| Show SIR ISAAC PITMAN Tho Invontor of Phonography The year 1897 seems to lie quite a year ot memorial On the 22n day Of f January of this eventful year 1897 In he city of Bath England went peacefully peace-fully to his rest one who In on unobtrusive unob-trusive way though not qJite uoknoivh 10 fameO with a steady purpose in view and with a strong will has done so much especially amon the youth doing ing the put 1 sixty years to lot ter a hibit of sclMielp rind useful aim In life and whose Invention has don so much lo word that cost and yet of whose life orkthe man and methodIhe many thousands perhaps mil I ons who have at some period of their life taken ip the study of hs Invention nrd those Alto by us aid have been able to achieve a position of profitable employment of their time so little It known The present writers Intimate personal acquaintance with Mr itntan commenced In the early 505 and extended for a perioJ ol between three and four ye its Mr Pitman was born In the year 1813 In he email manufacturing town of Trow bridge Wiltshire En land where much of the then celebrated tine woolen cloth was produced Ills father held n position Ion at manager ol a small factory at hat phce After acquiring the elements education at the grammar school of Ills native town he assisted hit father in his duties at the factory and while so engaged his on active mind prompted tins to prepare himself by home study during his leisure hour for the pas tion of A teacher In a school In which occupation I occu-pation he soon became engaged In his native town whence after a few years he removed to the city of Hath expecting to there nrcise hi in coattail in a 1II0re extended sphere He had among his other stadtc made hlmsell familiar with a sjstem of stenography Gamup I believe jle which I now lie had occasional i opportunity ol putting to profitable use In reporting lor the press Ever seeking alter improvement his restless practical prac-tical mind conceived Ihe Idea that a terograpby cauld bettor serve its purpose pur-pose il instead of the ear catching the bound of a speakers voce then the mentality translating thai sound Into the elements of Urn worlo and formulating a written symbol therefor the sounds uttered could cf themselves sugesl the needed formula Acting un the idea he invented a system winch he named Stenographic Sound Hand and on this foundation all his alter improve merits were based The necessity for amore a-more tap d response of the hand lo the action ol the mind in putting thoughts into words and a con ie yet legible II cibod whereby epistolary correspond enco could be carried un with less effort and excirpts made from book ducu minis etc for future reference aso forced itself upon his attention Gradually Gradu-ally was eliminated a sjslem on which I hrse advantages were secured and leading up step by step by way cf con rac ions etc and jet equally clear to those who should initiate themselves and nut very d fiicult of attainmnt to fulfil all ran requirements of jotting down the outpourings ol the mOlt 1m paloned orator Durmg the whole of the summer of 1857 every leisure moment and even his holidar were devoted to Ihepsi eetillg of Uicsvslem tnd prepirng for us puuhcation nd in I November otlhdt ear it came forth in small pamphlet form of twelve panel five inches by three with alphabet diagrams etc un an illustrated sheet beating the Inscrip ton Drawn ty Isaac Pitman mnoj rapher r rl lithographed I by Bedford Uri t lol Four per ce per coo eight cents was the mode t estimate plac d by Ine author upon his I production Tnesyjtem soon rose Into public favor Steps were taken to get it into still further prominence bv lectures ejcplaiaion in tne cities and towns hrougliout England by which means it woith was soon acknowledged throughout Great Bntaln Atout ihe year 1851 Mr Bun ritman ajounger t al brother Ol Isaac Pitman I fane to Amer Ica on a propaganda ol Phonogray by which name the perfected system was known anr settled m Cidcii nati Ohio from hrjse as a center cl it sO 21SO spread tnruuzhout the Unit d States About lour ears after Ihe isiuaoce of Stenographic uund MlodI was proposed pro-posed to apply the t phonetic sj stem to locghand wing and printing of books A disclaimer of any intention to duturb I the ordinary I spilling was pub shed In the ihhd edition ol Phonography in 1840 a