The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-01-29
50 90 A YEAR, IN ADVANCE.
REPORTING IN THE U. :. SENATE.

REPORTING IN THE u :. SENATE
Rumasing among sume old papers yes-
terday, found brief and rough sketch
Of Reporting in the Senate Of the u. 81.
written shortly after Witnessing the opern-
tions of the Senate corps. Nothing is
said Of the reporting Of the House, because
ut that time was not aware Of the precise
manner in which it was done. Tho sts,to-
ments herein contained were made from
personal observation and perfect Familiarity
with the facts. Concciving that it might
interest some Of your readers to know iuss
how the debates, which they perusc With 50
much satisfaction, are prepared, c ,py ,his
paper for your columns, supplying from
memory some omissions and adding an occa-
sional observation. .n -E-@ ...- s...
The reportin: corps for the Senate con-
sists Of threo persons-Mr. Sutton and
Messrs. Murphy. Mr.. Sutton is chief, thn,
is, he has the contract for furnishing tho
reports but the Mcssrs. Murphy do all
the reporting. In fact, one Of them, the elder
brother, Of whom Mr.. Rives has said that
''ncither the habi,aLls world nor the world
inhabited oan produce his equal''-does far
tho greater part. So much reporting BY 50
limited o number, has never before been
done. -~..,
When sitting commences, the young
Mr.. Murphy takes the chair and writes du-
ring the morning hour, generally until n
special order is taken up-his turn being
from half hour 10 an hour. Tho heavy
debate now coming on, he resigns to his
brother who is equal to any emcrgcncy.-
This gentleman will write AS long a. cir
cumstances may require, with wonderful
ease and accuracy. lie sits in his chair
Immediately in front of tho Y. P.'s dcsk,
with his slight figure, his bright blue eyes,
and intellectual eountenance. lie rccog-
nises every speaker in the chamber by his
tone, and with wonderful quickness Of ear
catches every remark however low OF in.
distinct. lie sits there hour after hour,
while that indefatigab!e pen flies over the
smooth sheet and arrests the winged words
for which n nation and the world are wait
ing. No food Of cloquence overwhcims
him. Like the pouring rain which is frozen
as it falls -pon the faded snow, tho torrent
Of words is transGxed upon the snowy
pages Of his note book by the magic pen Of
Photography. No eoloquy is too quick for
him. No interruption can disconccrt his
practised ear or distance his electric fingers.
"Mr. President" from half dozen Ssna-
tors is noted. And when debate has fol-
lowed debate and motions to adjourn snd
lost, and debates and motions have followed
again, till Honorable Senators declare
themselves quite overcome with inccssanS
talking, are sending of for lunch, and slip
ping out into the refreshment room to par
suke of sundry deeoctions to keep the spirits
up by sending the spirits down-our reporter,
who has sat there all the while, every power
concentrated, every faculty engaged, and
who has written ~ much rs they all have
talked, without rest and without refrs.h-
ment, writes on without tagging, seemingly
a. fresh as when he sat down hours
before.
And thus, from day to day, ono OF tho
greatest triumphs Of the age is witnessed
by the gaping crowd in the gallery and tho
gabbling body in the chamber with indiffer-
ence. The reporting system is triumph
Of art, science, and intellect. Few of those
who sit in the gallery Of the Senate and
look down upon its deliberations, and read
in the next mornings Globe detailed re-
port Of which their memory furnishes but n
shadow, are aware that the labors of tho
reporter faithfully performing his duty, arc
worth more to the people Of the United
States than half dozen such islands ~
Cuba can or ever will be. They do not
consider that this intellectual telegraph
the talking pen-by which tho speakers
words are delinea'ed to tho eye with rapid
ty Of thought, is the result Of combining
the best system of writing in the world,
with 6ne talents and years Of labor and
practcc-that what they think very fne
performance, sa grcat feat, no less of mind
than of fingers. Nor does it occur to them
-, h. oe bn,o -
destined soon to become the vehicle Of COM
municstion wherever the English tongue is
written. Meanwhile the younger brother,
who took tho morning tur': has gone OF to
the reporters room and is reading, or dic-
tating his notes to two or three photographic
writer's. lie reads them off rs he would
newspaper, pausins occasionally to give tho
less practiced writer's time to write every
word carefully. They, in turn, copy their
notes in long hand for the printers, writing
for distinctness, and to give room fer nco-
writer's have each been supplied with
writer, or in his absence, copies the notes
the snme time in transferring the phono-
kIapulS uOtCs ihtO huho' A1oNluR Ca.
hausted his own turn Of notes, our junior
associate occupying the chair. These hs
of the day; one takes the notes in the
Senate chamber and sends them to tho
| other, who dictates them to tho short hand
and long hand writer's. The manuscript, 40
it is thrown of, is inspected, corrected and
punctuated BY Mr.. Sutton, Who is always
present during debate. Or after a sitting
in case the debate hns been heavy, all banda
turn into work, when the manuscript is cor
rccted By Mr.. Murphy, who thus reports nlt
day and works frequently more than, half
the night. In either case the manuscript. >.
as fast as review ed, is sent to tho printera,.
so that before the reporters sleep the entire
debate has left their hands aod comes Gus
in next mornings Globe.
| One of the most remarkable features OF
this reporting, is the ease. with which one
| reporter reads tho notes Of another. This
shorthand legible to any other than tho
of Photography as a universal short hand,
its perfee, lesibil'y not only to the writer
but to others, Is established trinmphantly
py sne EepoinHH PEt~tSe AZ SoiskIcSS. =
Nowhere else has it been a. Thoroughly
tested and so fully vinA,iootcd. Notes ia.
ken at tho ratio Of frequently over 200
words per minute, anl read with the utmost
facility by person who did not esea listen
to the debate, prove conclusively that Pho>
biography is = thing adapted to the every
day usage OF mankind.
c. gentleman met a half wi.ted lad
in the road, and placing in ono Of his hands
a sixpence and n penny, asked him which ol
tho two he would ohoose2 The lad replied
that she wouldn'. be groedy--ho'd take the
Esmallest." ~.
+ cv A traveller, relating his alssnturcs,
told the company that he and his servan,
made fifty wild Arabs run; which startling
them, he observed there was no great matter
in it-"For," said he, tive ran, and they
ran after u.s." -z ~
~ oh lnsA-