The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-11
What IL Required of q Court st en-
oRrapher in Reporting
Court Trials
The Competition Of the Photograph With
the Phonographers-Edi News
paper With . Cornsheller.


allowed 10 cents per folio for transcribina
his notes. The position is a responsible
one and demands that the person seeking
to fill it shall be we'll up in his art. If he
is somewhat familiar with the law he will
get along much easier. While engaged in
the court room he will make many
acquaintance, and will learn good deal
of men and their ways if he keeps his eyes
and ears open, as all good stenographers
do. There are number of stenographers
now in the city who do not practic their
profession for q living. Among them are
County Attorney Nolan, who was the court
stenographer under Judge Mcconnell. and
afterwards with Judge Blake just before
Montana changed her swaddling clothes for
the garb of statehood. Mr.. Nolan is
one Of the best stenographers in the state,
valuable thing when he wishes to keep tab
on the testimony of some witness. John
Bean, clerk of the district court, is an old
stenographer, and good one, too. John
commenced to study over in England when
he was about IA, and he has been making
good many years doing amanuensis work
In English railroad Offices before coming to
this country and renouncing. allegiance to
Victoria. He was the official stenographer
Of the district court before Nolan, and
makes good use Of his knowledge Of phon-
oeraphy in keeping the minutes Of the
ney Nolan, writes the Pitman system, and
makes good notes whether he is using q
pencil or pen.
A. j. Steele. the real estate dealer, learned
to write Pitman photography years ago,
and has done good work at the business,
but is now. so situated that he
ia ronniHod IN furn hI0 hand
to making the mysterious characters for q
living. Probably the most rapid writer of
shorthand among the stenographers who
came to Helena some years ago in response
to the demand zor their services was Ike
Hamburger. II was interesting to watch.
was we'll posted on everything that stenog-
rapher should know-and that means pretty
nearly everything. A fast speaker had no
terrors for Ike, who seemed to enjoy an
orators efforts to get ahead of his rapidly
moving pencil which he handled like paint
mittee on mines in the house of representa-
tives. Judge Clements was one of the first
stenographers in law court in Montana,
and when business was slow he used to put
on his rubber boots and work in slulce
box. Mrs. Judge Bach learned phonogra-
ton as stenographer in the last territorial
legislature before her marriage. One of the
first lady stenographers who came to
Helena is Miss Southmayd who now
holds q responsible position with the
First National bank. Chief Justice Blake
is Pitman writer and keeps most of his
notes in shorthand. He rendered the stem
ographers of Montana some good service
while he was in the legislature in securing
the passage of the present law concerning
the court photographers.
Miss Jessie Stafford is another example
of HelenaSgirl who took up the study Of
the art. She is now engaged at the court
house as the private secretary of the secre-
tary of state. There are numbers of others
employed in business houses, real estate
and insurance offices In the city who are
receiving good salaries. There is one law
Office in the city that keeps three shorthand
men busy pretty much Of the time.
Like 'her professions, there is always
room at lie top in the shorthand business.
Curious as it may seem, the rapid writer's
are not always the best stenographers. Sue
cess does not lie altogether in the ability to
write shorthand we'll. The better his edu-
cation the better a stenographer young
man will make who is DESTROYS of following
the business. If he wishes to become an
expert stenographer, and be able to get out
good transcript of the proceedings of a
trial or make good report of public
meeting. he need not fear the competition
of the phonoRraph. More than ten years ago
James E. Munson, one of the best stenogra-
speaking world, told the editor of the New
York Sun that when the monograph could
furnish report of trial he would show
him how to edit a newspaper with corn:
shelter. The monograph will always be q
machine, and can never do away with the
man who has good command of short
hand and q clear and intelligent brain.