Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-09-12
Shorthand by Machinery.

One Of the simplest and most effective
machines ever devised to do the work of Il
shorthand writer is the stcnograph, the in
vention of VI. VI. Bartholomew. Il verbatim
phnnographic reporter. While it is posi-
bic that many of the advocate, OF the
stcnograph are more enthusiastic in Its
praise than the facts viii warrant, ii is
still evident that the little machine may
become very effective in the hand, OF an
expert. and that for dict3tion purposes.
where speed Of less than one hundred
words per minute is all that is required, 1t
offer, exceptional advantages. instruction
in the use Of the stcnograph has lately
been made 4 feature Of the Pcircc College
of Business in this city, and Record re
porter. who * also skilled shorthand
writer. on Saturday accepted Professor
Peirrc's invitation to critically examine
the machine. The steno9raph prints but
one character, dash about one-siXteenth
Of IN inch long. but each one Of the five
kcvs-four of which are duplicated, max
ing nine in all-iorms its dash arbitrarily
ON 4 distinct part Of the tape OF paper
which automatically unrolls when the ma-
chine is worked. BY this means five let
tiers are each formed nv 4 single dash. The
other letters and the characters til, sh and
ch are made by combinations Of the dashes.
Any letter Is formed by simply striking a
single KEY or combination of keys. \ let
ter that Is formed By striking several KEYS
is Just rs quickly and easily made Is one
that is made with single kew The mas
terry Of the stenocraph consists simply in
learning what KEYS 10 strike To form the
- i. ! I IL.
letters thus made on the paper. In writ
iu@ with the instrument all silent letters
and most of the vowels in the middle Of
words are omitted, and for ANYTHING an
preaching verbatim reporting use is made
of 4 large number of workshops, and other
words are usually very much contracted or
Ieh out entirely, to be supplied by the con-
text. g. j. Bair who manipulated the
Stenograph nj the test on Saturday, proved
his ability TO write and afterward read with
ease one hundred words of unfamiliar mat
ter per minute. # did not seem that Mr..
Bair could we'll become more dexterous in
the use Of his fingers, for they flew over the
keys with remarkable speed 1t therefore
appeared to The reporter. and Professor
PIERCE conceded with the view, that for
Mr. Bair TO increase his writing speed CON
siderablv he must resort to n further Use of
workshops contractions and Systematically
omitted words. Some other operators
might manipulate the KEYS more rapidly
than he did, but il r probable that the ma
iority would not 1t is claimed that the
stcnograph has been made to write over
two hundred words per minute. 1t is evil
dent that a speed of from fifty to seventy
five words per minute could be acquired by
the ordinary student much more easily on
the stenograph than by photography. As
that speed Is sufficient for most Of the die
tation in business Offices it would seem
Elat 4 wide field is here opened for the use
( of the machine. IN appearance the steno-
graph Is neat and compact, and It's work is
exact and unEorm.-[ Philadelphia Record.
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