Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-03-27
CONGRESSIONAL REPORTING.
The Way the Photograph Is Util
lied for Tint PurD0se.

The Way the PhOnOgraph Is Util'
lied for That Purpose.
P. b. Johnson, in a letter to the
Statesman, gives the following inter-
esting information regarding the way
full Congressional reports are pre-
pared as the work of the session pro-
crosses:
How many readers OF the Statesman
have correct idea of the mode of re.
porting the debates in Congress? 1t
is safe to say that not half dozen of
them can tell. Although 1 had made
other visits to Washington, and had
passed many days watching the pro-
ceedings of Congress, 1 had q very
faint and imperfect idea of the way
the debates in the House are reported,
until very recently. Of course 1 had
noticed men, with note books and pens
or pencils. busy taking notes. So
| does every one else. But that is but a
mere incident of the work. Five men
are employed as official reporters in
the House and they are paid good
salaries by Uncle Sam. All of them
are expert shorthand writer's, some of
them have grown gray in the service.
Out there in the semi.circle, between
the Clerks desk and the desks of
members, you see man standing up,
or rather leaning on long narrow
table. He is an official shorthand re-
porter waiting for the session to begin.
As the hands of the clock join on the
noon hour, resounding blow is given
on the desk and the nasal tones of
Speaker Reed are heard above the din
declaring, "The House will be in
order"
Silence pulls its drapery over the
house, as the members cease CONVEX
sation and rise to their feet. Then, in
tones that seem to come from the
depths of his great body, come the
words, "The chaplain will offer
prayer"
| Heads are bowed while the clear
tones of the blind chaplain fill the
great hall for less than minute as he
invokes the counsel of divine wisdom.
AS the last notes of the "Amen"
dissolve the clerk begins to read the
Journal. When that is ended the
business of the day begins. Then the
reporter, heretofore a callous observer,
becomes animated. As a member be-
gins TO- speak the reporter, with note
book in left hand and fountain, or
other pen in the right, walks towards
the Congressman, writing shorthand
as he walks. If the speech is long
the reporter may sit at vacant desk
near the orator. If it is q running de.
bate the reporter keeps moving from
one part of the house to another not
ing all that is said by all the members.
Here comes another man with a
note book. If your eyes are sharp
you see he has little inkstand held
between the thumb and finger of the
left hand, above the note book. He
goes over to where the first reporter is
taking votes. They nod at each
other. The first one leaves and the
other begins reporting. If you have
timed them you have discovered that
the first reporter has been at work
about ten minutes.
Let US follow the first reporter. He
leaves the hall and taking an elevator
descends to the basement where the
rooms OF the official reporters are To-
Gated. Here he sits down before a re-
cording phonograph and reads his
notes into the mouthpiece OF the ma
chine and his words are craven on a
waxen cylinder. After he has finished
reading his notes to the machine the
reporter returns to the House and, in
due time, takes another batch OF
notes.
The cylinders on which are recorded
the reports of the debate are taken by
typewriters, who place them in the
talking part of the phonograph, place
the tubes in their ears, start the ma.
chimes and rapidly typewrite the re.
ports. The entire work OF reporting
is done so rapidly that when the
house adjourns. the report of the pro-
ceedings so heard is ready for the
printer, that the reporters and type
writers, as one OF them expressed it,
Put on their coats when the mem.
hers do"
This typewriter report is sent TO
the public printer, and the Congres-
siondl Record, containing an amazing
ly accurate report of all that was said
and done in the house during the
previous day is in the postoffice before
six o'clock in the morning.
| A FARMER in Whitman county re-
lstes the following as his personal e1-
perience: Landed in Colfax in 1883
with $3.50 and sick. Bought prairie
land at $2J per acre on time. Now
owns 800 acres; GO acres orchard, $3,-
600 worth of buildings, $1,000 worth of
tools and stock; pays taxes on valua-
! ton OF $4,000; in debt only 81 900.