Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-08
THE ART OF SHORTHAND.
Has Grea, Advantages for Use by the General
Public.


that 1T Is Justly matter of surprise
that 1t has not attracted greater
share of attention, and been more gem
orally practiced Our surprise is in
creased when we consider the many
and great benefits that every one daily
receives from the cultivation of this
art. However. many of the great edit
Gators OF the country are beginning to
see the advantages to be gained by
those who practice this system of
| writing. and are seeking to Introduce
It into the public schools; but mas
much as 1t has not been adopted yet
as part of the currlcula Of the public
| schools. those who desire to learn the
art must attend the various business
| colleges.
The advantages gained by the gen.
| cral public from the practice of short
| hand are not appreciated by many;
for who is there, that, when reading
| a newspaper. stops to think OF the
means by which so great an instru-
mont of popular education is possible?
| These advantages have been very
| aptly expressed by Mr.. GautreEs: III
all the feelings of the patrlo- glow in
| our bosoms on a perusal Of those elo-
quent speeches which are delivered in
public assemblies where the people are
frequently convened to exercise their
| Political birthrights, we owe Il to
| shorthand. II new fervor be added
| to our devotion, and an additional
stimulus be impaired TO our exertion
as Christians by the eloquent appeals
| from the pulpit. we owe Ii to short
hand. II we have an opportunity. in
| interesting judicial cases. of examin-
ing the evidences and learning the pro-
ccedings with as much certainty. and
nearly as much minutencss as II we
had been present on the occasion. we
| owe II to shorthand. In short, all
those brilliant and spirit-stirrlng eff
customs which the circumstances of the
present lime combine to draw forth,
and which the press transmits to us
with such astonishing celebrity, warm
from the lips of the speaker, would
have been lost TO posterlty, and COM
paratively little known to ourselves
had it not been for the facilities ar
forded to their preservation by short
hand"
But these benefits to society are not
the only ones impaired by phono-
graphy. There are individual ad-
Vantages, more important than those
given to society, of which we now de-
sire to speak. In the first place
photography should be studied for this
personal usefulness. In this age of
rapid progress. every one desires to
possess practical method of writing
mat VIII stNe them. ShOrtnand mis-
this deeply felt want since II can be
written with at least four times the
speed of ordinary longhand. 1t saves
time in writing notes, manuscripts, and
articles for ones own reference. The
whole matter is summed up by the late
Hon. Thomas II. Bentor in the state
inent: Had this art been known
forty years ago 1t would have saved
me twenty years of hard labor"
In the>neNt place photography should
be studied because of its business or
professional value. The degree of skill
necessary to write ones own notes can
be acquired easily and retained by
ordinary people. The ability to write
one hundred words per minute from
dictation may be acquired by any in
telligent young man or woman In the
course of few months dlligent prac-
tice, and this, with the ability to make
a correct and intelligent transcript of
notes so written, in good longhand or
upon the writing machine, has a guar
antee against enforced ldleness and an
insurance of honorable Independence
a sufficient reason, IL one is seeking
such means OF self-support, for the
study of photography.
But this is not all; an intimate
knowledge of vital business principles
gained by the stenographer is of great
Importance ~ him personally. Charles
Reade the great English novelist. says
parents to have all their boys and girls
taught shorthand and typewriting. The
shorthand writer, who can typewrite
his notes, would he safer from poverty
than a great Crock scholar" Good re-
porters Of established reputation in the
larger towns and cities earn from two
to five thousand dollars annually, and
sIme even more.
A third reason why photography
should be learned is, its great
educational value. By its study
the eye the ear and the
more sensitive and acute for the per-
Torrance Of duty. The memory is
greatly improved by its study. for one I
who has learned shorthand can re-
member much more of public dis
courses or lectures than one who has |
never studied the art Photography |
perfects ones knowledge of language.
of grammar. of photography. and of
the elementary sounds OF language. |
Prof. u. Seymour says: ut tends TO
cultivate habits of clearness of thought |
and brevity of expression. It tends to |
cultivate the habit of close and accur-
ate observation, of clear and searching |
analysis. 1t tends to cultivate habits |
of distinct and correct pronunciation, |
and makes students alert and thought |
full in all their undertakings"
There Is an ill-founded, hut almost |
difficult to learn. The universal opinion |
of those who have studied shorthand |
is. that 1t is no more difficult than any
other school study: and, when once |
learned. IL more easily retained be-
cause grounded on the basic PRINCIPLES
of language. The average student, as
stated above, can master its principles
in a few months. Another evidence |
that the study of photography is not
difficult Is, that the effort Is being
made to introduce 1t into public
There is n very Important question
connected with the study of shorthand
which the student must answer before
ne begins his study; namely. (which
system shall I adopt?" without dis
system for there are many systems)
we will merely state that the one in
use In nearly all the business colleges
and schools of the United States Ia the
Benn Pitman. This statement is sum
ported by the leading educators of the
country. The commission of education
says Of photography: ITO SUNNY the
increasing demand for stenoeraphers.
schools of shorthand and tyne writing
have been established in various parts
Of the country, and with few excep-
ions all business colleges now have n
department. of shorthand a number
n SYSTEMS are taught. but that OF
'ienn Pitmnn Is moro generally used
man any other In the country and
may he called the American system
Report Of the Commission OF I,duco-
ion for the year 1878. mage e27l This
,vstem is founded on that of Isaac
Pitman; but is superior to II IN many
respects, having haon GREATLY, ;,,, |