Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-03-18
The Fourth Lesson.


The students of our special class Seem
TO be well pleased with the individual in.
structions which they arc receiving by
mail. This opportunity of learnlnS
shorthand at homo at an expense of only
two dollars Is rare one, and it is not sur.
prising that many should take advantage
Of It.
When two or more persons meet to.
gether for dictation practice the follow.
ing plan may be adopted: Be seated all
at one table. Do not practice for speed
upon any exercise until you have learned
to phrase and outline 1t correctly. Each
student should, in turn, read to the other
members of the group, the exercise being
read, not from the print, but from the
notes last taken. When oil the members
of the circle have read in turn, compare
the last draught carefully with the orig
inal, and repeat until errors cease to be
found. Dictate slowly at first, gradually
increasing the speed.
Always carry in your pocket q copy Of
this paper containing the shorthand
lesson, to read at leisure moments, while
travelling, waiting for cars or steamboats,,
for lazy people to keep appointments, or
whenever an opportunity for few min
utes' study may be had.
Most pupils press the pen too hard upon
the paper, making both the light and
shaded lines heavier than they should be.
This extra pressure means more friction,
more labor, more time, less speed. Tho
rapid stenographer always touches the
paper lightly. 1t is an excellent plan to
cultivate lightness of touch by frequent
practice in writing the thin stems as fine
as possible, executing them rapidly,
barely touching the paper with the pen.
After n, sk, and in some other cases,
Is written downwards. See line6. It is
then called Ell; and when struck upwards,
lay. The signs for /, OF, and o,o, should
be made as small, light, and sharp -angled
as possible. When two vowels are writ
ten by one stem, one Is placed nearer &C
cording to the order in which they occur.
The circle is always written on the in
side of curves. At first, curves are diff
cult to write. AS to degree Of curvature
they should be nearly one-fourth of q
circle. Be careful to bend them evenly
throughout. In this and all remaining
lessons, spend at least two hours in
copying and re-copying the Plate. Then
write the words as they are read to you
from the Key, compare with the Plate,
and repeat until no errors are found.
Also write and rewrite the exercise q
number of times. Occasionally tran
scribe your shorthand, and compare the
translation with the original print. At
first write slo,oly, and with great care;
afterwards increase your speed gradually.
First - Practice on Plate 4 until you
can copy it in four minutes.
Second J. Spend twenty minutes writ
ing the workshops in Lessons III and w
as they are read to you miscellaneously.
Third - Write in shorthand the fol-
lowing Exercise:
Knee nay nigh know oil safe save file
feel vale vile fame foam Lyle loaf loan
Maine lief leave moil knife leak bore door
fore pore pile pale peel bale bile fails tolls
| vice.
KEY TO PLATE4 4.
Fee ie vie lie lay lee NOW (verb) nov
| (noun). 8 Oaf eve eel isle ire our life
lower. Nile knoll kneel name lope
| league chore boil. Nose face sign save
sore sown aims James. Dio leech
sours soils arise Fido voyage Milo. 8
| ord-Signs - For have will me my him
In any no. 10 Never now give anything
that first we you. Translate lines IL to
| Is. (The words in lines ii and IL occur
also In the exercise given above.)