The morning call., 1893-12-02
CONGRESSMEN'S SPEECHES.
The Photograph Plays Part in the
Publishing of the Record.

Washington corr. of Chicago Tribune.
The term "skirmishing' is usually applied to
the practice prevalent among the House re-
porters when speaker cannot be heard dis
tinctly at the long low table just beneath the
desk occupied by Speaker Crisp. Hence 1t Is
not an unusual spectacle to witness an alien
tive listener busily jotting down in his notebook
the utterances Of some embryo statesmen APP
parentiy ObliyiOus OF the Difference being shown
him. There are five vi these official reporters,
the Oldest in point of active service being David
Wolfe Brown, who, for a quarter OF a century
caught words Of wisdom from Congressman and
perpetuated them In the Congressional Record.
Next In seniority and service comes Andrew
Devne. 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 b.
White, A. c. Welsh and Fred Irland make up
the remainder OF the corps, while John j. Cam
eron Is the assistant official reporter. and in
charge Of copy. After making a report of the
utterances of the speak ers in the House the
stenOgrapher who takes the turn, usually about
1900 words, or a column OF the Record, being
the assignment, hurries downstairs 10 well.
lighted, commodious apartment facing south.
Here he finds photograph In readln ess for
use, and he Immediately begins TO talk into the
mouthpece of that instrument.
As the prepared cylinders revoive the words
uttered 10 the debate upstairs are transferred
TO its polished surface until click announces
that The cylinder is filled. it Is then removed
and turned over 10 typewriter, who. with little
rubber tubes in his or her ears as the case may
be, listens attentively aud transcrioes the whr-
ring sounds as they siZZle off the monographs
cylinder. From five TO six minutes are required
by the reporter in taking turn into the pnono-
graph, and the work Is so well regulated that
by the time he comes down for another sitting
at The photograph the preceding turn has BE- en-
transcribed from the cylinders and is ready for
revision and editing.
Composition or typesetting on the Record
begins at the Government Printing Office at
O'Clock every evening during the session of
Congress, and about seyenty-ive persons are
engaged In the work OF getting out the report
of the proceedings IN the halls of legislation
during the day. After the copy has been re-
vsed by the reporter who took the notes II is
Liable to be called for by the Congressman who
made the remarks, and this accounts for the
paragraphs often encountered in this inter-
esting family story paper: mir. with.
holds his remarks for revision" Or
dnarlly, however, the course is pur-
sued only IN the case of set speeches,
but cOllOquial interchanges of courtesies be-
tween members OF the House are permitted TO
go pretty much as they were uttered. Some
revising their speeches in manuscript. but
must have printed slips submitted to them by
the Government Printing OficS. Tbs neces-
states relay OF messengers. who go around
from house 10 house collecting these corrected
proof slips so that he Record can be made
ready for printing not later than A. NJ at
that hour the journal of debates goes to press,
and any copy coming in after that time must
take its place In the publication OF the succeed.
ing day.