The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12

is applying her system OF steEography to
the language OF the Chinese language,
il Is claimed by many students, that will
forever defy the labor of those who seek
10 apply an alphabet to il that will sue
cessfuily supersede the present system of
character writing.
Mrs. Barrett, however, Notwithstanding
the statements of those who claim to be
criterions as far as human language is
concerned says that her system of stem
ography can be used as an alphabet by the
Chinese, and that it fits their language as
closely as the Roman characters fit the
English
II discovered my system of phonetic
stenography about eleven years ago. !"
said Mrs. Barrett last evening, "but l did
not perfect it until a short time ago. 1t
is very simple 20 me now, and is equally
simple to those who attempt to learn it..
! The system is ombinatlou of the OLD
/ Isaac Pitman system and one OF my own.
1t is well-Enown fact that the Pitman
system does not spell out the language,
but its Interpretation depends larIely on
the fact that its lines convey TO the
writer the idea that certain sounds have
been made by the voice, and q com bina-
ton OF these sound lines 90 to make ~ a
word. In taking the word ''practice" by
the Piiman system the outlines would be
Ir-kt-s, tue lines conveying those
sounds being placed in CON bination
anu in proper vowel position go TO make
| up the word.
"Tue bug bear in the Chinese language
/ is the fact that "a sound made by the voice
in one key may mean one thing, and
| pitched higher another and lower still an
other. This difficulty have overcome by
/ writing the spoken word in its proper key
! position as the notes of music are written.
/ | have labored many years IN my en-
deavor TO perfect the system. I have long
desired TO be able to help the cause
of Christianity, and l am confident that
my system by which the Cninese language
! can bs written from its sound by person
totally ignorant of the tongue and re-
peated and understood by those con-
versant with the language will be OF ines
! timable value TO foreign missionaries. By
the system one can take say chapter
| from the Bible have it read in Chi
nese, and by taking It down will
be able to repeat the sounds so
that the words they make will be readily
understood by Chinese, although the
reader will be in total ignorance of the
words he is speaking. At the present
time Il missionary must spend from six to
ten years in China to master the language
and become familiar with 5000 characters,
the mum Der necessary TO know in order to
read the Chinese language. This great
LABOR and waste OF time can now be done
away with, and great good can be accom-
! plished.
Il have met with great opposition in
my endeavor TO get my system before the
world. Rev. Mr. Masters, who spent sew
eral years of his lie in CAina studying The
language, and who has charge of all the
Methodist Chinese missions on this coast,
has been my greatest opponent He is of
! the opinion that there is no merit in the
system, and has often informed me that
such is his belief, but ne has
never given me an opportunity TO
ex pla in 1t TO him. | was often desirous of
explaining * to him, but he was and is so
confident that 1t is valueIess, though he
knows nothing about it, that he would
never grant me brief audience A num-
Der of the most intellectual Chinese have
| informed me, however, that have made
a marvellous discovery, and after repeated
trials | am confident that their belief is
the true one"
At present Mrs. Barrett is explaining
her system to the Chinese Saiyationists at
| 8l5 Sacramento street. So desirous is she
to do the Christian world, and incident
| ally the world of neathens, benefit she
will instruct ali VINO desire 10 study her
system free OF charge in the Chinese Sal
vation Army rooms on Sacramento street
every day between the hours Of 2 and
| p n