The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-05-15
the HISTORY OF SHORTHAND.



An Art That Has Come Down to Us
from Ancient Times.
| The student of shorthand to-day has
decide6 advantage over those who went
before him in a period prior to 1887,
when Isaac Pitman, then an unknown
teacher, made such improvements upon
the systems then in use that he is called
the father of modern shorthand.
Charles Dickens and his father, when
they began the study of stenography,
about the year 1924, adopted the best
method then in existence, but they were
compelled to learn the use of more than
100 signs and symbols, many of which
were arbitrary. Samuel Pepys, author
of the "Diary," wrote his inimitable
work in system of shorthand known as
Shelton's, which demanded the use of
nearly 300 signs and symbols.
What appears strange in this matter
is that the people of the United States
should be, as they are, far behind Eng
land, Germany and France in general,
practical knowledge of this important
work. Americans are so active, ener-
getic and inventive, seeking to over
come time and distance in all that they
do, easily leading the world in the mat
ter of labor-saying machinery, that it
would seem that the ecofomic value of
shorthand would have been recognized
at once. Such, however, has not been
| the case, knowledge of it being restrict
ed chiefly to those who follow it as a
| livelihood, while in other countries
named it is pursued as study by those
who expect to follow professional life,
because they realize how valuable it
may be to them in their several pur-
| suits.
The old Greek and Romans were
wiser in their day and generation, be-
cause their students of all classes and
stations carefully mastered the systems
then in use, employing them generally
of various assemblies, etc. Such of the
| speeches of Demosthenes and Cicero as
were not read from manuscript were
taken down in this manner, and after
ward ''longhanded."
| Those Greek and Roman systems were
the only ones known to Europe until
| the tenth century of the Christian era,
ly by the various countries until the d.
vision of the Catholic church. While it
| is commonly said the art became lost
| for century or more, and was then re-
vived in an improved form, this is alto
gether erroneous. 1t was simply that
both systems failed to meet the re-
quirements of the literature of that age,
which was chiefly religious and largely
confined to the jewellers in monasteries.
The common sense monks gradually
| changed it to meet existing conditions,
adding number of signs and symbols
as substitutes for words of purely
ecclesiastical nature. Thus the monk
of the eleventh century really set the
foundation for the present apparently
perfect system of sign writing by sound.
Shorthand is one of the arts that has
never been lost. 1t lived in one form
or another, and always, with the CEN
turies, in an improved and improving
condition, because there have lived in
every age those who appreciate it's
| economic value. 1t is believed that it
was practiced in Phenicia before At
tica existed as a people, and possibly
| also at Babylon. One finds no traces of it
in China or japan, primarily because the
| first named country has always, and
the second until recently, opposed all
manner of labor and time-saving de-
vices. Besides, theirs is kind of char
acter writing, to which there might be
difficulty in applying practical short
hand method.
The present history of shorthand
shows conclusively that it is in more
general use in Europe than in the United
| States, the older countries having tried
and proved its merits some time before
it was fairly introduced upon this, side
of the ocean. Their judgment il, this
| matter being ripe and their experience
established, following of their exam-
| pie could be accomplished only with good
results. The civilization of Europe, and
especially of those three countries in
| which shorthand is in greatest use, does
| not differ so much from that of the
United States that what is of practical
and general benefit there would be less
| so here. It's due this country, however
| 10 say that none of these can offer sys
tenn or method that shows any improve
ment, upon the whole, of the best that
are taught and practiced in the United
States. Indeed, methods of teaching
here are more direct and to the point.
Take two persons of equal intelligence
and with equal educational advantages,
the one in England and the other in
the United States, each under instruc-
ton. and the American should be first
to attain thoroughly practical knowL
edge of the .art.-N. Y. Tribune.
PrOfessfOnal Readers