The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-06
SHORTHAND WRITING.
Tho Incompetence OF Some Per-
sons to Learn It.
Very Fcw OF tho Many Who Undertake
the study Ever Become Proficient
Horace Grooley and tho
Stonogrnphcr.

ten anu talked, both by those who know
and by those who don't, concerning tho
possibilities and actual achievements of
shorthand writing. Not long ago IN
elderly woman, accompanied by child
of apparently about thirteen years Of
age, appeared before n justice at tho
jefferson Market police court and told
pitifui tale. Sho said that she was n
widow and that the child was her only
daughter; that in order to procure some
employment for tho girl slio had been
induced to send her to school of type
writing and shorthand. She had paid
TO tho professor sixty dollars Of her
hard earnings and had been informed
and believed that at the conclusion of n
fow months tuition this child would be
nblc to earn fcir SALARY. Tho pro-
fessor, however, had failed to carry Out
his agreement, and at the conclusion of
the tuition she found herself with her
money gone and no probability Of the
fulfillmcnt Of the promises which had
been made to hcr. She was informed
by tho Justice that if she had any
remedy ct all it was in civil suit for
damages for breach of contract.
The experience of this child, says the
New York Sun, il bnt repetition of
the experiences of by far the larger
numberof those who attempt to learn
shorthand writing. 1t is fact that but
very few Of those who begin to learn
ever succeed in becoming competent
stcnographcrs. The experience detailed
so graphically and amusingly by Charles
Dickens in tho story of David Copper
fcld.'' which is said to be In fact the
experience of Dickens himself, Is n fair
sample OF the difficulties with which
the learner hos to contend. Few per
sons, indeed, have tho requisite rerse-
vcrancc to continue the much-nee6cd
practice in the face Of diScouraging re-
suits, which is essential before pro-
flcicncy can possibly be reached.
Many of these failures might have
been predicted from the start, because
Of tho utter disqualification of tho
learner on account Of tho lack of tho
preliminary study and training and
knowledge which gro necessary to
make q competent stcnographcr. It
must be borne II mind that the sub
jccts which may possibly bo presented
for accurate reporting comprise the en-
tire field OF human lznowlcdge. There
Is no department of science, literature
or nrt which may not seIno time or
other appear in the course Of speeches,
Of arguments, of lectures, Of briefs, Of
dissertations, Of debates, or of dictation.
There is, of course, no stcnoCraphcr
WHO 10 SO thoroughly familiar with the
vocabulary oven OF his own language, In
all departments OF study, as to be able
on the spur of the moment to report ac-
curatcly all kinds of scientific matter.
There nrc, In fact, but very few of the
most reliable stcnoGraphcra in this or
any other country who can be relied
upon to give verbatim report Of a
scientific congress- How futile, how
foolish, must it be, then. for mere chill
dren, for persons without even the
rudimcntnry elements of education, TO
undertake to qualify themselves for such
business. And yet there are shorthand
schools and professors OF shorthand
that take the money of pupils who at
tempt this impossible taas, when it is
known ut the beginning chat the money
so expended is really thrown away by
the pupils.
1t 1vas related of the late Horace
Greeley that upon one occasion an in
competent stcno3raphcr was employed
By him to take ct dictation political
speech. NJ. Greeley talked away with
great earnestnsss and volubility upon n
subject with which ho was entirely
familiar, using tho namea of many
prominent public men in tho present
and past generation, referring to vari-
GUS public measures Of the times, until
he had rcclcd off, as he supposed, q con-
siderable address. 1t so happened that
the stcnographcr was thoroughly un-
familiar with about every subject OF
which the great philosopher had treated
and his manuscript when presented for
review proved to be so crowded with or
rors and omissions and misspelling of
names and misapprehcnsion of what
Mr.. Greeley had said that it was entirely
useless, and with that force for which
Mr.. Greeley was renowned among those
who knew him, the founder of the
Tribune exclaimed: what tho deuce
is stcnography worth?"
There arc limits 20 shorthand. Every
honest stcnographcr win admit that no
person is able to report the most rapid
speakers on to follow with accuracy an.
argument which consists OF .nnny refer
cnces to scientific books Ind contains
quotations which must be accurately re-
corded. In practice, wherever u speaker
makes use of many quotations, particu-
larly of poetry or of statistics, the stem
ographer is always anxious to be sup.
piled with the quoted parts Among
the very best stcnographcrs the prac-
tical impossibility OF one writer being
able to record the most difficult speak,
ing with accuracy is SO well recognized
that In the most important cases sys-,
of check notes is always observed, SO
that points which maY be missed by ono.