Semi-weekly herald., 1908-12-28
HISTORIC VOLUME OF
ROMAN sTENoGRAPHY

h0mAN obENOoHAfHv .
wASHINGTON-The British mu-
scum has recently secured parch-
ment book containing method of
shorthand writing in Latin invented
and used by Tullius Trio. the freed
man private secretary of Cicero. II
contains about two hundred pages
covered with symbols inscribed in
large, bold hand in ink SO permanent
that the lettering is as perfect and as
bright today as It could have been
when 1t was first written. The sym.
bols are in columns with the defini-
tion written In smaller characters be-
side them, and arranged Alphabetical
ly, three columns to the page, and an
average Of thirty words to. the column,
making altogether about eighteen thou
sand signs. each representing word
or combination Of words. The sys
TEN is the same as that now used by
stenographers In this generation, and
l have no doubt that many of the signs
are identical. The relic must be of
absorbing interest to modern stenog-
raphers. and took the liberty to sug-
gest to the gentleman in charge at
the British museum that he invite
some accomplished shorthand writer
Tiro's method with that in use today.
The book is we'll known among
photographers. and was fully described
in 1917 by Professor Ulrico F. Kopp
of Mannheim, Germany, In his Paleo-
graphica Critica, vol. l., PIP. 294. ct
seq, published In 1917. Kopp says
the Egyptians were the inventors of
stenography, and that systems of
shorthand were used by the ancient
Hebrews. who undoubtedly initiated
the Egyptian methods. He quotes
Psalm xiv. 2. my tongue is the pen
Of ready writer" as a reference to
stenography. He also quotes Keno
phon as saying that Diogenes used
what he called "tachygraphiam," a
system of abbreviations to economize
time and labor in writing. but his man
uscript was illegible to other persons
who were not familiar with the signs
used. The Greeks had several systems
Of shorthand, but so far as known
they were the invention and the prop.
srty Of those who used them. and were
not taught In the schools. Professor
kopp tells us that Tiro's was the first
complete system ever recorded in
Latin. and was undoubtedly the most
perfect, scientific and comprehensive
that was known up to his time.
After the fall of the Roman empire
there was gap in the use, or at least
In our knowledge, of stenography un-
til the beginning OF the eighteenth
century. when DR.. Timothy Bright and
John willis developed system that
came into general use. Since their
time not less than 480 methods have
been invented and taught In the civil
lied countries. The greatest and most
general use Of stenography has been In
England. 1t was adopted In the house
of commons as early as 1888, when
John Byron was employed as a re-
porter OF debates. and an act of parlIa-
ment was passed to protect him from
fmitators. Many literary men in those
days used abbreviations and signs In
their manuscripts. and 1t has been con-
tended that some of Shakespeare
plays were written In shorthand. Sam.
uel Pepy's famous diary was written
In system OF shorthand invented by
Thomas Shelton. who for a generation
taught the method in London to pub.
lie men. literary men. lawyers and 9th.
or professionals who had great deal
Of writing TO DO and dssirsA 70 ssouo.