The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-02-09

then holds up his thumb as q signal to
bis colleague. The second man, who
has been watching for the signal, takes
up the thread instantly and proceeds.
Meanwhile the first man goes down
stairs TO the reporters rooms, who re he
dictates his 900 words TO the graphic
phone. Afterwards bis amanuenss
takes them from the graphophone on
the typewriter. A few minutes later
down comes the second man, whose
place on the floor has been taken by a
third reporter, and dictates his 1000
words to another graphophone, from
which bis amanuensis copies them in
typescript.
HELPED BY THE GRAPHoPHONE.
Taking turns in this way the FIVE re-
porters keep the stenographic report of
the debates going continuously, each
mans stint fitting on to that which has
gone before, 30 that the whole recital
Of the sayings and doings OF the House
is finished and typewriter within half
an hour after the close of the session.
Formerly dictation was given to short
hand writers, but the graphophone
does better service, partly because it is
able to take more words minute. If
by accident, the record on a cylinder
is imperfect it can be reproduced by
referring back to the original steno-
graphic notes. The typewriter oper-
ators employed TO transcribe the cylin-
ders are very rapid. On an average
the cylinders hold 700 words each, but
this depends to some extent on the
character of the "stuff."
Each reporter goes ell over his type
written matter for errors. He fire.
quently improves the grammatical con-
struclion of sentences, but otherwise
he makes no changes whatever Mem
bers commonly look over and correct
their own speeches in the typescript
copy, but it too much trouble TO bother
with their utterances unless there has
been O debate in which acrimonious
words have been exchanged. In such
case it may be desirable to do little
"toning down." The reporters get the
voting rol-calls from the clerk of the
House, and extracts from books quoted
in speeches are obtained by sending to
the members for the volumes, or by
procuring copies from the House Ii
brary or the Library of Congress.
NO TIME TO WASTE.
There is one assistant reporter, al
81, 200 year, who has charge of all the
copy" AS fast as it is produced in
the manner already described, he puts
it together. Having been corrected as
it was turned out, it is in complete
shape for the printer within few min
utes after adjournment. The regular
| daily session begins at noon and ends
about five P. NJ. A special messenger
comes on bicycle from the govern
ment printing office, and by six O'Clock
the bulk of the "copy" for the next
mornings Record is in the public
printers hands. If there is a night
session, however, the last of the "stuff'
may not be delivered until one A. NJ
In the governme mt printing office there
is separate department for the Record
work, and a special staff of compost.
tors. The Record lie put into type, is
stereotyped, and goes to press jnot like
an ordinary newspaper, so as TO be de-
livered TO subscribers before breakfast.
Its daily circulation is 5000 copies and
the subscription price is $3.50 month.
Each Representative is entitled to
twenty-five free copies, and each Sen.
ator to forty-two. The cost of publish.
ing the paper is 1925 600 per annum.
In addition to the five shorthand eX.
perts who work on the floor, the House
employs two "reporters for commit
tees" at 5000 each. These men are
always at the call of the chairman OF
any of the fifty-eight committees of the
House. In case of rush, other steno.
graphers are hired for special service
from outside. The committee report.
ers divide between them the work
which is the most arduous and difficult
toll of this kind imaginable; in fact, nc
is so hard. 1t consists chiefly in taking
testimony of witnesses before the com,
mittees and such witnesses are fire.
quently summoned to talk on subjects
abstrusely technical. Each item of q
tariff schedule is always deliberately
discussed before the committee Oh
ways and means, and, inasmuch as 9
tariff bill embraces some $4,000 distinct
articles, the reporter must needs be
well educated and widely informed
else he will be involved in a maze OIL
puzzlement.
TECHNICAL WORDS A PUZZLE.
For example, supposing that anilint
dyes are under discussion. The sub
ject has big technical vocabulary O.
its own, with many built up words o.
fifteen or twenty syllabes. Such words
can hardly be written in English-mucl
less in shorthand; yet the reporte
must not miss one on any account.
stuck, he cannot interrupt the pro
ceedings of the committee by asking