The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-10
HANDWRITING AND PRINTING.


This is an age of writing. Paper is cheap,
pens are good lamps and spectacles make
night work possible and comfortable Post
age is but tenth of what it was a half
century back. Everybody writes letters
either to his friends or to his paper, or in the
interests OF his business. In earlier days the
teacher of English wore one pen in his cap if
of penmanship two if of Latin three. But now
children in the primary schools write with
either pencil or pen, and to make ones mark
is sufficient evidence of illiteracy. 1t would
seem that nothing is easier than to learn
reading and writing, Such is not the case.
five years are occupied in acquiring these
simple elements of education, and if
the spelling is mastered, as many
more Reading opens the door to
all knowledge, and a child that can read,
write and cipher is fairly well educated-at
least such can amuse themselves and do bust
ness intelligently and successfully.
By the phonetic method of spelling, by
shorthand writing, and by the introduction
of better kinds of type there is no doubt that
the three RS could be much easier acquired,
and their use made much more general and
efficient than by the present spelling, script
and type The English is hybrid language.
Its pith and core is Anglo-Saxon; Latin and
French have been nodded with it; it's scien-
k.Co Of
origin There is, of course benefit in the
present style of spelling which preserves and
suggests the origin and etymology of the
roots and prefixes which compose
English words, but its spelling gives
little insight as to proper pronunciation.
Over forty different sounds are represented
by about half as many letters, many of
which do double or even quadruple duty.
AS to types and printing, these are the
outgrowth of handwriting. They reflect the
progress of later centuries, and have re-
far better system of type could be devised,
and shapes of letters introduced, which could
be easier read and less trying to the eye.
French type is proverbially harder to read
than English or American. This is due to
the narrowness of French letters. In read
ing, no letter is examined in all its parts.
The eye travels horizontal line, cutting all
the short letters at a point just below the
top, as can readily be proved by cover
ing with a cord the upper half of
the short letters in a line of print,
to read the line. If the upper half
is left exposed and the lower covered, the
line can be easily read. The eye takes the
upper track because, including capitals and
accented letters rise above the upper part of
the short letters The letters, then, should
have shapes which vary greatly in the part
along which the line of vision passes; but
type founders. on the contrary for the sake
of uniformity, have flattened the round let
ters-as a, C, and o-and have rounded the
corners OF the square letters. DR.. Joval, of
physiology of reading and writing, suggests
that the letters which stand above and below
the line be shortened, and, in short that
return to the characteristics of the old types
may properly be made in the interest of leg
Utility. Putting spaces between the lines
adds little to the legibility yet much to the
expense; but the spaces between the letters of
words is of the greatest Importance, and
should be increased.
The invention of spectacles at the end of the
thirteenth century has greatly decreased the
size of handwriting and type also, The use