The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-11-03
Reporting Trials.

There are thousands of shorthand
writer's, but of first class, gilt edged
stenographers who can 60 into court
and report trial with accuracy and a
thorough understanding of the stu
alton The number will not exceed
score. Out of these there is one woman
who is thoroughly competent.
AS a musician who aspires to be
called such should be able to read at
sight and play any music that may be
set before him, so the first-class stenog-
rapher should be and is capable of fol-
lowing literally the speech of the most
rapid talker and can read his notes
| afterward as easily as he could read the
letters on signboard. In court work
there is much that makes the work par.
take of technical nature. The law
terms, the peculiar phraseology of the
courts, is something which IL takes
years for men to familiarize themselves
with, and great many OF the lawyers
are men who pour out perfect torrent
of words in their arguments 10 the
court or jury.
The first thing that a stenographer
must DO when he starts in TO report
case is to get the theory of both sides
as to the case. Often one stenographer
is engaged to take the case for both
sides, and he must familiarize himself
with the case from the different stand
points in order to report the case in
diligently. 1t is not merely manual
dexterity that is required. There must
be quickness of apprehension to a
marked degree and unwearying and
keen attention paid to the case in all its
details.
In taking down what goes on there is
considerable that should be omitted
from the proceedings, and this is where
the stenographer's judgment comes into
play The lawyers do not wish to have
the record numbered up with the little
side remarks of witnesses or interpola-
tions of the court, and yet they do not
want anything omitted on which pos
sible obj action could hang.
A judge may make remark which
does not have any particular significance
in a trial, and witness is apt to follow
up an answer by subsequent qualifica-
ton which may have much to do with
the matter in hand. The wary stenog-
rapher and the good one separates the
wheat from the chaff, and what is rele-
want and important he sets down. What
is immaterial he ignores. OF course in
the evidence he takes the questions
and answers literally. And in the TAX
ing of the testimony he must always be
on the alert, for here the lawyers may
get into dispute as to what witness
said in regard to some other point in
the testimony, and it may be necessary
to go back several pages to find out the
| mo 81
rapher must be able to do without the
slightest hesitation, remembering just
about in the testimony where the mat
ter came up and reading the notes
without the slightest hesitation or in
accuracy. Perceptive faculties of a
high order are necessary 10 the success
of a stenographer and an active brain
and excellent memory.
Given the intellectual foundation to
begin with, and it is possible for a man
to become fairly good shorthand
writer in five or six years. Constant
practice is necessary to keep in trim
for court work, and, in spite of the fact
that 80 much legal business is done,
the demand for experts is always in ex-
cess of the supply.
The court stenographer's work is
coupled with not only sense of great
responsibility, but very high degree
OF confidence is of necessity placed in
him by the men who employ his SER
vices. The appealing of cases to the
appellate and supreme courts, necessi-
tating the working over of all the evil
dence and the arguments in the case,
must depend, as far as the ground for
argument and the true status of the
case is concerned, on the stenographic
reports. 1t is one of the professions
where the hand and the brain combine
to produce results, and the first-class
expert is more truly born than made.
1t is one thing to be able to write
down the report of trial and quite
another thing to dictate correctly from
the stenographic notes to typewriter.
Some men are only fair at reporting
trial, but get out excellent transcripts
of the evidence, while others are " chain
lightning" at the trial, but uncertain
when they get back TO their offices and
commence to make copy. The case
hardened expert will take trial, put
away the report for six weeks and then
take the shorthand books and reel of
the contents without break as fast az
a typewriting operative can drum it off
ON the machine.
A great deal of work is done at night
by the shorthand men. So much of
what is taken down at trial on one
day is needed ON the succeeding day
that the lawyers generally keep up with
the evidence as it is brought out, and
this keeps the shorthand people on the
move. Work in the courts is done at a
| ,.k 10, o. Of hA
and not an instant is the stenographer's
mind permitted to indulge in day
dreams, for any form of mental "wool
gathering" would be fatal to faithful
work. Concentration is an indispen.
sable requisite to success. - Chicago
Chronicle.