Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-11-16
Writing.

Writing.
The first method of presenting
thoughts to the eye was the pictorial sys-
tenn. This mode Of writing is quite pro
fusely given in the Egyptian hieroglyph-
les, Which the priests employed in asym-
bolicaf and allegorical manner. The
eye, for instance, became symbol of
Providence, the bird an emblem of
swiftness, the scaling ladder repre-
sentative Of siege. Champollion
claims that the .hieroglyphics are divisi
bic into three distinct classes-the sym
bolic, the phonetic and the figurative
signs. 1t is unknown when picture
writing was invented. Some writer's
affirm that letters came into
use when the authorizations of
pictorial signs became necessaryas the
system extended. For example, two
hands and a bow took the place Of an
archer; an eye and scepter signitied
monarch. In time even these curtailed
signs were found to be inadequate to
The wants Of the people in giving signs
to thoughts. Figures were employed
to represent language and its separate
organic elements. 1t is unknown
when alphabetic or letter-writing was
first discovered. 1t is supposed that
Moses was acquainted with the art Of
writing, which proves that its existence
was known at very early period. The
Greeks and Romans asserted that the
Phenicians we're the inventors of let
ters. Some attribute the invention Of
letters to Moses; others believe that
Abraham knew the art of writing, and
we are also told by some learned his
torians that Abel knew the use of let
tiers. The Jewish rabbis say, "God
created letters on the evening Of the
first Sabbath
A very singular invention Of sylla-
bic alphabet is related of Cherokee
Indian who wasignorant of the English
tongue and could not read a word in
any language. This poor savage sue
ceeded in producing in 1924 an alpha
bet SO complete that he was able to
write letter. The Cherokees were
delighted; the youth Of the band trav-
eled a great distance to learn the art Of
writing and reading, which, from the
peculiarity Of the alphabet and Ian
guage, they could acquire in three days
sufficient to practice themselves and
teach other. Types for printing in this
character have been cast. The appear
ance of the language thus printed is
singularly uncouth and barbarous.
The invention of marks for punctua-
tion is ascribed to Aristophanes, the
famous Greek grammarian. Abbrevi-
ations Of words were not made in an
cient writing except upon coins and in
scriptions. There are extant some re-
mains of an ancient system of writing,
in which all the characters are formed
by different combinations of one simple
element. No satisfactory method of
Interpretation has ever been given of
these writings. Of all books now in
existence, the writings Of Moses and the
book Of Job are considered the most
ancient.
The Mexicans used the pictorial
method Of writing. It is related that
" they apprised their king, Montezuma,
Of the landing Of the Spaniards by
means Of linen cloth, on which this
event was represented by pictures of
visible Objects" The manner of read
ing the Mexican picture-writing is diff
ferent from all others. 1t is in
columns, beginning at the bottom
to read. The japanese and Chi
nese also write in columns, but
they read from the top, going from
right to left. The Germans first wrote
in the Latin characters their alphabet
was not in general use until the thir-
teenth century. The "monastic'' al
phabet was used in Germany as early as
the eleventh century. About the time
of the Roman conquest writing was
first practiced in Britain. The several
forms Of French writings derive their
names from the different races Of kings
who have ruled that country.
The Greeks have ever manifested
great enthusiasm in promoting knowl-
edge. The first library that is known
was collected by Pisistratus, who lived
al Athens. King .Attalus had a
library that contained 100000 books
onrolls. The celebratedlibrary Of Alex
ander was founded by Ptolemy Phila-
delphus; it is said to have numbered
100000 volumes. 1t was destroyed in
642 A. D. The FIRST private library is
supposed to be the one founded by P.
Emilius, 167 B. Q. The first public
library was founded by Asinius Pallio,
in the hall of the Temple of Liberty
on Mount Aventine. Augustus founded
the celebrated library in the Temple of
Apollo on Mount Palatine. The Ro-
mans had several large private libra
ries. Tyrannio, native Of Pontus,
who was taken prisoner by Lucullus
and brought to Rome as slave, and,
receiving his freedom, taught gram
mar and rhetoric, invested much of
his earnings in buying books, and is
said to have collected library of 30,-
600 volumes. Constantius established
a public library at Constantinople. Its
contents increased from time to time
to 100, 900 volumes. It was destroyed
by fire in A. D. AIT.
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