Of the
exact vocal articulation to type. Pho
biography (phone voice, and graphe,
writing. is the reduction Of the same
vocality to writing-voice-writing.
Phonotypy simply proposes areform
in our printed orthagraphy founded
on the true principe that the same
character should always represent the
same sound, and the same sound
should always be expressed by the
same character or characters. There
by every word in the language could
be spelled in but one possible way
Spelling would in consequence become
an exac. science. acquirable in a few
days, never to be forgotten or never
mistaken. Itaccomplishes this. first,
by retaining our present alphabet, but
con6ning each letter to single inyar-
liable sound; and. secondly, by ex-
pressing the surplus sounds by newly
invented characters. Thus our old
habits are kindly INDUCED by making
the changes as few as possible. The
new style can readily be read by any
tolerable scholar. and the retormatory
transition is rendered most temptingly
easy. Would that all reformatory
gals were as conveniently bridgedl
Photography is more ultra, and,
(may the conservatives and fcgies for
give mel therefore, most absolutely
right. II despises all compromise,
and makes no concession "to the 'srd
ness Of your eats" or the thickness
Of your heads. Itabjures all old al
phabets. and makes a clean book. II
discards all the crooks and curlicues
Of all existing letters, and reduces
them 10 the simplest and briefest pos.
sible geometric forms. II thence be-
comes short hand; and by arare in
vention. or rather BY serien Of rare
inventions. il becomes shorthand OF
most uurivaled perfection. Brevity
and simplicity render IL most easily
and rapidly written; the consistency OF
its principles renders IL comparatively
easy Of requirement; the completeness
and precision its photography render
il easily and rapidly leglble; and its
great legibiIity renders 1t possible IA
introduce such adventures, yet syste'
matte abbrcviations. that il enables
the practiced reporter 10 record the
spoken words of the rapid orator
with an accuracy which is. in H.
self one Of the present wonders Of oul
world.
Photography places the lame Of it,
inventor. Isaac Pitman, among I'll,
memorable benefactors Of our race
All the old stenographies Of Byron
Towndrow, Gould, and others, ar,
mere worthless botches compared with
il. 1t came, we believe. complet,
from the hand Of the author. Since il
publication. we are sorry 10 say tina
some changes have been made which
indicate that il has fallen into lesl
competent hands. They had bette
keep hands off. The more they le
photography alone. the more phonog
rnphy Is obliged to them. And Mr.
Pitman too we speak il reverently O
his genius had better, perhaps, b.
chary of change. The sober secont
thought Of genius is often inferior q
the impetuous frst-thought. Ant
when We call the inventor OF phonog
raphy n benefactor Of his race. we nei
ther underrate the force OF our term
nor overrate the merits of the inven
ton. A development Of It's aims an,
capabilities will perhaps evince th'
truth Of our position.
l. Both the otypy and the ograph,
propose TO abolish that mass of ab
surdities facetiously called Englisl
photography. TO most of ourreaders
doubtless, phonoiypy is only know
by certain burlesque pretenses OF imi
tation in the newspapers. conveying
the idea, Of course. that IL isa pher.
phooiish wrydiekyeuious ophphoir.-
So far, however. are these from beinl
limitations Of phonotypy. they are il
fact, made up Of combinations belong
ing entirely TO the common system
and are the very absurditics phono
lypy abolishes. Every combination
in the above burlesque clause, for in
stance. has a precedent in our estab
lished spelling. Nor can any spelling
absurdiIy be possibly invented whicl
Is more ridiculous, To the unperverte'
eye. than that very system. or rathe
no system, which custom has mad
so absurdly dear tounreilecting minds
How truly these travesties burlesqu
our established spelling. letthe follow
; ing specimen produced by DR.. Gregg
ry, ofEdinburgh, amusingly illustrate
Each word in the specimen is cS
planned by a parallel spelling in tn
common photography, placed beneath
Sssssa ssS 'sSi Tea head laurel nephew sri
FourhnotipIck Jolonsl .yrrh eye .oess,,'
yew proepeaux two ntrowdulco ay M
yew doe beaar tspe knew jaiee may n
sis-dem ov righting high whitch ue eekspre
msssca vie right hsgh witch hue peeks
oanly lheigh sowends AIMED knot thee orlho
lean le'sh crowned tanned Knot fhec dsgse,
. gerafey oph they wirds butt Igh phihlnk
10 barley stephen key bhds bur SgA apeptAeg
ugh gov 10 faro Inn eheighnging owr thyu
bsshknowto arc tan vega cSu thyu
.. onIrd aIfahbeat aned adng sew mem
> bird HANNAH sweat have had serv pen
neau lcbtors. 10 moyk bould too saIgh
beauty debtors. dc they seni galleon slrais
Isaac forieH whlzz ind0c Keyed shss .
akardng too sowend wIlhe theo leabt.
:. warding too alls,ped iive people head d
how theau oald afabcbt, alnd indie
henor Beaschamp coal deb, plaid pic
vi halv faor mainl yecrs beg
"A beenne salmon extraordinary said weird impre
cen theye habbIt auv dooing sourh
Greenwich Keyed abbey loarel loo dough
IfPitman or any other being. hum.
or superhuman, can emancipate o.
school children from this mass of ba
barism. he is. at least. the benefact
ofa most interesting part of hum,