The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-14

The Philadelphia Press has a very sem
sIble suggestion'In an editorial on tech
nlcal phrase In common speech. The
criticism is of writer's who make use OF
terms not Ineligible to the popular mind
without inserting along with those terms
an Interpretation. The Press cites as an
instance that when the writer's in the
English magazines are dealing with the
statistics of agriculture they tell US that
grain at such time was sold at so many
shllllngs a quarter, and asks, How
many Americans know what quarter
ls?" A dictionary definition of an En-
gllsh quarter Is "a legal measure OF
capacity OF eight bushels. Locally six
teen, twelve or nine. Eight bushels and
three pecks, or eight bushels two pecks
two and one-half quarts. are variously
called a quarter" All of which is ma
turally confusing to the American reader
Of English agricultural statistics
We read, also. of metres and kIlome-
tres in articles concerning foreign stalls
tics and II the reader Isn't d student. or
familiar with these terms, he must go to
reference book to find that metre Is
80 inches and that kilometre Is a thou
sand times that. Then he must make a
calculation before the article is intelllgl-
BILE, and as declmetres and centimetres
come along in the article. the calcula-
tons become more difficult and annoy
ing. Then there Ia an array of lltres,
hectares, grams, and Kilograms. and hec-
tograms, and mlllgrams, and by the time
the article of the foreign writer, or the
American writer dealing with foreign
statistics for the edhcation Of American
readers is ended, the American readers
mind and patience are both badly in need
OF rest.
It should not be taken for granted that
all readers are us well posted on these
technical terms as the author or the edl-
tor. Thousands OF newspaper and mag
azlne readers are not, but while much In
terested in obtaining information, have
not always the convenient foreign tables
at hand TO enable them to make the cal.
culatlons necessary for a proper under
standing Of the subject matter. The
Press, in the article referred to above.
makes the suggestion that II would be
simple matter for the writer of news
paper or magazine article, and add to the
attractlvenesE Of his contribution, as well
40 It's interest, II he would put in paran-
theses, after the figures and terms used
which thousands do not understand, the
figures ana terms with which all
American readera ore familiar. The
Press also says
a similar remark applies TO tho location
OF events which happen NJ sea. 10 most
readers OF our Journals Il conveys little
| IDEA to DO told that dCrolict was soOn
| on That q wreck took place In such and
such latitude and longitude, but II II In
added 80 many miles northeast from
| Charleston or from Fnyhl or from Now
| Providence" we locate II In an Instant
This Ia a subiect that should be agl.
tnted until authors ana Newspaper con.
trlbuiors adopt the plan suggested.
A hlmllar crusade against the bad
habit many writer's have Of making OK
cesaIyo use Of foreign phrases In ordl-
nary writing might result In a whole.
some reform, The English hnEungo Is
good enough and expressive enough for
oil practical purposes, and the writer
who lniIcta upon HIS readers broailIdc
N foreign worda and phrases, dcprIvlng
thousands u the pleasure they would
otherwise enjoy In reading hlB produo.
tlon, does not deserve 10 be- popular.
Up to the present the rise IN wheat has
been Btondy ana legitimate h,,t a., ,,,,