Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-15
CITY AND DISTRICT.
CUTTING OFF TEE FLOURIsHES.
The System, Of Writing To he Taught
In tine Public schools.

In 5ile Public schools.
PENMANSITIF REDUCED To BUSINESS BASIS
FORMS OF LETTERS ForND To BE IN EVERY
DAY Use PUT INTO the CoPY-Books--A SAVING
OF FROM FIFTEEN 70 TWENTY PER CENT IN INK
AND MUSCULAR ACTIoN-A TALK WITH PROF.
SPENCER
Next Monday the scholars in the public
schools will get their new copy-books and begin
their writing lessons for the year. The delay in
procuring the books has been occasioned by
revisions and improvements, which have been
made by the Spencer Sons. At meeting of
the teachers held at the High school building
to-day Mr.. H. C. Spencer explained the new or
revised system OF Spencerian writing which it
il proposed. to Introduce. This system has been
devised in very Ingenious way. and teaches
children to write. il is claimed. not in accord
ance with a theory of how letters should be
made. but Just as experience shows men will
and do write in their everyday business.
All unnecessary strokes are to be dispensed
with only such lines being retained as are nee
essaTy to identify the letter. These forms.
stripped of their fOurishes. are not devoid OF
beauty. The easy and graceful curves are re-
tanned. as easier to make than straight or angu-
ar lines.
The day is coming" observed Mr. Fl. c.
Spencer to 4 STAR reporter. when long writing
past, and the approved methods will be those
that enable US to communicate our thoughts
most rapidly"
SIMPLIFYING THE sPESCERIAN SYSTEM
"The Spencerian copy books" he continued,
shave passed through various stages of i'm
proyement. and are now used in nearly every
portion of this country. and have been copied by
publishing houses in England. Spencerian was
introduced in the public schools OF the city of
Washington in 1866. The improved edition
came into use in 1871, and another in 1876.
The tendency of the changes and improvements
has been steadily in the direction of making
the writing more simple, rapid. and legible
The new editions of the books recently adopted
by the school board are new departure in this
direction. The Spencer sons. before entering
upon these later improvements, took measures
to ascertain the condition of writing among
business and professional men throughout the
country They sent out blanks like this" Mr.
Spencer here produced a form OF blank. which
contained the following questions:
/ Please write below, In your usual style, all the
capital and small letters, and the figures from to
What instruction have YOU received in pen
manship? 8 What pen do you use? What ink?
4lHOw 90 you hold your pen? What Is your position
at desk? s What movement do YOU employ in
writing? 8. What writing. chiefly, have you to do?
a. Please write your Maine; p. o. address; oecupa-
ton, age; weight; temperament. & Please CODY
below The following matter in your customary hand:
"a mans fortune Is frequently decided by his first
IL
he has merit; but If ungraeeful, decide against
him." 9. What IS your rate OF speed In writing,
fast, slow, or medium?
After obtaining large number of replies"
MT spencer went on. I've rejected all that
we're from slow writer's and made q careful
comparison OF the Others. After making COM
parsons, we ascertained the tendency of rapid
writers In adapting writing to every day pur-
poses, and with this knowledge proceeded to
systematic and simplify the Spencerian system.
As an instance of simplifying matters YOU will
observe the standard capital T has heretofore
been made with five strokes. The simplified
IS made with two strokes. This abbreviatfon
has been carried to an extent which secures
strokes used in writing. At the same time
greater legibility is secured than had been
reached before. The Spencerian .copybooks
hitherto In use in our public schools comprise
seven copybOoks and four duplicate tracing
boOks-eleven in all The series lust adopted
comprises six books little largerin size than the
old. and no duplicate tracing books. Thetracing
exercises so useful to beginners are provided for
In the regular books Each book contains on
Its covers all the directions and illustrations that
are necessary for teachers and pupils to have in
using the book
PECUILARITIES OF PENMEN.
ave issued about thousand of these circu-
lars. continued the speaker. Then we copied
out the letters. We had long line Of AS; then
long line OF BIS. and so on. We were able to
SEQ WHAT Vi letter was IN most common
use The greatest uniformity was found,
think, in the letters A. B. c. E and s. am
speaking of capitals. The custom of making
capital "A like small a. only larger. was
found to De almost universal. The greatest di-
verslty. think, was In the Fs 1t Is wonder
full what marks men would make for F's In
some cases we found the custom prevailing to
be barbarous. Nobody makes a 2 distinctly
All sorts of things were made for rs. In the
new series We preserve the same angle of slant
havo fopD
to take its place with advantage. 1t Is the |
slant that will be taken naturally by letters
formed by person who sits in proper position
and holds his pen correctly.
In the older series of cOpybooks the writing
given in the lower numbers was so large that
the Children were unable to use it in their spell
ing and other written exercises. It is neces-
sary TO give the beginner letters somewhat
larger than are needed in business use, so that
tney may readily appreciate their form, but that
idea was carried to ridiculous extreme In
the new series the copy lines from the first are
OF size that can be used in their school work.
The standard size for business writing has been
reduced so that the eye-space is now one-tenth
OF an inch; formerly it was one-ninth."
HOW SMALL LETTERS ARE ABBREVIATED.
Authorization in small letters is secured gen.
orally in letters at the beginning and ending of
words. For example, the initial curves of i. u.
W, o, q, c. {. d. &C., are omitted at the begin
ming OF words and at the end of words. the final
curves OF s. j. =. g, z, f. dc. This leaves more
distinct spaces between the words and makes
the writing more iegiole. There" said the pro-
lessor. seriooling on piece of paper, ''by the
Old method, thirteen strokes are required to
write the word and but by the new we get rid
OF three strokes Seven strokes are ree-Ired
to write OF by the old method and only five by
the new The gain Is in rapidity and legibility,
while the writing is as handsome as ever
taught. As matter of fact some forms of
letters that have been taught in schools never
got into current use Too many strokes were
required TO make them"