follows I I is of louise Utopian to hope to change the present lorm ol spelling of the English language but i IS not Utopian to attempt to Cava iltice a briefer mode of writing on the phonetic principle Then came years of quiet clogged but at the lame time enihusiaslc hard work Mr Piinun alter working at Ills desk from live in ihe morning nil ten at night doing all his own work ef the office for he had found It convenient to set up a printing office and bindery under his own im medate direction and Issues of his publications pub-lications and even setting up the type himself For more thin sixty years Mr Pitman has been a familiar figure to all the Inhabitants In-habitants of the picturesque city ol Bath Whenever at en on the streets the Idea was impressed en the observer ol a man of an active restless nature menial and I physical Tall ot spare bu muscular figure even when well advanced in years his rapid easy motion might even be envied by men many years his junior and his bright i eves and firm face afforded afford-ed I simple illustration of those I keen regular habiu wmch formed one of his I enter characteristics throughout a busy career Dunne the greater portion ol his protracted I Ito he has been a practical 1 vegetarian a strict abstainer from every intoxicant and methodic almost to a fault In the habits and duties which his daily dunes required Every progressive pro-gressive lIIuvelent 01 the age has received re-ceived his ccoperatton and quiet hearty support but to the spelling i reform I his almost entire I life I has bein consecrated conse-crated In 11 taI years he followed the practical teich and accepted the I lalth of file csieyn wmmunl y he < sill rwards became a firm adherent ID ui I the religious views promulgates by Emanuel Swedentorg and lor many > ears Officiated as preacher on ihe bun Yay and a wick day evening In a small chur h rotted ly that community in Iwreton small village In the immediate immedi-ate neighcorm o of liaih As to the meilts of his Invention I received the attention c millions 1 is i impossible to estimate Ihe number ol periois who write shorthand Now I iix 1 pr cent of the reporter ou tne Z daily press uie his system and Its capabilities capa-bilities for letter hritinc are fully appreciated appre-ciated by ihe lent of thousinds who make use otit for lint purpose lie lately stand in an interview There is I no estlmatu or connote I the number ol phjnoKranhcrs In the world hut the sale of teichmtr hook < the Phonograptc Raruailcut apnide Teacher Murinl ol Phonograph and Phonograph c Instructor II now about 35300 per annum Its capacity fir rapid reporting il l proveJ by the fic ltebh that 350 words er minute has been written by Ina j a man a he clearly micredoy Sp dTptakcr fit system hafHlso been applied lo about fifteen other langua l clneudin Welsh French Italian German Japanese Spinih Dutch Chinese and Mala I ge In 1887 a Jubilee of Phonography was I held and presentations testimonials letters of pentatols showered upon him Irom all put of the world Later in 1894 the labor if hu hfct no met a nation rt co ni Nor and flits grand old man remv d th hOlt of knighthood i He has pissed awav leaving no pos terity behind him The invention of ro Useful system ol writing U fully sufficient suffi-cient of Itself to hand his name down In universal esteem Uu there Is one small matter which the writer has never yet seen recorded which should entitle Sir Isaac Pitman lo a gratitude mote universal and more la ting I pos ible ilun even the invent on of Pnonog rjpny To the present generation the benefits i rind facilities ol a cheap pottage rite lor I leters etc is accepted pOllre r scarce a thought ever occurring i of ihs condition of matters before ibis boon was presented I present-ed The mot ccmmon almost the only I method In early limes to ensure the secrecy ol a letter was to Cold it I up aid insert one end In the other securing the opening iither with sea ing wax or a wafer Later on envelopes were Intro duced and these not being gummed ai at present were secured cs tne ordinal i letters had been gummed sheets with I small square containing mottoes of various kinds were subsequently subse-quently added lor the purpose ihe I method of payment was for the sender to present the letter lo the poslollicc clerk deposit the lee and seethe see-the amount Inscribed with