The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-04
srEYoGRAPHY AND HUMBUG.

every day in the year letters are received by
THE SUN inquiring which is the best system Of
stenography The question Is difficult TO
answer. There is a great deal Of printed hum
bug about shorthand. Up the present time
there has never been anything like peffect
system published. II is really very imperfect
art. Many Of the books and pamphlets ON the
subject are mere catchpcnnics. calculated to
deceive the public BY creating the impression
that anybody can learn in few months to re-
port "A sermon. n lecture. or a case in court
onsidrraDlc number OF young lawyers and
medical students have lost much valuable time
toong with photography under this delusion.
After a great deal Of trouble almost every one OF
those young gentlemen has been disappointed
by the discovery that In this matter little
learning is n dangerous thing. and that the
ordinary long hand is far better for his pur
pose because h. can at least read his notes.
Stenographv when only partially mastered
Is utterly worthless. As ono Of It, most cele-
bratcl students has said. There are two
great difficulties in the thing-onc is 10 write It
and the other to read it after it is written" 1t
takes at least two years hard work Tor anybody
~ ordinary ability 10 learn good system.
Naturally then. Tor those who do not intend to
make a business Of i the question arises is the
game worth the candle?
~ llHn NiA'N hffu lIfAlNAtl hl IhNuNEi hlillN
fools that. in this age Of progress. steam and
the electric telegraph. the present style Of writ
iug will soon be abandoned. and shorthand
universally aloptcd-an idea that nobody bu; II
uuatic or a fanatic would entertain for q mo-
meut Il is an amusing fact that the very sys-
TENS which are claimed TO be tho perfection Of
writing. SO far from being fitted for general use
are extremely poor material even for ordinary
note taking. Singuarly enough. the greatest
enthusiasts in photography are. generally
speaking tho most incompetent writers. Some
~ their exploits are on record among reporters.
several years ago an eminent lawyer hired one
~ these professors To take testimony in an i'm
portaut case. The transcribed minutes aston
ishel him. A patent" upon which much de-
pended in the suit was converted into a poten-
tate solid frame" was turned into an e iso-
| lated farm" tho finances Of this country" were
~ot down "a the Fcninns OF this country :"
clerks and bartenders" were made into clocks
! and barometcrs and tho question. We're you
in the habit ~ visiting the house ?" was written.
We're YOU in the habit Of fastening the hose ?"
Columns Of such examples might DO given
all going 70 show that when we abandon the
present style OF writing and take to phonogra-
phv VIZ shall at least have fun.
Ridiculous llunders are sometimes made
| oven by smart stenographers. when they at
] NHlt 10 report mtfuhAlfhlly ana AllnW tntlr
minds 10 wander for n moment from the con-
| text S;enography can never be generally used.
| for the simple reason that rs to words it Is a
mere skeleton map. and requires too much pre-
| cis.on in the formation Of lis characters. Thus
| fur all the Efforts to make 1t ~ leebe as or
! binary writing have failed, With this view
some bad systems have been slightly improved.
and some good ones spoiled by tinkerng. Ex-
| pert shorthand writing. however. depends
! moro upon tho method Of writing il and the
attention and judgment Of the writer than
| upon the system. In other words. q good re-
| porter would work about rs well with one sys-
! TEN rs with another and very rapid stenos-
| raphers sometimes use very clumsy systems.
Besides tho steuographc inventions that
| have been published there are probably hum
dr'ls OF others in actual use that have meyer
been recorded in books. For instance. the lead
ing official reporter Of the House Of Represen-
iatiyes in Washington writes n style that no.
body but himself can read. Many years ago an
| extraordinary system was invented and used
! by an Irish reporter in Dublin. He was
| paid handsome salary for reporting the
! MAY moetinss-R sort Of yearly convention Of
! Protestant clerEymen in ireland. He claimed
and his notes seemed to prove it, for they look ed
| Nkethe continued repetition ofone character-to
| he able To write or rather outline any word in
80 %
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