Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-02-18
For the Nashville Patriot.

RhDnoEraphY I'm cur Public schools.
Mn. EDIToR:-A knowledge of Photography
is, in this day Of advancement, an indispensa-
bic part of popular education, and desire,
therefore, to call the attention of parents, and
OF the Board of Education, to the Importance
Of adopting it into our Public Schools.
The writer had much preferred, If some one,
OF more experience, had taken this subject in
hand, and urged the proper authorities to in
Vestgate it and, being satisfied as to its utility,
to adopt it as one of the regular studies in
our Public Schools; but his patience is ex-
hausted in waiting, and he has, therefore, ad-
dressed himself to the duty, hoping that what
be may say, shall be of advantage.
Many of your readers are doubtless aware
of the derivation of Photography; but for
those who may be ignorant of it, let US ex-
plain. Photography, is derived from two
Greek words:-phone, voice or sound, and grG-
pheia, to write: the two words combined
meaning simply, to write sounds. AS an art,
then, it is the representation by characters of
the sounds of the voice, each one of which
has phonetic character to represent it.
Now, if each sonnd of the voice has a char
acter to represent it exclusively, we see how
unerringty we can trauscribe those sounds.
And, for proof of the rapidity with which
Photography enables US to put down the
sounds of the voice, let us take an example.
The word though, written in common long
hand, requires twenty -four movements Of the
hand, while in Photography, the same word
requires only two. Here, then, in this short
word, is saving of twenty. two movements of
the hand, and also, of eleven~twelfths of time,
which all will say is of great Importance.
The Photographic Alphabet is formed of
the simplest possible characters: the dot, and
straight and curved lines; which, by rea-
son of their simplicity, can be very rapidly
written. By the common hand writing, the
most rapid penman can write only about forty
words per minute, and this he cannot do for
any great length of time, whereas by Phono-
graphic characters, the same penman can write
atleast, tsoO hundred and fifty sOOrds per minute
continuously, the most rapid spea-
ker, and putting down every sound of his
voice, if necessary. The rapidity and accura-
cy with which this art may be used, make it
invaluable Not only is it useful for TRANSCRIPT
ing editorials, sermons and speeches; but it is
equally useful to the merchant and mechanic,
in keeping accounts, and writing letters
What vast economist for literary men +!
To the rising generation, photography is
great blessing. Shall they not have it3 aP-
peal to you, Mr. Editor, to use your power for
its introduction into our Schools. And spI
peal to parents who have children to educate,
and to the Board of Education, to consider
this subject, and act upon their convictions OF
duty to the future. 1t is no iDnovath.H! Twen-
ty long years ago, Isaac Pitman the author
of the System of Photography now in such
general use, brought forth his short hand al"
phabet, and during those same twenty years, up
to this good day, thousands have taken adVan-
tage of its powers, and effected, in one short
life what in time past and before Photography
was known, required seven times twenty
years. To-day, Photography is one Of the
most useful discoveries known: second only to
the power of speech. Through it only, can
speech be pictured truly. The Hon. Thomas
H. Benton, once said, upon being presented
with verbatim report of one his speeches,
taken by little boy, "Had this art been
known forty years ago, it would have sa0ed me
twenty gears Of hard labor" This indeed
seems great saving of time in one mans life;
but the honorable gentleman fell even short of
thetruth, for, by the example above, we've seen
that the time saved is eleven-twelfths. Not
to mention the great economy. think the
Powers set over our Schools should be called
upon, to investigate this subject, and adopt it,
if but for one reason; and that is, to give the
rising generation another mode of putting
money in their purses. Boys from Is to 10
years of age, now get for their services as
Photographic reporters of Congress 5000 per
month. l remember, during the compromise
Congress of 1850, as tits called, young man
about 10 years OF age, was taken from the
Philadelphia High School, to report the pro.
ceedings of that memorable Congress. For
that service (of two months think he was
paid $500. YE NOM.