The sun., 1909-06-27
A RISING FLOOD OF WORDS
$4,000 A DAY FOR LEGAL RE.
PORTING IN NEW YORK.
Increasing Demands ON shorthand writ
ers--Quick work In supplying Re
ports-Cases Involving Millions Of
words Of Testim0ny-The Old way.

, ports--Cases Involving MILLIONS o.
words OF Testimony-The Old way
We are a time saving nation. but W
are wasteful of words. As our time sav
ing ability and devices have become mor'
numerous and more effective the genera
liking to talk and talk and talk has beer
allowed to have more and more sway.
| In the early days OF the nation, wher
shorthand writing. either phonetic OF
stenographic, was an art known to but
few and practised by still smaller num-
ber, people were not 30 verbose as now
because what they had to say could
only reach a comparatively small audi
ence In all its fulness, and that por-
tion OF IL which reached the larger
audience Of readers was practically boiled
down to the bone for lack Of easy means
Of recording and duplicating 1t. There
Is not q single branch Of the Government
local, State or national. that does not
prove the truth Of this statement. The
records Of every kind Of function at which
public or semi public addresses have been
made alao hear testimony to the fact that
with ease Of reproduction has grown de-
blight In elaborate expression.
In the days when competent stenog-
raphers were few and far between and
verbatim reports were practically >unnt-
tainable IL was an expensive and ex-
tremely tedious proceeding to attempt to
get anything like a full report OF any
public speech or OF the proceedings OF
any court trial.
| II was not so many years ago that the
shorthand writer was obliged to transcribe
his notes with a pen. For big affairs
when more than one COPY was required
he would use stylus and manifold his
Transcript with carbon paper interlays.
Before the use Of carbon paper became
general 1t was even necessary. especially
In the case OF big trials whore some at
tempt was made to furnish daily copy.
for three or four or more writers to take
diotation at the same time from the re-
porters. Even that was not so very long
ago, for there are in this city to-day
shorthand reporters still doing business
who were in harness when those condi-
tons prevailed.
| With the Introduction OF the really prac-
tical typewrtting machine all this was
changed. The reporter either pounded
out his own copy or dictated 1t to some
adept at the machine. The use Of the
machine too rendered it possible for o
great number OF copies to be made at
once, often more than twenty being pro-
duced at a time.
Even with the aid OF the typewriter
It became difficult to satisfy the de-
mands Of the public generally for quick
and complete copies. and many short
hand reporters were at times compelled
TO adopt the exceedingly difficult ex-
pedient OF debating to two typewriter
operators at the same time. that Is, read
ing from one portion OF their notes to
one operator and from another portion TO
the other 30 that during the entire period
OF diotation the merry click OF the ma
chine was never silent.
The inability OF even this method to
catch UP and record to the satisfaction
OF the public, especially through the news
papers, the hundreds Of thousands Of
words that were uttered for the benefit
Of the public sometimes was practically
responsible for the adoption Of still another
did. The commercial value OF the phono-
graph when nearly perfected was at ones
apparent TO the knights Of the winged
PEN With this valuable adjunct what
could be easier than for the shorthand
writer 10 talk cylinder after cylinder full
Of the words he had listened TO and re-
corded and for these cylinders in turn to
be reproduced by many expert type
writer operators as were necessary
1t wasn't long before some far sighted
individual went even a step further
in this matter of rapid reproduction
OF spoken language. He used the
shorthand notes and the phonograph,
but he dropped out Che typewriter, and the
phonograph cylinders were retalked
directly to linotype operators, who set
the type as rapidly and accurately as
though they had written copy before
them. This method Is used by but one
firm at present and II represents the last
cry tn the business Of verbatim reporting.
What further advance may be made can
hardly even be guessed at.
Probably few people outside Of news
paper men and lawyers nave any con-
ception Of the marvellous growth Of the
shorthand business In tho last twenty
years or Of the manner in which 1t is
handled. Take for instance the report
printed IN the metropolitan newspaper
the day after big political meeting or
mass meeting OF any sort. and you will
find that practically all the speeches, and
certainly all the important speeches, arc
reproduced verbatim.
The newspaper goes to press within an
hour or 30 after the close Of the meeting.
It follows therefore that the transcription
Of the shorthand notes OF the speeches
must be made In on incredibly short
time in order that the newspapers may
have their copy in time for the first edi-
tions. How Is this done'
Well, some we'll known shorthand man
or hrm is employed by the party, COM
mittee or organization under whose man
agement the nesting is conducted to
turn out the matter for the press. Tho
Arrangements then made include the
employment Of q stah Of at least FIVE
competent stenographers and as many
expert typewriter operators.
The stenographsrs work In relays Of
from FIVE to ten minutes each. each man
tapping over both his predecessor and his
successor for from twenty-five to fifty
words. As soon as each man has finished
his take he at once goes to the room where
the typewriter operators have been
established and dictates az rapidly as
possible to the typewriter. The number
OF copies made varies, but In this city