The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-04-22
Good and Bad Handwriting.

I have heard illegible writing justified
as mark of genius That Of course is
very fatter1ng theory. | wish | coul'
think it true. But like most of thes Hat
fering theories acknowledgement eccentrl
cities, it has one fatal fault 1t IS 1ncon
sistent with notorious facts. Men OF &c
MUS do not, believe, as a rule scrlooIe
They write legibly. Thackeray, we a!
know, was beautiful penman. lie pr
ded himself on his writing lie coulc
write the Lords prayer IN Ieglole hano
on bit of paper not larger IMAM SIX
pence | never h card that CharleS DICK
ems ever had a contribution returned be
cause it was illegible. Douglas Jerolld'S
copy was almost as good as copper-plate'
and nv friend who in his own graphic
style, is sketching the career of "Chrlsto
pher Kenrick," in a masculine, clear and
flexible hand, tells met that one of Jerolld' S
friends, "Shirley Brooks, writes plainly
and with little revision" Lord Lytton s
manuscript is written in careless scrawl,
but is not illegible. though from inter
lineations and corrections, perhaps Of
ten puzzling to printers; and Mr.. Dlsraeli
writes in large and angular running
hand, legible enough, if not particularly
elegant, and most of our leading politi-
ciani are excellent penmen. Mr.. Glad
stone seems to write as he generally speaks
in a hasty, impetuous manner, but with
all his haste and impetuosity his writing
is perfectly legible. 1t is an Oxford hand.
Lord Derby writes what [ may perhaps
call an aristocratic hand, at once elegant
and legible. Lord Russell writes lady
like hand. 1t is like everything else about
the Earl, small and occasionally pulling,
but not inelegant Mr.. B1ght's letters
are as distinctly and regularly formed as
this print. Lord SANKEY'S dispatches are
as legible as large plea; you may run and
read them; every character is fully for
med every +" is dotted, every ct" is
crossed You will find no sign of haste
or slovenliness IN his mss | might go on
IN this style through a dozen more names,
but it is not necessary. I have cited enough
cases to prove my point, that illegible
hand writing is not sign of genius, or
even Of superior intelligence. | know,
on the other hand, that there are many
men of genius. who write and have writ
ten execrably. Sir John Bowring is one
of these. It is said that Lord Planners
ton once sent back an important dispatch
of Sir Johns to China, with request
that it might be copied in readable
hand writing and Lord Cowley. our late
Minister to France, wrote so hastily and
illegibly, that Lord Granville, believe
once asked his lordship to keep the origi
nails Of his dispatches for his own infor
nation, and send copies to the Foreign
Office. Lord Lyttleton who moved &
clause to the Reform Bill, that nobody
should have vote who could not write {
legible baud, writes so illegibly that the
clerks at the table could not read the res
olution which he handed in; and "Chris
topher Kenrick" says, that Tom Taylor
writes as if he had wool at the end o.
his pen. And these men are the types
fear, of far larger class than the frs
set of authors and politicians have emu
merated.-G entlemapi Magazine.
The Washington correspondent o.
the Chicago Tribune says: The
order under which Messrs. Edmunds
and Halsey have been investigating
the affairs Of the Treasury Depart
ment was passed by Congress two
years ago They have done then
work very thoroughly, and the report
will make printed document o.
seventy or eighty pages. The
evidence taken covers 500 pages Of
foolscap manuscript. The investiga.
ton is brought down to November O
last year, and the report is quite I'M
like the whitewashing got out from
time to time by Secretary McCullocl
and Spencer M. Clark. The commit
tee undertook to follow every dollar
of government securities, whether
bonds, Treasury notes. certificates o.
fractional currency, from the time i
entered until the time it left thu
Department. This endeavor gave
them an amount of labour of which
the public can have little conception
They found the money books loosely
and carelessly kept, bringing to Ugh
a great many discrepancies between
those of the Treasurer's office, Print
ing Bureau, and Registers office
The books of the Register, 70
instance, show he is charged witt
over two million dollars in 7-3Os Q
1861, and 5-20s of 1862, for whicl
nogaccount can be given except tina
it is believed by clerks that the,
were cancelled and DESTROYED.