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

a Few Experts Receive High Salaries.
The Art Not . New One. - is Dates Rack
to Cicero. Who Used More Than 1000
Charsctess--New York's Veteran.
There are moro stenographers in New
York and its vicinity than there are
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 he is sure Of good
salary.
Shorthand writing as means of earn
ing livelihood is not as lucrative as
many other callings. but it affords a
young man, ii he is quick witted, a fine
chance to watch the internal workings
Of business house, and thereby helps
him toward business education such
as he could get in no other way.
Tho 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 n 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 $1,000 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;
-
nographcrs. % of whom are court re-
porters. each receiving $500, and 10
| =. 1000 annually IA salary. In addition
to tins, however. all court stenographers
are allowed hy 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 ut $50 West Twenty-fhira
street the stenographers of New York
| have club, where they meet each 9TH
CT socially. In connection with the
! club is a classroom. where the men,
bcrs may practice the art of shorthand
writing. Here nearly every evening are
! gathered scores of ambitious young
shorthande-s industriorsly 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
typewri;ing machines for the use Of
members when there is no dic;ation.
The club also maintains an employ
Ilent bureau. The club is open TO ell
thor sex. In fact. ii is the large men,
bership of Young ladies that gives =est
,.t ,,t l.. .lr-t -
one of its important features. In the
winter the club gives receptions. enter
tainmonts. Occasionally dinner and
once every year a ball.
In mary of the public schools OF the
country slcnography is a part OF the
trimming. IN evidence OF its recent re-
markablc growth is shown by circu-
lar issued lis tho bureau of education ut
Washington.
Here It's shown that from July 1.1sS9,
to June so. 1890, $3.50 persons receiv-
cd instruction ii The art of shorthand
in schools and colleges in the United
States. Five Thousand five hundred ard
fifty of these were in Ncw York and
Brooklyn. y similar circular was is
sued by the bureau III 1884. in which j,
was shown that during the year 1So2
the number Of pupils receiving such
instruction was 1910. It 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
a very small minority are either phys
ically or mentally qualified to become
court reporters or even Office a,nanuen-
! ses.
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 method of shorthand
writing as early as GO b. c.
The first English treatise was Ivy Tim
| othe Bright. entitled IAN Arte of Shcrte
Swifte ard Secrete Writing by Charac-
ture. Inuentod by Timothe Bright. Doc.
tor of Phisike. Imprinted at London by
l. Windet. the Assingee of Tim Bright,
1888. Cum priuilegie Regiae Maiesta-
L IT, al " Biahb ehS
same"
DIR. Bright in this work says: 'Cicero
did account il wortlie his labour. and
no less profitable to the Roman common
weale (sIost Gracious Soueraigne). &c
inucnt a speed.e kinde of wryting 10y
character. as PIutarch reporteth in the
life of Cato the younger. This inven.
ton was increased afterward by Seneca
that the number of characters grue e
1000. Whether through inure of time
or that the men gaue 1t over for tedious
ness of learning, nothing remuineth ex
tant Of Cicero's inuentiop at this day. '
Every stenographer who recalls thu
efforts required to properly master tn,
few characters used in the art today
will not wonder that OF Cicero's system
with its 1000 characters, nothing re
mains ut this day.
II was not until 16ie that the art be
came of any practical use, and it wa
0H.a