The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-11-19

ushes out his sentences in a hurry. Ingalls,
is pretty fast talker, but his enuncistion is
30 distinct and clear that it is pleasure to
report him. Mr.. Beck is a very fast talker,
and will keep it up for hours, too. Logan is
about an sversge. Blaine? Well, he is not
the most agreeable man in the world to re-
port, Fest at times, and sometimes not so
fast, sort o. jerky way that is not comfort
able to the stenographer."
Mr.. Murphy, who has had this remarka-
bic career as Official Reporter of the Senate
fer tbirty.i Eve years, ever since the system OF
full reports was adopted, is a quiet, gentle
manly-appearing man of perhaps dtty-hve,
whose face and figure shov the years OF
hard. careful toll that he has bestowed pom
his life work. He is one OF the hardest
working men in official life in Washington,
and il may be remarked, draws more money
for his work than does any officer OF the
Government except the President. He gets
S2j eco per year for reporting the Senate.
He must out OF this pay all his assistance,
but it is estimated that be nets about one
half the sum paid for the services, perhaps
more. He lives in an elegant brown stone
front on O street, not far from the Capitol,
keeps a handsome team. and enjoys life as
beat be NAV when there is no session to take
his attention. When the Senate is in session
his hours are very long aud lab9rious. He,
with ore assistant, Mr.. Shuey, reports all
the debates Of the Senate after the morning
hour has expired, turning over their notes
to assistants, who transcribe them. This OF
itself is quite remarkable matter, as very
few stenographers are able TO read the
writing of others, though they write
the same system. Mr.. Murphy's brother,
Mr.. E. V. Murphy, who has been with
him ten years or more reads his notes readi-
~, ard in many cases reads them ID other
stenograpbeIs who, taking them in short
hand, write them out for the printers ALI
this, however, Mr.. Murphy himself revlsss
after il is written out in long hand, and as
the reports of the Senate often make as much
as sixteen pages of the Record, it is easy to-
see that the task is a tremendous one. To
read, even in type, what would make from
ten to twenty columns in an ordinary news
paper is DO small task, and how much more
so in manuscript, hurriedly written as it
Often must be.
is somewhat different from that OF the Sen
ate. There are there five official reporters,
the Chief of Corps being Mr.. ]. j. McEl-
hone, who was the first man to undertake
the berculean task of reporting the House
verbatim. Indeed until he undertook it
such a proceeding was supposed to be impos-
sible. He had had experience in the Sen
ate however, and was recognized as stenog.
rapher of unusual ability, and with Me
Elhone as his 'piece de resistance" John G.
Rives, the founder of the Congressional
Globe, undertook the contract OF reporting the
House. This was in 1850. Mr. McElhone is
still there, chief the corps, enjoying the con-
fidence OF the House, and salary of So, 600
per year. They report the House proceed
iDgs by turns of about fifteen minutes
each, and then retiring to their room, read
their notes to other and younger stenograph.
ers, who take them down in short hand and
write them out by the time the reporter
comes off his next turn Each of the
official reporters has two of these assistants
to write out the reDOrts The reports Of
these speeches are, like those OF the Sena-
tors, submitted to the speakers in manuscript
if desired, and then sent to the Government
Printing office, appearing next morning in
the Record except where they are withheld
for revision as often happens. 1t is not infre-
gently the case that they are withheld for