The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-06
RsroErING IN ooNsRsss.
"Reminiscences ef the work Sf veterans
Under Trying Conditions.


To THE EDITOR or TIE sUN-Siy: The
correspondence In your columns concerning
the relative merits OF the Graham. Munson
and Pitman systems Of shorthand has Incl
dentslly evoked tributes to the ofictal re-
porters OF Congress that bring wildly to
mind the good old days" when the stirring
debates Of the Senate and House were taken
down by veterans like Dennis y. Murphy ana
John J. McElhane. and when the abless stem
~ographers In Congress seemed to have In
dependent or Characteristic systems OF their
own.
The simplicity and copperplate clearness
OF Murphy's style certainly owed nothing TO
Graham. and It was so thoroughly phonetic
In its consonant' outlines and vocalixations
that one can readily believe the story that,
without knowing q word OF the Indian tongue
he could faithfully reproduce a Choctaw
pow-wow by debating 10 an interpreter the
sounds recorded by his shorthand notes. His
chief assistants were his brother. Edward
v. Murphy. and Theodore r. Shuey, both
still in active charge Of the Senate force, and
remarkable leaders In their profession.
e. " as he was Familiarity called. would
take the notes Of ID. F. IA they came hot
from his pen" and dictate them TO an assistant
as rapidly and as accurately as II they were
his own; While Shuey would sit hour after
hour through the most spirited debates.
writing in q wizard style peculiarly his own.
RAINING word after word into q len gthy
scrswl and apparently not lifting his pen
from the paper except when he turned q
page.
The difficulties attending the reporting Of
Congressional proceedings are little sppre-
cisted by gallery onlookers. In the Senate.
where dignity must be observed, the reporters
are confined to their tables. In front Of the
secretaryis desk. and yet, with poor acoustics
and with talking pages buzztng about their
heads. they are expected TO catch the faintest
whispers OF debate from the furthest corners
OF the room. IL was a common sight to see
the elder Murphy tearing along with his right
frantically with his left and with his voice
shooting" the pages into silence. In the
House il was even more common to see McEi-
hane, as the debate waxed warm, spring from
the reporters table and rush from member
TO member a. each gained the floor, standing
as he reported and swiftly moving his pencil,
the while turning the leaves OF his book in the
eery face OF the sp~eaker-the most excited and
conspicuous person in the hall.
Other House reporters. like Lord and Brown
mot Browne. IS some Of your correspondents
have it,, were less demonstrative in their
movements. but they got there Just the
same. regardless OF the phonetic systems
they employed.
One OF the old House committee reporters
was henry u. Hayes, VINO wrote tach-
y~grsphy"--a fine old man. but with O fiery
temper that once got him into a famous row
with the Speaker Of the House. As an illus
trstion Of his ability and the lack OF con-
sideration given to the surroundings OF
stenogrsphers by those most inter ested in the
accuracy Of their reports. they used to tell the
following story about the Capitol: Hayes
was reporting a hearing before a House com
mittee. having been assigned to a seat at the
extreme rear OF the room. where he could
with dificulty hear anything that was going
on. The noise in the crowded room was so
great that at length several Representatives
had to protest that they could hear nothing
at all, and they appealed to the chairman for
help. A suggestion that the members of the
committee could make up for what they had
lost by reading the Official report when printed
caused the chairman to think OF Hayes, who
had been -pegging away" with apparent
equanimity throughout the tumult, but with
repressed indignation. Mr.. Hayes, asked
the chairman. have you been able to hear
what has been said?" Not a damned world"
exclaimed Hayes in his shrillest voice: mot
a damned word" Then how queried the
astonished chairman. ARE you able to report4-
Just guessing at i'll" yelled Hayes; lust
guessing at i'll" DAVID C~oPPRRYIRLD.
New YoRK. November 4.