The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-11
ROMAN SLAVE WAS THE
INVENTOR OF SHORTHAND
Trio, Author of the Famous
Notes" Was an African
Freedman.
YOUTH OF MUCH TALENT

WASHINGTON, April 10.-It has been
discovered by Joseph Z. Johnson, one of
the Capitol stenographers and Speaker
Henderson's confidential shorthand man,
that the author of what is known as the
'Tironian Notes" was an African freed
man by the name of Trio. This former
slave invented actual shorthand characters
and an alphabet hundred years before the
birth of Christ.
While looking over some old manuscripts
in the congressional library the other day
Mr.. Johnson found an ancient volume,
which gave him an inkling to this fact. 1t
is Mr.. Johnson's plan TO interest foreign
stenogra piers in the subject of the ',Iir-
oman Notes and obtain picture or like
ness. IL one can be had of the long forgot
ten Marcus Tullius Trio, called by histo-
rians the father of stenography.
Trio is familiar figure in ancient his
tory. The signs he invented were actual
stenographc characters, and not abbre-
Waited hieroglyphics. He was born. Ii APP
pears, about 1O3 b. c. of a Roman slave
was but few years younger than the great
orator, son of the other who first saw
the light in the same place in 1O6 b. c. AT
an early age talent must have been OBJ
served in the boy Trio, for he was not
placed among the inferior slaves, bat was
deemed worthy of scientific education
that he might find public employment He
received his first instructions from peda-
gogue. His marked ability, which enabled
him to acquire all learning; his excellent
character. his devotion TO the family of his
master and other qualities soon gained for
him the position of a friend rather than that
of slave.
There developed between the young
Cicero and Trio cordial friendship,
which continued even to the extent that
Cicero in his letters calls him "Tuns"
Trio obtained his freedom and from time
10 time acted as private secretary TO
Cicero. Letters exchanged between them
snow their relations were close. Trio wit
messed the death of Cicero and survived
him several years devoting his attention to
collecting, revising and editing his books
He established a system of shorthand
writing, and it formed the basis of Roman
Cyprian, bishop of Carthage. and others
added to the characters of Trio until they
comprised about 5000
Others about the time of Trio practiced
tached TO the courts. Later the popes took
II up, Jerome having ten and Augustine
sixteen Al one time IL appeared likely to
displace longhand.
Tiros mother being a slave history puts
him down as belonging TO the African race.
Daniel Murray, of the Congressional Lii
prary' mas written a treatise on the racial
characteristics OF Trio, proving his African
origin.
Few of the modern followers of Graham.
Pltman and other shorthand writer's of
to-day are aware that on the notes of an
African slave which have been handed
down for centuries the various systems of
dots and dashes which serve TO record the
speeches of to-day were founded
"One interesting feature of this system
of shorthand. said Mr.. Johnson i'm speak
| ing of the subject, lis that Trio did actual
tory shows that the great orations OF
| Cicero, which he reported verbatim. would
have been lost to posterity had he not in
! vented his T;ronian notes. which con-
sisted of shorthand signs. many of which
are still used In the best systems of the
stenoSraphy OF the present day"