The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-10-21
UNCLE SANS eooK.
How the Congressional Record Is Printed
...Phonoyraph PLAYS a Part.

'ioW lle SoilgfSSSO!lai NeCofu 10 TI'ntso
.--Phonograph Plays Part.
WAsHISGroN, Oct. 1s.-"Better go
out in the body of the house." was the
remarl1 uttered by a member of the
official corps of stenographers in the
chamber of representatives at the capi-
tol, land slsirmish for that speaker"
This term 'skirmishing" is usually
applied to the practice prevalent among
the house reporters when a speaker
cannot be heard distinctly at the long
low table just beneath the desk occu-
pied by Speaker Crisp. Hence it is not
i'm unusual spectacle to witness an at
tentive listener busily iotting down in
his note book the utterances of some em-
bryo statesman, apparently obiivious of
the Difference being shown him. There
are five of these official reporters, the
oldest in point of active service being
David Wolfe Brown, who for quar-
ter of a century has caught words OF
wisdom from congressman and perpet-
nated them III the Congressional Rec
ord. Next in seniority md service
comes Andrew Devine, a Scot, who has.
been about the capitol almost as long
as Mr.. Brown, but not on the floor of
the house. His work was principally
among the committees OF that body.
John ii. White. A.C. Welsh md Fred lr-
land make UP the remainder of the
corps. while John.,l. Cameron is the as
sistant official reporter and in charge
of copy. After making report of the
utterances ef the speakers in the house
the stenographer who l,es the turn,
usually about 1, 200 words or n column
OF the Record being the assignment.
hurries down stnirs to aeweli lighted,
commodious apartment faesng south.
Hero, ho finds u phonograph in.readi-
mess for uscs and he immediately be-
gins TO talk into elnouthpiece Of that
instrument; ns the prepared cylinders
revoive the words uttered in the debate
up stairs probably q few sect
onds before are transferred to its
polished surface until click announces
that the cylinder is filed. tits then
removed and turned over to a type
writer. who with little rubber tubes in
his or her ears, as the case may be, lis.
tens nttentvely and transcribes the
whirring words9s they sizzle through
the monographs cylinder. Anyone
who has patronized the Photographs
in hotel lobbies and heard the musical
selections reproduced can appreciate
the sensations of the typewriters
| From five TO six minutes are required
| by the reporter in talking Il turn into
| the phonogrSYh, nDd the work Is sc
well regulated that by the time hs
| comes down for another sitting nt iht
| monograph the preceding turn ha.
been transcribed from the cylinder
| and is ready for revision and editing.
Composition or type setting on th'
Record begins Mt the government print
ing Office at z o'clock every evening
! during the session of congress-, ant
abont seventy-tive persons are engaged
/ in the work of getting out the repor
of The proceedings in the halls of legis
/ lation during tho day. After the cop.
4 has been revised by the reporter wh'
took tho notes it is liable to be callet
| for by the congressman who made TIN
remarks, and this accounts for the par
| hgraphs often encountered in this in
teresting family story paper MIR
| wi,hhoids his remarks for reys
4 ion.'' Ordinarily, however, tn,
course is pursued only in the cas-
of set speeches, but colloquial inter
changes of courtesies between mem
1 bers of the house arc permitted to e
/ pretty much MS they were uttered
| some representatives. 2hoWeNer' iasih
not only upon revising their speeche
in manuscript. bu must have pripte
slips submitted to them by the govern
ment printing office. This necessitnte
II relay of messengers who go aroun
/ from house to house collecting thos
corrected slips SO that the Record ca
lie mnde ready for printing not late
than IN. m. AT that hour the journi
of debates goes TO press and any cop
coming in after that time must take y
place in the publication of the succeed
ug day.