New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-29

column Immediately following ehCh icS'"''
There Is no public hall in the United States that
is large enough contain the readers OF the lr'o
une who are taking the course Of instruction III
shorthand which has been given In these Columns
during the last eighteen weeks A school mat mas
a thousand pupils or a university with 1900 STU
dents. is an institution long established ana run
upon high lines Of merit. But institutions Win 81
large a patronage as these are by no means nu-
merous In so populous country as this, eVeh inc!
may almost be counted upon ones fingers They
are the result of years of patient work ana usuaiy
of large endowments. The Tribunes Campaign Oh
Education within two months Of the announce
ment had a patronage exceeding In number the
combined enrolment Of very many schools anu
universities of the highest and largest CLASS
Such a result speaks for itself and requires no
comment II but to prove what great
medium for good the newspaper may be MADE III
the matter of popular education. Equally mas IL
demonstrated the possibility Of making university
extension reach the home without aid OF teacheT
the formatio Of classes. or the setting apart Oh
a specific time or for study. Finally, II mas
shown that a science and art. usually regarded
as most difficult of mastery. may be so simplied
and shortened. without detracting In the slightest
from its utility or merit as to be successfully
taught within a period hitherto deemed incredibly
short. These facts that should serve as FOOD
for the reflective who concerned about popular
education.
This being the eighteenth lesson and but two more
remaining. 1t is proper to refer TO results. since
the progress made by the pupils assures success
ful issue for all The evidences OF proper under
standing of the work. as shown in the letters and
coupons. complete and convincing. The I'M
mense graduating class that will be turned out two
weeks hence will terminate Its labors under the
guidance of The Tribune. prepared to extend the
work indefinitely according to the condition or de-
ahor hat u
need after that time in order TO become experts is
practice and practice only.
AS the end draws near pupils are inquring con-
corning matters incidental 10 the work and es-
pecially In relation TO punctuation ana orthoS-
raphy. Concerning the latter mass Of information
has already been presented. but some additional
facts may be given without going over ground al
ready covered. Good spelling has been truly said
to be polite accomplishments yet it is something
beyond this as well. 1t is somewhat Of neces-
sy 10 shorthand work That Is TO say one who
is a poor speller would find difficulty In holding
position unless ones employer were equally weak
in the quarter In that case even he might
be informed through a better educated friend Of
this shortcoming In the stenographers For the
comfort OF those seekn,, light upon this point II
may be said that may easily acquire. and
within a short time. too, tho correct spelling OF
nearly all the words that are In common use.
mastery Of all the words in the language might re-
auire a lifelong study. But only about one word
In sixty-fve pertains to ordinary writing or dicta
ton. That is to say, of 65 words In the language
"a are unused except upon extraordinary occasions
So few really necessary, one might readily
acquire in month or two Of study.
There Is this TO be said for the spelling in COM
mon There Is guesswork about It, The
photography Of every word of the language Is de-
terminate and fixed. Hence one has no need to
guess at the spelling. The dictionaries give the
l1Ga thacn
one must rely absolutely. True. there many
words that vary somewhat. the two oldest of the
dictionaries disagreeing as to them. In such cases
may spell either way. although he would do well
to follow other of these authorities. Thus
II wrote sabre" he should also write
theatre" In other words. he should conform
as to be uniform TO the IRE" or "er' in all cases
The same principle should guide to the elsion
retention of 'te' in words like "parquette. 'et-
quette." etc. in words which drop retain the
double 81" In "dlness," ''fulness," etc. If
were in England he should spell the following
words as they are here given. favour. SAVIOUR.
"odour.' saviour" etc In this country. however
good taste would suggest that he leave out the
"u," because general usage forbids the spelling OF
those words in that way. The differences between
the two dictionaries as to the spelling of certain
concern His should be rather that he is
rooted and grounded in words that are in common
1000 to 100 ard one may not be sure that he Is
correct as TO these merely because he has spelled
ten seize with the go before the "e" and Siege
with the e. before the 81" throughout their nat
Joined especially that go TO the dictionary
stanty for instruction. One should his eyes
words spelled, especially those about which
there is doubt. and keep the gaze upon them until
they are photographed permanently upon the brain.
II is not needful that one become phIloogist In
order to be an effective shorthand writer; he
lates to ordinary words Such one is forgiven II
he slips trfe upon n technical or unusual one.
else at hand to go over the words Of ones vocabu,
larry and assure ones self to his accuracy. SPELL
little practice Expert spelling. especially If one
be not linguist or orthoepis is possible only to
practice The expert shorthand writer may not
aspire to be an expert speller. He should be
make Of himself in short time if he will adopt
and put into practice the suggestions that have
Concerning punctuation. that should bring no
,errors TO the mind OF any shorthand writer. There
ments of industry or learning that is so unfxed by
rule as this. No two publishers Of books. two
of medical expert witnesses in insanity cases is
harmony in comparison with the varableness and
shadow of turning of those who have TO do with
the use of commas semcolons colons. periods etc.
Within quarter OF a century even some OF the
best books upon rhetoric taught that most pune
tuaton was used for the purpose OF enabling to
three and period four. This nonsense has now
understood
that there certain determined rules as follows: |
period terminates a sentence: double quotation
marks directly precede and Immediately follow
words, clauses sentences paragraphs taken from
writer's and speakers other than the one who die
tates: single quotations denote a citation from an
other by the party quoted. etc The colon has prac
tcally gone into disuse except as 1t indicates some
thing to come Immediately after and usually sue |
ceeds 'as follows Ito w.t." etc
The general tendency OF modern writers is to get
along with as few commas and semicolons as pos |
sible. Were all writer's entirely free from obscurty
were they perspicuous and clear none Of these |
would be needed. The ancient Latlns and Greeks |
had no punctuation whatsoever. The Intelligent |
and educated eye can read almost or quite as |
rapidly without any punctuation with it, But |
because all writer's and speakers are not clear and |
for the reason that majority of readers have not
the power OF analysis practice of eye sufficient
to grasp the value and meaning of a sentence
punctuation must be employed TO a certain extent
Still. one must bear In mind that the rule is 10
a vii an fer