The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-29
URGE A CHANGE
OF PENMANSHiP
Business Men Oppose Vertical Style
Taught in Schools.
COMPROMISES SUGGESTED
THAT USED BY TELEGRAPHERS
MEETS WITH APPROVAL.

Business men are discussing the ad-
visibility of forming a movement by
which it is hoped the board of. educa-
ton Will be induced to terminate the
present system of teaching vertical
handwriting in the public schools and
return to the old style Familiarity
known as the Spencerian. The agfta-
ton is due TO several causes, the prin-
c1pal of which are that young men
and women who have been taught the
vertical system are not so rapid i'm
their work as those who have pursued
the Spencerian system. and that there
IS an almost total lack of individuality
IL their handwriting, especially in sig
natures.
It has come about recently that manI
merchants have declined to employ
clerks unless they used the slanting or
Spencerian style, and the head of one
OF the local business schools says that
1T is almost impossible for young
man or young woman to secure a posi-
ton in certain lines when it is learned
that they use the vertical style In
support of this statement he mentioned
TWO instances of young women who
were rejected though outside of their
Handwriting they were eminently quail
Ihed TO fill high positions in mercantile
houses
In other cities besides Salt Lake the
vertical style which is pronounced by
many business men to be a mere fad
has fallen into disfavOr, notably in Los
Angeles and Cleveland. In the former
the board of education directed that it
De abandoned and that the Spencerian
he revived and in the latter the super
iHtendent of schools has recommended
this course The reason assigned in
each of these cities was that business
men demanded more individuality in
handwriting. something which was
lacking in the vertical but which is the
dominant characteristic feature of the
Spencerian.
Defects Become Apparent.
In 1902 the vertical system was in
PRODUCED officially into the public
schools of Salt Lake CITY and hooks
were adopted for the ensuing five wears.
that is until 1907. This up and down
style of handwriting had been in vogue
IN eastern cities for some time and its
advocates were many. It seemed to
work well at the start for the reason
that the pupils were obliged to exercise
more care and as a result the writing
p1 Oduced was clean cut and legible But
after a few years the defects of the
system became apparent. The tendency
among the more advanced scholars was
Il drift into a style of back-hand writ
ing which lacked uniformity and grace
OF finish. and produced eventually the
very evils which the advocates OF the
Spencerian cult had predicted-illegi-
bnity.
This tendency to iIIegibilitv became
so pronounced in some cities that rad
zeal measures had to be adopted to
combat the evil. The concensus of
opinion among business men was that
Il would not do Other cities have
taken Up the subject, and from pres-
ent indications it is not unlikely that
= Cin1fIo- Mill he
or else a compromise system will be
adopted. A compromise means a sys-
tenn by which the best qualities of the
NVrtical and the slant. or Spencerian,
viii be so blended as to make a prac-
tically new style of handwriting, a style
which viii embOdy gracefuIness of out
line and perfect Iegibility.
Obstacles to a Change.
In the public schools of Salt Lake the
pupils are first taught to follow the
vertical system but when thew reach
following a more moderate style in
which the good qualities of both are
combined. superintendent D. II. Chris
Jensen of the public schools said, when
TIE matter was called to his attention
that il would not be advisable to make
any change at this time for the reason
that the text books had been adopted
In 1902 for a period of five years and
that to make any change now could not
be considered
a number of the leading business men
were interviewed on the subject yes
terday and it would appear from the
statements made by them that a COM
promise system would prove the most
acaptable for general business pur-
poses.
Business Men Talk.
E. w. Wilson, cashier of the Com
mercial bank. was the only banker
found who is an avowed supporter OF
the vertical system. He said that he
was committed to that system for the
reason that it tended to improve the
style, or rather legibility. OF young
men just engaging in business.
ANY system" he said. that will
make it easier to decipher just what q
man means to convey in his hand
writing is to be commended"
In my opinion" said Cashier Louis
II. FarnSworth of Walker Brothers
bank, the Spencerian, or sIanting style
of handwriting. has merits which fas
outweigh any claims set up by the ad-
vocates of the vertical school We can
set aside the matter OF legibility for
something of more Importance in COM
mercial life. and that is individuality
II all men used the vertical system It
would be difficult TO differentiate. and
in banking business. where so much
depends on a characteristic signature
there would be greater opportunities
for the perbetration of frauds. On the
whole, I am decidedly in favor of the
old school. and I think the children
now growing up should be taught the
Spencerian system"
Joseph Nelson, cashier of the Utah
National bank. is emphaticaIly opposed
to the vertical, even in a modified form.
Il have always contended that the
best results in every walk of life where
handwriting plays a part can be OBJ
tanned from following the slanting. on
Spencerian. system. he said 1--WE have
one clerk in our bank who uses the
vertical. His work I'll admit. is very
pretty and is easily read. but he uses
more time than the other clerks who
are committed to the SDencerian. As
a usual rule you will find that the av-
erage persons handwriting is easily
read. and by following the slanting sys-
tenn the individuality OF the writer is
not lost, and that is something to be
desired at all times. I have a boy. :
years old. at school. and I am patient
~ awaiting the time when he will be
instructed in the Spencerian style.
wish it was near at hand, for / believe
il viii be difficult for him 10 acquire
that style If he is obliged for the next
couple OF years to conform to the verti-
CAL