pen and ink usually ted on the lace uf the lelter which method sufficd for the limited business transacted through the ml lmlled a cumbrous method a the best and In = > much tr ube In keep ng 10 counts ar d aud tin the same file pre payment system was nol insisted on the receiver more frequently paying the lee teeIt It mas a somewhat singular cloc dence that in Ihe same ear 1837 thai hat Pitman put forth hi yearS te ographic Sound Ham 11 the foundation ol the Spelling Rform that Sir Rowland l Hill for a sketch ol Ihe life of fair Rowland Hill seejuvenilc Instructor of 1886 page 17 is > ud 1 pamphlet advocating advo-cating a cop an J uniform rte of postage post-age HIlda mt with immediate ap iroval ltl great maioiity of his lei iovvcuntrymrn who had hitherto been compelled to pay exorbitant rates for the mail service and to send and receive re-ceive letters was fbr a poor persan nn expensive luxury Pennons irun all parts of the country were sent up to the louse of Commons urgiu an investigation investi-gation of Hills plan and a committee was appointed to consider the lets of I ths proposed reform One penny was the rte suggested for letters weighing not more Ilau half all ounce Three ear elapsed be fire the system wes established aud as an cxper mnt our etce eight cents was al frt charged rer letter But soon the present pres-ent rate ol one penny in Enjlind was finally adopted Too great increase in the business in the postoflices const quelit on the adoption ol Ihe penny postage necessitated a more exp d tlous method of payment ol the fie and tile pjilal aullomies hued a notice oflenng a reward of 42oo f 1000 for a plan wnereby the enu in YeWJ more fficint way cf prepayment of letters coulj I bo obtained Among the nae issued by Isaac Pitman from tho pubishlog office was a sheet of mottoes engraved in the shorthand characters diamond mused shape and gummed on back to his used m secutingthe envelopessimilar ito i-to these previously menil ned in this paper Mr Pitman communicated with tne postal authorities comnendillg that bel 12 by 20 Inctus squares 243 In number1 II a row ond 2a tows a penny cletileach in value and quote the M Ito re equivalent equiva-lent to one sovereign or iwemy shi ings and each line one shilling gummed on back similar to his sheet of mottoes trial a stamp affixed to a lelter shoud be its frank and could bodepolled at any recelv ng place appointed for this pur pose at I < v > by this method much trouble and expense would be avoided I In keep lag accounts and auditing the 11 mo 1 also put fortl a protnectui In I greater great-er detail I and sugfcD MI 1 list then stamp s might sUJ ready mttnocl or Itansmillmg small Sumi byrf rf letter The Lords ol the Treasury readily saw Its leasibilil and adplabitv and ct once counseled with the eminent firm of Doa Do-a Rue card playing minufrc urcri nnd label prialcrs of Ilunhiil Row London for engra fog I nnd printing lh oU ndant and but a few uccks elapsed before they were Issued to the fcncril public and accepted wilh great favor At tire outset out-set tlit squares had to be stpirnted by knife I cr scissors Litter on ino Stem stern s-tern pf perforation was adopted Al the uniform rale of poitige hid come lo be aiopted by all na Ions to the per foriled stamn Ins followed The benefits cl tIns great boon to mankind were oily by degree made manifest Not nly for tha prepii ment cf n < stieoi letter have sumps been utilized out national revenue taxes Are raid in i this WAV and even in tin I British r V16 enn rlI rl Inv liv uiirti the fits pn filing papers tic are affixed by meant of stamps h I sued of nereril Denominations S xty yean have nearly elapsd since these two invenlloni iisucd fron the same active brain with no flourish ol I trumpets have gone forth sis a bene faction to the world at large Illwould bo fitting to close with an extract Irom a I characteristic letter written in May 1856 and piiotcd In the reform spelling advocated by Mr Pitman In answer to an don invitation to visit Its writer m Lon donMel Mel traveling dayz a over At 83 mel fizlkal enenl iz oanll elual ta desk lurk from 9 tu 6 with in uur z ret alter lunch and wiuUni don hill tu mei Otis tweis a day Till lu or three week ago I kaiii tu mel Giii nt 6 and welt hoim tu brekfast in n Bath chair a I du now tu lunch and diner Honor to whom honor is i dueR R B S I |
