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The first shorthand writer in Philadelphia, of whom we have any knowledge, was Thomas Lloyd, who reported the debates in the first Congress of the United States, and was legal reporter in this city for many years. During this time, he returned to his native land (England), and published some of the debates, for which he was thrown into Newgate as a political prisoner, and remained there five years. He was the author of a system of shorthand, which he taught here. Reports of debates in the House of Representatives, taken by him in 1789, are extant ; as also, reports of trials taken in 1820.
Later, M. T. C. Gould practiced and taught a system of shorthand, in this city.
In the year 1848, Oliver Dyer introduced Pitman's phonography~ and taught a class in the Boys' High School. The influence of his teaching was soon felt, and the Philadelphia Phonographic Society was organized April 12th of that year. Among the members of that society, was Townsend Sharpless, who was an enthusiastic advocate of introducing phonography into the public schools, and of its use in business houses: an idea now practically realized in England; also, Franklin Peale, a noted mechanician of Philadelphia, and for many years Chief Coiner of the United States Mint; Clinton Gillingham; Oliver Dyer; and Robert Paterson, who was the author of the first book on Phonographic Reporting ever published in this country.
Many of the members of that society have been prominent advocates of phonography ever since, and are well known
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