Dupraw on the Job

|I found, in an old Gregg Writer, a speech given by Otto H. Kahn that was taken down in Gregg Shorthand by Martin J. Dupraw.  I have scanned most of  it, I think, into the Pictures section of this site.  The introduction is fun to read, too!

(by jim for
everyone)

 


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  1. Hi Jim,
    Nice pictures.
    Even though I'm just starting to study Gregg in English, I have taken those pictures as a reading exercise, I can guess some words, but I cannot do a logical text. I would like if you can add the transcription for comparing it.
    Regards,

    VALO

  2. We will have to depend on the kindness and skills of our fellow posters here, because I do not have the transcription for that particular selection (in fact, I'm not sure that the magazine published the transciption).  When I xeroxed the article long ago, I'm sure I would have copied the transcription if there had been one.  I'm sorry!  Anyone willing to give the first page a try? Lo siento muchissimo…Jim

  3. >After having loomed to my obsessions, some or all of you may object that what I am offering are counsels of profession.

    'Loomed' doesn't make much sense here. I thought it was listened (though the outline is incorrect). I wonder if Dupraw added an 'nd' to 'list' to form listened?

    I also read a couple of other words differently: 'After having listened to my observations [obsessions], some or all of you may object that what I am offering are counsels of perfection [profession].'

    Kevin

  4. Chuck–Bravo, what an achievement!  I spent a long time last night working on it, in case nobody else wanted to, and I got through almost the first page, so that will tell you where I am in reading Anniversary!.  I am proud of the fact that my version agrees with yours in almost every respect.  However, like Kevin, I too decided that Dupraw must have meant "listened to my observations" and "counsels of perfection" but this was based only on frustration at not being able to read the characters correctly, and on context.  I also thought "uplift" might have been "uplifting" but there was no dot, which was confusing.  Thank you so much for undertaking this daunting task and for your rapid and professional response!

  5. I agree, that phrase ("listened to my observations") makes more sense.  And yes, you're right, it is "counsels of perfection".  I thought I read p – r – f – e – sh, instead of p – r – f – sh.   Part of the fun of shorthand is transcribing, so I do it anytime I can.  You learn nuances of the writer in that respect.  There are some outlines that indeed are not written according to theory ("perfunctory", "listen"), but again, so what?  I think it is a very well written piece.  I've read other takes written by Dupraw at high speeds (> 220 wpm), which they are almost illegible, and he makes many more substitutions.  One thing he does is use the period for "and".  That struck me when I first saw it.

  6. Just a couple of more things I noticed:

    – the great man would dare [deign] to observe our humble activity

    – I would add a word to bust [boost?] the merit and profitableness of perseverance

    Do you think this was written at speed in real-time? Some of the outlines threw me (an 'f' that looks like 'v', an 'a' that seems more like 'e').

    Kevin

  7. Thanks Kevin.  Yes, those two words were stumbling me, so I put "dare" and "bust", not thinking of "deign" and "boost" (I would've marked the u in boost, but …).  I think I can count in one hand the times I've used the word "deign" in my life, .   I don't think this was written in real time, perhaps someone dictated the speech to him.

  8. Nice work, Chuck!
    When I saw "activity" I realised it's Anniversary…
    Yes, I felt the same with the a dot for "and".

    Could you tell me the difference between "us" and "yourself(ves)" in shorthand? Because, I have seen them in the transcription, but I don't agree at all.

    "It's not" is a funny outline, different from "it isn't", see?

    As Kevin said, besides some Ms look like MN blend, and some Ns, as Ms.

    Reviewing another text I wonder, what's the rigth way for writing "yes, sir"?

    Great job!!

    VALO

  9. Just to keep this thread alive, and not to make Chuck think we're over-analyzing his brilliant rendering of a difficult text, could "apt" be "apart"?  It seemed to me that this word would fit a little better in the context…("quite apart from the ethical element").  That's my sole contribution.  I am in awe of anybody who can work his way through something like this and make sense out of it…after all, it was written over three-quarters of a century ago!

  10. Yes, apt may be apart.  It makes more sense!   The main difference between "us" and "yourself" is that you blend the u and the s in us, while they are kept separate in yourself.   "Yes, Sir" is written as oval – left s.  

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