The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-10
SHORTHAND WRITER'S
THOUSANDS TAUGHT STENoGRAPHY
EACH YEAR IN AMERICA.

TO Sicero' VINO used Moro Than 1000
Charactcrs-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 n good
salary.
Shorthand writing as ameans of earn
ing livelihood is not as lucrative as
many other callings, but it affords
young man, if he is quick witted, O 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.
The only field that is highly emu
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
salary of So, 600 per year. He has been
in the service since 1S49.
The municipal departments and courts
III New York city pay annually in sal
aries for stenographic services S154,-
600. This salary list includes 80 ste
nographers, 81 of whom are court re-
porters, each receiving $1,000, and 10
$4,000 annually as salary. In addition
to this, however, all court stcnographers
are allowed by the code 10 cents per TO-
lilo of 100 words, for furnishing copies
of transcripts to tho parties interested
in any case when desired.
Up town at 1873 West Twenty third
street tho stenographcrs of New York
have IL club, where they meet each 9th
or socially. In connection with the
club is classroom, where the mem
bers may practice the art of shorthand
writing. Here nearly every evening are
gathered scores of ambitious Young
shorthanders indnstriouSly driving their
pens for 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
ment bureau. The club is open to Ell
thcr sex. In fact it is the large men,
bership of young ladies that gives zest
to the social side of the club, which is
one of its important features. In the
winter the club gives receptions, enter
tainments, occasionally Il dinner and
once every year ball.
N 1pnnv Of tho ,,,,1,1;o eol,ooI, - H.
country stenography is II part of the
training. An evidence of it's recent re-
markable growth is shown by circu-
lar issued by the bureau of education at
Washington.
Here it is shown that from j uly 1, 1889,
to June 80, 1890, 57,375 persons receiv-
ed instruction in the art of shorthand
in schools and colleges in the United
States. Five thousand five hundred and
fifty of these were in New York and
Brooklyn. a similar circular was is
sued by the bureau in 1884, in which it
was shown that during the year 1889
the number of pupils receiving such
instruction was 12,470. 1t is therefore
quito safe to say that the number for
1893 exceeded $4,000.
But this number does not take into
consideration an army probably equal
ly large who receive instruction from
some other source or from professional
stenographers.
Out of this vast army, however, but
very small minority are either phys
ically or mentally qualified to become
court reporters OF even Office amanuen-
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-
eddy did use a method of shorthand
writing as early as 60 B. c.
The first English treatise was by Tim
otho Bright, entitled IAN Arte Of Shorte
Swifte and Secrete Writing by Charac-
ture, Inuented by Timothe Bright, Doc
tor of Phisike. Imprinted at London by
I. Windet, the Assingeo of Tim Bright,
1888. Cum priuilegio Rcgiae Maiesta-
tbs. Forbidding all others to print the
same
DR.. Bright in this work says: Cicero
did account it worthie his labour, and
no less profitable to the Roman common
weale (Most Gracious Soueraigne), to
intent speedie kinde of wryting by
character, as Plutarch reporteth in the
life of Cato the younger. This invon-
ton was increased afterward by Seneca:
that the number of characters grue to
1000. Whether through inure of time,
or that the men gaue it over for tedious
ness of learning, nothing remaineth ex-
tant of Ciceros inuention at this day."
Every stenographer who recalls the
efforts required to properly master the
faHr oh In,