The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-05-22
REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT.
SHORTHAND ADAPTED TO ALL
LANGUAGES.
What a Persevering Sacramento
Woman Has Finally Ac-
complished.

After long years of hard work and
repeated encouragement, Mrs. Julia
Barrett of this city has found success
in a most unusual branch of art.
About ten years ago Mrs. Barrett,
who had taken up the study of stem
ography and had become convinced
that photography could be used in the
transmission of sounds composing the
words of language unknown to the
writer thought of this as a means of
translating the Bible for the use of
foreign missionaries. Instead of spend
ing many years in learning the Ian
guage, the missionary could from the
first read the words of the Bible in the
native tongue.
Through the aid of certain Chinese
who read to her from their language,
Mrs. Barrett, at first representing the
sounds of the language by the charac
tiers used in the English system so
far as adequate, and then supplying
others equivalent to sounds not to be
found in our language, soon had at her
command an alphabet which she has
since perfected, and which by test is
said to have proven adequate.
without herself understanding the
Chinese language Mrs. Barrett is able to
take down in shorthand what is read to
her, and then by giving to the charac-
tiers their respective sounds reproduces
exactly what she has heard.
Had she met with the encouragement
her work and its object deserved, she
might long since have accomplished
that which she has SO earnestly desired
and which has been a work of love
q complete translation of the Bible. The
prejudice of those not willing to give
her system a trial has proved a great
hindrance, and she has at times been
unable to find Chinese willing to read
to her. while the many vocals and the
value of information in the language
caused difficulties requiring constant
tests to overcome.
At last, however, she has been able
to have her work tested by educated
Chinese, and has secured their coop
Grafton. DR.. T. w. Hing of this city,
when shown the system, recently wrote
the following letter of Endorsement:
Mrs Barrett has invented a method
of Chinese shorthand which 1 have
studied myself with her aid. She is
anxious to teach it to our Chinese
without receiving any pay whatever,
it requiring only a few days to ac-
complish the work. l am glad to in
dorse and recommend it,
Still Mrs Barrett could not get the
mission schools to allow her to intro
duce it, but on a recent visit to San
Francisco she called at the Chinese
Legation and explained her system to
some of the officials, who received her
courteously. Not only did they APP
prove her work, but after testing it
found it what she had SO long hoped to
make it, Vice-Consul c. F. Moore took
his first lesson and recommended her
to the Chinese school with the follow
ing Endorsement:
Il have examined this system and
have the same opinion as DR.. Hing, and
think it ought to be taught in the
public schools"
Mrs. Barrett made a visit to the
school, and after one lesson, in which
she explained the meaning of the SYM
bols to the children, had them singing
Justify, Jesus Loves Me, That I
Know" from her stenographic writing
on the board.
Mrs. Barrett is teaching a number of
mission workers the system and hopes
to pursue her work without further diff
ficulty in San Francisco. She will soon
leave Sacramento, which has been her
home for forty-fOur years, to take charge
of day class in the Chinese public
school in San Francisco and one at
night at the school of Mrs. Williams on
Sacramento street, between Stockton
and Powell.
On Tuesday afternoon next she will
give her final report on missionary work
here at the Congregational Church.