THE PRINCIPAL ADVANTAGES OF SHORTHAND ARE SECURED WITH
OUT RESORT TO STENOGRAPHIC CHARACTERS, AND WITH

PERFECT LEGIBILITY;

THE WHOLE

Methodically Arranged and Amply Nlustrated ;

WITH
DIRECTIONS FOR CORRECTING THE PRESS,

AND WITH

KEYS TO THE EXERCISES, EMBRACING REMARKS UPON THE MEANS
OF ACQUIRING EASE AND CORRECTNESS IN COMPOSITION, THE
METHOD OF KEEPING A COMMON-PLACE BOOK AND INDEX
RERUM, THE MOST USEFUL MODES OF READING, IM-
PROVEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES, ETC.

TO WHICH ARE ADDED
Several Appendices pertaining to Phonology and Phonography.

BY ANDREW J. GRAHAM,

CONDUCTOR OF THE NEW YORK PHONOGRAPHIC ACADEMY; AND AUTHOR OF “THE
HAND-BOOK OF STANDARD PHONOGRAPHY," "THE STANDARD-PHONO-
GRAPHIC DICTIONARY," "THE STANDARD-PHONOGRAPHIC

READERS," AND VARIOUS OTHER WORKS.

"To save time is to lengthen life.”

NEW YORK:
ANDREW J. GRAHAM, 544 BROADWAY.

بارده نه نه نه دیر بود . با

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857,

BY ANDREW J. GRAHAM,

In tho Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southen

District of New York.

PREFACE.

The causes that led to the formation of the system of contractions here presented are stated in subsequent pages. There has been, at least, an earnest endeavor to make it accord not only with certain principles of legibility and speed, which have been thoroughly tested in the best system of shorthand ever devised, but also with the principles of abbreviation (developed in this work) which have heretofore been confidently relied upon by the literary public; and it is felt entirely unnecessary to crave for it the lenient exercise of judgment and criticism, since much rigid testing of it by practice has induced the belief that the system will improve in the estimation of writers in the proportion that a practical knowledge of it is attained.

There is nothing abstruse pertaining to the system-nothing which can not be easily learned and readily reduced to practice. Its three styles are three progressive developments of the same principles-corresponding to three different classes of uses. Each style is amply illustrated by Exercises, which should be perused till familiarity with the appearance of words as contracted is attained. This injunction should be faithfully heeded by all who wish to reap the full benefits of the system. The Exercises, besides serving as exercise in Brief Longhand, will, perhaps, furnish their readers with useful subjects for thought. Every reader seeking the means of intellectual improvement will thankfully accept the suggestions of the Exercises entitled, “ How to Acquire Ease and Correctness in Composition,” “ Authorship,” “ Reading to Purpose," and “Common-Placing.” The article on “Mental Machinery,” from the Tribune, is worthy the serious consideration of every educationist.