Mr. James E. Wilkinson, stenographer, will sail from New York with a party of about twenty young men, under direction of Mr. Frank S. Elwell, of Boston, who will make a bicycle tour through France, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium, then through part of England. The trip will take about sixty-five days. They calculate to make about thirty miles a day on the 'cycle. Mr. Wilkinson left for New York yesterday.

Mr. George Bassett, the well-known stenographer, has purchased the Ottawa Gazette, at Ottawa, Putnam County, and will begin his editorial antics on Saturday. Mr. Bassett will endeavor to give the Republicans of Putnam County what they necd, a thoroughly live paper.--Toledo Blade.

Shorthand is now taught in such English public schools as Rugby, Clifton and Shrewsbury,and special inducements are offered by some medical colleges to students to become proficient, as it is thought that a knowledge of shorthand will be of great service to them in their studies, and consequently of value to the profession, At Rugby eighty boys have voluntarily taken up the study.--Chicago Post.

"The great increase in the typewriting and stenographic business during the past two years has stimulated the down-town soda water business to at least a 50 per cent increase in sales," the New York Sun reports a Park Row druggist as saying. "Each one of the big, sky scraping buildings contains from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty women amanuenses, and nearly every one of these drinks soda water. They run out at odd moments during the day to the nearest drug store to get a glass of orange phosphate or lemon cream, the latter being the drink most called for. Almost invariably they drop in on the way home in the evening for a draught of something refreshing. The drink most affected by the young men who frequent the drug store for stimulus is called "brown velvet,' and is a mixture of chocolate and brandy."-Chicago Post.

The inventor of a new system of typewriting telegraphy, says the New York Star, believes that by its adoption the government will be able to carry out a postal telegraph system on the line suggested by the Postmaster General. He assured the committee appointed to consider his invention, that his company should do business at prices that would tempt the public to use the wires instead of the mail. The instrument is an electric typewriter, with a keyboard not unlike an ordinary typewriter. The messages are printed in Roman characters in page form in the presence of the operator; an exact duplicate is produced on every instrument in the circuit simultaneously. No skill is required. It is stated that any person who can read and spell can become an expert operator in a few days instead of eight years, the time required to make an expert operator by the Morse system. [Oshkosh (Wis.) Northwesterner.]

The proceedings of the association of stenographers of the State of New York always offers an abundance of attractive matter. Those of the yearly gathering, held on the 20th and 21st of August of the past year, in Alexandria, Jefferson County, do not in this respect fall below the former ones in any way. How noteworthy, for instance, is Geo. R. Bishop's ad

dress on the question whether stenography is to be included in the professions, and what standard of requirements it is necessary to set up for one who would make himself a representative stenographic practitioner-a question which he handles with the full knowledge of the facts gained in his experience in his native land, and refers at the same time to the examples in Dresden, Munich, France, Italy and Holland, which deserve to be followed, where in addition to proved technical skill, a previous course of study at the University — which pre-supposes the possession of an Acade mic degree is common. He complains that very many stenographers are unmindful of the fact their profession has so honorable a past behind it— unmindful of what services stenography has already rendered in different States to legislation, to the administration of justice and to politics. Bishop calls his work a "sketch," but it is indeed such a one as will deserve to be translated trom the English at full length for the use and benefit of all those who look with disparagement on our art and its practitioners.

The above is followed, in the Zeitung, by a reference equally lengthy, to Mr. Oppenheim's paper on the Early Congressional Debates and Reporters, including a brief synopsis of the most prominent facts and dates given in it. [From the Deutsche Stenographic Zeitung, for April, 1890.]

"The prince of Wales has taken kindly to the typewriter," we read in a London letter. The prince always does take kindly to the privileges of life, but how does the princess approve of the innovation? Twelve of the machines have already been ordered by his royal highness for his private use. Whether each is to be accompanied by the sweet girl operator, is still an uncertainty, but, judging from all former precedents, the picturesqueness of the invention will not be impaired or disarranged. A lady speaking recently of the absurd objection women occasionally manifest toward the employment of young and pretty women at their husband's offices, said that she appreciated the typewriter employed by her husband, and rejoiced in her attractiveness, for since her advent at the office she had so purified the atmosphere of the place, tidied its disorder and uncleanliness, abolished profanity, and well-nigh routed the smoking hangers-on, that the lady herself enjoyed calling in there occasionally, and could do so without being stared out of countenance by men not accustomed to the presence of women in the place. New York Sun.

CLUBBING RATES.

THE NATIONAL STENOGRAPHER will be clubbed with the following papers at the prices named:

Regular
Price.

Clubbed with
The N. S.
$1.60

June.

-of this planing mill and lumber yard? A.-I took possession on the 15th day of Q. This year? A.-1888. Q. From whom did you obtain possession of this property? A.-From the defendant in this case. Q.-Well, don't you know his name? A. Jaroslav Skocdopole. Q.-What is he? A.-He is a Bohemian. Q. Do you speak the Bohemian language? A.-Jednou za cas kdyz musim. Q.-I suppose that answer is responsive. Were there conveyances made to you of this property? -.A There were. Q. In whose possession are the documents?

[Mr. Youker is one of the younger Chicago reporters, and is a very speedy and accurate writer. He wrote "Rhine Memories" for The National Stenographer. He is doing a good business, in connection with my brother, James E. Dement, and his reports evidence the highest reporting ability. Mr. Youker expects in the near future to enter the ministry.- ED.]

TRANSCRIPTS OF SHORT HAND PLATES.

ISAAC S. DEMENT. (Graham.)

-ELLEN L. HOWE, the plaintiff called and sworn in her own behalf, was examined in chief by Mr. Hervey, and testified as follows: Q.-State your name? A.-Ellen L. Howe. Q-You are plaintiff in this suit? A.-Yes sir. Q. What is the name of your husband? A.-Frederick Howe. Q. Where did you reside in the month of September, 1882? A.-1433 Wabash Avenue. Q. That is between 14th and 15th streets, is it not? A.-Yes, sir. Q.-May I enquire what is your age, Mrs. Howe? A.-Thirty-two. B.-Then you were not quite thirty yet at the time of the happening of his accident? A.-No, sir. Q.-You remember the 12th of September, 1882, I suppose? A. Yes, sir. Q. Will you state to the court and jury in your own way just what happened to you on that occasion?-When it was, where it was, what time in the evening, how you were traveling, who was with you, and detail to the jury all about the acident? A. It was on the 12th of September, nearly eight o'clock, about eight. iWe were driving north on Michigan avenue. Q. What were you driving? A.-DrivA.-In a top buggy. Q. Any one with A.-She is here. Q. Was it dark? A.

ng a horse. Q. In what sort of carriage? you? A.--Miss Temple. Q.-Is she here? It was dark.

AN OLD SAWMILL.

LEAVES FROM OUR ARTISTS SKETCH-BOOK NO. I.

A thing that is made by hands has always a charm about it that a machine-made article lacks. It bears record of part of the life-work of a human being, and show little accidents of handicraft that distinguish it from the exact and mathematical product of a machine. The works of nature are never perfectly symmetrical; they are varied in multitudinous ways. An artist finds more pleasure in the work of the rudest mechanic than that of the most exact machine. The old sawmill of the sketch was built by a farmer with a genius for construction, who preferred not to saw wood. He brought the rampant element into subjection and put it to work. He thinks of the summer breezes that sawed the wood as he sit basking in the genial warmth of his winter fire.