Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-01-04
SHORTn ANDWRITERS
THOUSANDS TAUGHT sTeNoc6Aphv
EACH YEAR IN AMERICA.

to Cicero. Who Used More Than 1000
Charsrtess--Ncw FORKS Veteran.
There are more stenographers in New
York and its vicinity than there arc
lawyers or doctors. But not all of them
arc competent. A first class shorthand
writer is very difficult to find, and if
he is fast writer lie is sure Of a good
salary.
Shorthand writing as means of earn
ing a livelihood is not as lucrative as
many ether callings. but it affords a
young man, il he is quick witted, fine
chance to watch the internal workings
Of a business house, and thereby helps
him toward business education such
as he could get in no other way.
The only field that is highly remu-
nerative is law reporting. but to become
competent for this work requires years
of assiduous practice, and the field of
employment is limited. The highest
salary paid to court stenographer in
New York is in the surrogate's court.
Mr.. Edward f. Underhill. probably the
oldest practicing stenographer in Amer
lea, holds this position and receives a
salary of $4,000 per year. He has been
in the service since 1919.
The municipal departments and courts
in New York city pay annually in sal
aries for stenographic services $751;
900. This salary list includes 80 ste
nographers. 81 of whom are court re-
portcrs, each receiving 50, 500, and 10
81. 600 annually as salary. In addition
to tins. however. all court stenographers
are allowed by tie code 10 cents per TO-
Ito of 100 words. for furnishing copies
OF transcripts to the parties interested
in any case when desired.
Up town at $50 West Twenty-third
street the stenographers of New York
have n club, where they meet each 9TH
club is a classroom. " where the men,
bers may practice the art of shorthand
writing. Here nearly every evening are
gathered scores of ambitious Young
shorthande-s industriously driving their
pens fer love of perfection in their
craft. while some one of experience
reads or dictates. The classroom is
provided with all the different styles of
typewriting machines for the use of
members when there is no dictation.
The club also maintains an employ
,nent bureau. The club is open TO el-
Their sex. In fact. il is the large men,
bership of yourg ladies that gives .est
to the social side of the club. which is
one of its important features. In the
winter the clUb gives receptions. enter
tainmcnts, occasionally a dinner and
once every year hall.
In many of The public schools OF the
! country slcrography is a part OF the
training. IN evidence OF its recent re-
, markable growth is. shown by circu-
lar issued l,y the bureau of education ut
| Washington.
Here tbs shown that from July |. 1889.
to June 80. 1890, $3.50 persons receiv-
cd instruction in The art Of shorthand
in schools and colleges in the United
| States. Five Thousand five hundred ard
fifty of these were in New York and
Brooklyn. y similar circular was is
sued Ivy the bureau in 1884. il which it
was shown that during the year 1859
the number Of pupils receiving such
instruction was 1910. Il is therefore
| qui,e safe to say that the number for
| 1898 exceeded 5000.
But this number does not take into
| consideration an army probably equal
| ~ large who receive instruction from
some other source or from professional
stenographers.
Out of this vast army, however, but
n very small minority are either phys
ically or mentally qualified to become
| court reporters or even Office ananuen-
SEES.
Cicero is said to have been the invent
or Of shorthand writing. and the freed
man. Marcus Tullius Trio. his friend,
the first stenographer. and he undoubt-
edly did use a method of shorthand
writing as early rs 60 Il. {.
| The first English treatise was Ivy Tim
othc Bright. entitled An Arte of Shcrte
Swifte ard Secrete Writing by Charac-
ture, Inuentcd by Timothe Bright. Doc
tor of Phisike. Imprinted at London by
1. Windet. the Assingee of Tim Bright,
1888. Cum priuilegie Regiae Maiesta-
lis. Forbidding all others TO print the
same"
DIR. Bright in this work says: Cicero
did account it wor;liie ms labour. and
TO less profitable to the Roman common
weale Most Gracious Soueraigne). to
inucnt speed.e kinde of wryting 10y
character, as Plutarch reporteth in the
life of Cato the younger. This inven-
ton was increased afterward by Seneca
that the number of characters grue &c
1000. Whether through inure of time,
or that the men game it over for tedious.
ness of learning, nothing remaineth ex
tant Of Cicero's inuention at this day. '
Every stenographer who recalls tho
efforts required to properly master ths
few characters used in the art today
will not wonder that Of Cicero's system
with its 1000 characters, nothing re
mains Mt this day.
1t was not until 164o that the art be
came Of any practical use, and it wa.
firxk used in the house of lords in 169!
in tkkipg testimony in divorce suit
Stenographers were not regularly en-
l