Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1884-07-16
Learner OF Shorthand.

A Young woman in Brooklyn adver.
tises her willingness TO read for pho.
nographic students at rs cents an hour.
This Indicates knowledge of the
chief difficulty which confronts the
learners of shorthand-the opportu
nifty for profitable practice. The
number OF those who acquire prof.
cheney as shorthand writer's is very
small, compared with those who at
tempt il and fail. Failure is due,
very often, to a lack of appreciation
of the amount of practice required 10
secure proficiency. Persons are often
discouraged with the learning OF
shorthand because, having merely
learned the signs, they find themselves
unable, at the first attempt, To follow
a rapid speaker. The difficulty with
the beginner is, that when he attempts
to follow speaker or reader, the
speech goes off at express train speed,
while the writing keeps that of a
canal boat.
What is needed, therefore, is a
reader, who will accommodate the
speed of the reading to the capacity
of the writer. To do this, with exact.
ness, to keep the reading fast enough
for The writer's utmost speed, and at
the same time slow enough to enable
him to keep up, is a delicate and
difficult task, that has often baffled
the patience Of the most affectionate
reader. In the vain effort to assist a
learner of short hand to the neces.
sary practice, fond mothers have been
wearied, maiden aunts exhausted,
sisters worn out, little brothers exas.
perated and other relatives disguised.
The Brooklyn young woman has,
therefore, opened fruitful field and
one long waiting to be cultivated.
She proposes to substitute the expert.
enced reader, familiar with the wants
of The reader, in the place of The tired,
unskillful, and perhaps unpaid rela
tive.
Many inquiries are made by cores
pondents of the Sun, in regard to the
best method of learning shorthand.
the best book to buy, etc. Without
making invidious distinctions, be.
tween authors, 1t is safe to say that
a student is less likely to lie led astTay
by well established book Than by
one with fitness untried. 1t is wise
to beware of systems, that promise
tuition in shorthand in marvelously
short periods of time. 1t is qnes-
ton, often asked, How long will it
take me to learn shorthand?" The
reply might well be, "How long
should you require to learn to play on
the piano, or on the violin, or to
learn French, or to lrarn trade?"
This is certain. that young man can
generally learn to be a good stenogra-
pher in less time than it is required
to become good billiard player, or
good poker player, or a good checker
player.
One thing must be understood, by
those seeking to learn shorthand
that you can report only what you
know. The most expert stenographer
cannot report thing he does not
understand, Yet persons, who are not
only uneducated, but almost illiteratc,
suppose they can write sentence in
shorthand. when they cannot write it
in longhand. There are so many sub.
jects that come under the attention of
the stenographer that before one can
become proficient, it is necessary 70
acquire, at least superficial knowl.
edge of many technicalities. When
il comes TO the reporting of expert
testimony, a very wide range of infor.
nation becomes necessary, because
the reporter may at any time be called
upon to wrestle with chemist, a
machinist an architect, physician, or