The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1897-03-12
THE VERTICAL WRITING.
(From Rochester Post ExpressJ

(From Rochester Post ExpressD
The style of writing now known as
the yerticle originated as a system in
Europe. And. strange to say. it was
the produce of bygenic rather than ped
agogicrl investigation. Physicians seek
ing the causes of the increasing prevail
ence OF defective sight and spinal trou-
bles traced them to slopiDg writing.
Then followed experiments tina: led to
the verticle system.
It was found that business men, not
ed for their rapid and Ieglble writing,
had been forced to acquire hand very
different from that taught in school.
They held their pens differently and
assumed position at their desks other
than that which they had been tanght.
A study of the best specimens of th ese
business hands showed that the writer's
had gone back tu the simple, ronnd,
Roman like characters, which many
children. These business men sat i'm
mediately in front Of their desks. their
hands taking the most natural position.
On these facts the system OF vertical
writing was based.
1t has spread through England and
Canada, and is required of all appli-
cants for position under British govern
ment. From Canada it came To the
United States and is now employed to
some degree in the public schools of
many of the larger cities of the North
ern, Eastern and Southern states. In
the New York and Boston public
schools the privilege of choosing be
tween several text books and systems
is owed the principal OF each school.
As result both the sloping and verti
Cal systems are taught Ill the public
So ools OF these cities. though a ma Or
10y of the principals and teachers after
fair trial favor the vertical. They
claim that 1t is the easiest 70 write, and
the easiest to learn. That it admits of
the most hygienic position, the most
natural movement and the greatest
rapidity.
The position required is with the
body straight before the desk and the
copy set squsrely before the writer.
Both hands rest on the desk and the
pen is held so that both points If the
nib are used. The movement il of tho
fingers and not Of the arm. as III the
Obllque system. Hence it is asserted
that the effort is more natnrhl and less
fatiguing IL is also claimed that it is
helped by the study aud practice Of
shorthand aud drawing, the position
and manner of holding the pen being
the same.
n prominent teacher, principal of Il
public school IN New York city, which
has II reputation for tha excelIency OF
its penmSnship, when interviewed
said:
"The writing in my school was des-
plctble and no amount of effort on the
teachers part seemed to improve il
materially. visited other schools
questioned other teachers, all with the
same result, namely. that it took SO
long and was SO difficult to teach the
average child to write legibly. no
ticed that child naturally makes round
letters, and that the greatest fault
teachers have to overcome is the child's
unwillingness to keep the proper slant
of it's copy book aud the required posi-
ton l began to think of the vertical
system and determined to try it in some
of the rooms. In three months time
there was such a marked improvement
that required the teachers of every
room to adopt it."