Evening star., 1896-09-22
Vertical Writing.
To the Editor OF The Evening Star:

To the Editor OF The Evening Star:
While Paul A. Steele in Saturdays Star
was quoting from the Penman's Art Jour-
nal why did he not tell the readers Of
The Star about the Journals writing con-
test, open 10 the world. and in which the
vertical writing made a better showing
than the slant writing? Three things were
kept in mind by the judges: one. legibility;
two, movement; three, speed. Can writing
be judged by any better standards? The
editor of the Journal says editorialy: Not
oniy was the vertical writing more legible
than the slant writing, but the writers
seemed to have better conception Of
FORM
The fact is. Mr.. Editor. the Spencerian
renmanship is doomed. but ii will die hard.
Hair line, fourshng penmanship is dead.
1t Is only stalking around in the hope OF
saving funeral expenses. People vino earn
their living by 1ourishinR and by the en-
bell.shment of letters with intricate and
ornamental curves will not take kindly TO
the plain vertical business handwriting
that is being introduced all through the
United States, in Europe and all over the
world AS is we'll known, II is required in
all civil service and government eNamina-
tons in England. The school board Of
W2shir gton are men of education and of
large experience. They are business men,
and it is but natural that they look with
favor upon system of penmanship that
is easily taught, more quickly acquired, and
more legible than the old system OF slant
writing. The schools of Washington are
to he congratulated upon Introducing a
system of LnShaded, rapid. strong line,
coarse pen, vigorous business writing. and
any school that teaches any other system
viii sooner or later be compelled 10 change
its system or close its doors. The people
are not looking for schools that teach
fiourishes and "curlycues," with fine pens,
pale ink and hair lines
This vertical system of writing is being
introduced all over the country Prof. s.
T. Dutton superintendent OF schools.
of vertical writing into our schools
is proving to be a means of great
| ly improving our written work in respect
| to legibility. The teachers find II much
easier to examine and correct the work"
| We could also quote from many other edu-
Gators. In fact, the vertical system has
| come to stay. There are ''old fogies'' and
'educa tional mossbacks' whose intellects
have ceased to grow, whose brains are SO
petrfed that a new idea could not get into
| them except by the aid Of surgical opera
| fancy the change The trouble with them
| is that they look at the world through a
| telescope with the big end to the eye, and
| irsist that the world look at them in the
usual way. They think they know II all.
They want you to write to them with a
| small /, but when they write to you they
want to make an / cover two sheets of
| foolscap. You cannot tell them anything,
| for they know II already, and have known
| II for longer time than they can rrmem-
| ber. They are old and out of date They
| have certain hobbies and they ride those
| Old vorn-out hobbies with their face to-
\ ward the tall They see only the past
/ They call all new modern ideas foolish
| fads. They resemble an owl in an ancient
| ruin, and they hate the searchlieht of edu-
| caticf al progress as a bat hates the rays
| of the rising sun. We are living in an age
| Of progress, and we must keep the win
dows of our mind open to the morning air
| of progress and welcome every newly dis
covered flower of truth.
| COURT F. WOOD.
/ The famous Morris chairs for IS 1t