The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-08-02
VETERANS IN THE :. :.
:. ART OF STENOORAPHY


notes of these gentlemen were printed
in the National Intelligencer" and the
| Union"
/ Among the other brilliant men whom
the mention of LIoyds name will recall
/ to the well-informed stenographer is
John J. McElhone. the first chief of the
reporting stan of the House of Repre-
! sentatives. Before he received his ap-
| pointment it was known that McEIhone
could write more than two hupdreds
words in a minute. but a public trial
was held in which he acquitted himself
so We'll and his notes were so neat that
they were put on exhibition
1t was after this that Mr.. McEIhone
was chosen to go to Washington and a
part Of his first work was the reporting
of the proceedings in the House of Rep
resentatives on the proposed admission
OF the Rev. Theobold Mathew. the great
| apostle of temperance. to the privileges
OF the floor. He reported the meeting
held in Independence Square in favor o.
Clay's compromise, which was presided
over by Vice President George NJ. Dali
| las.
John c. Rives. founder of the Con
gresslonal Globe" now the Con
gressional Record" believed that the
proceedings OF the House Of Represen-
tatives could be reported Just as fully
as those of the Senate. The tradition
had been that it was impossible because
Of the hurry of business and the randi
lty with which members talked. growing
necessarily from the limitation of time
TO perform successfully this work. bur
1t was accomplished, nevertheless bv
Mr.. McEIhone
In 1859, MeElhone disabled his right
hand and learned to write shorthand
with his left. When he regained the
power of using his right hand he would
change the pencil from one hand to the
other. The story of his ability to use
both hands grew with each successive
telling until it was said that he could
take down notes with his right hand and
transcribe them with his left.
Other Noted PhiIadeIphians.
David Wolfe Brown, who succeeded
McElhone. began the study of Shorthand
under Oliver Dwyer at the age of thir
a
Dut took 1t IN again. and had several
years valuable experience as a news
paper reporter. and in the Pennsylvania
Legislature he was made head of the
house reporters.
Mr. Brown has been a diligent student
of law. politics, literature, general his
tory, and all other educational branch
es which his official position so constant,
ly calls into requisition. He has con-
tribnted literally to periodical literature
on subjects connected with his profess |
sion, and has prepared for the aid of
stenographic students a number of in
struction books, the principal of which 1
are The Mastery OF Shorthand" 1.-THE /
Factors of Shorthand Speed" and "The
Science and Art of Stenographic Phrase
making"
Another Philadelphia expert was James
}, Murphy, acknowledged to be one of
the greatest reporters of the day, and /
a man of extensive reading Besides
his services as a member of the Senate
reporting corps he reported. with his
brother, the Episcopal general conven
tons of 1856 and 1865, in this city. in
lSH IN Baltimore, and also the Penn
sylVania convention Of 1873 He reported
many court-martial proceedings during
the civil war, and was one of the re-
porters OF the military commission OF
1865, that tried persons charged with
completely in the shooting of Abraham
Lincoln. Soon after the session of 1874
he was taken seriously i'll, and died.
In 1853 the two Murphy brothers /
were joined by their younger brother.
Edward Murphy who has been a short
hand writer in Congress ever since. He
was one of the reporters during the
trials OF the conspirators against the
life of President Lincoln before the
commission, when Benn Pitman
was recorder
Head of the Senate Corps.
At the time Dennis F. Murphy was
regarded as the best stenographer in
the world. He had established an in
ternational reputation for speed and ac-
curacy. He entered the service of the
Senate in 1S4s, at the age of fourteen
In 1873 he was given the contract for
the Congressional debates in
pamphlet form at $4,000 annually.
In 1863, when Mr.. Sutton, then head
OF the Senate corps of stenographers.
retired, Murphy was made chief and
held this position until his death In
1892.