Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, edited by James
Grant Wilson, John Fiske and Stanley L. Klos. Six volumes, New York: D. Appleton
and Company, 1887-1889 and 1999. Virtualology.com warns that these 19th Century
biographies contain errors and bias. We rely on volunteers to edit the historic
biographies on a continual basis. If you would like to edit this biographyplease
submit a rewritten biography in text form.
If acceptable, the new biography will be published above the 19th Century
Appleton's Cyclopedia Biography citing the volunteer editor
Virtual American Biographies
Over 30,000 personalities
with thousands of 19th Century illustrations, signatures, and exceptional life
stories. Virtualology.com
welcomes editing and additions to the
biographies. To become this site's editor or a contributor
Click Here
or e-mail Virtualology here.
MUNSON, James Eugene, phonographer, born in Paris, Oneida County, New York, 12 May, 1835. He studied for a time at Amherst, but was not graduated His attention was early directed to the study of short-hand, and he soon became an expert. Coming to New York city early in 1857, he was called upon, ten days after his arrival, to take his first verbatim report on the occasion of the Harvey Burdell murder trial. Soon afterward, in connection with other reporters, he set to work to simplify the existing systems of short-hand, and the fruits of their labor, as finally shaped and put into pracrice by Mr. Munson, were presented in his "Complete Phonographer" (New York, 1866), to the preparation of which he had devoted three years of labor, and tested it by seven years of practice This was followed in 1874 by a "Dictionary of Practical Phonography," and in 1877 a revised edition of the "Complete Phonographer" appeared In 1879 Mr. Munson issued "The Phrase-Book of Practical Phonography," the "phrases" being taken almost entirely from illustrations gathered from the author's notes made in his court practice, he having been court stenographer in New York city for more than twenty years. He also reported the Henry Ward Beecher trial for the New York "Sun," without assistance, during" the six months of its continuance. On two days of the trial the report reached seven and a half columns of agate type each day. He is now (1888) perfecting a type-setting machine that he has invented, which, being operated by means of a prepared ribbon of paper, automatically sets a column of corrected, justified, and leaded type. He has also invented machines by which the ribbon is prepared, and a telegraph, also operated by the same paper ribbon, which causes an exact fac-simile of the ribbon to be automatically produced at a distant point, ready for use in operating a similar type-setting machine These inventions are based on his "Selecting Device," which has also been patented by him.
Unauthorized Site:
This site and its contents are not affiliated, connected,
associated with or authorized by the individual, family,
friends, or trademarked entities utilizing any part or
the subject's entire name. Any official or affiliated
sites that are related to this subject will be hyper
linked below upon submission
and Evisum, Inc. review.
Please join us in our mission to incorporate The Congressional Evolution of the United States of America discovery-based curriculum into the classroom of every primary and secondary school in the United States of America by July 2, 2026, the nation’s 250th birthday. , the United States of America: We The
People. Click Here