A petition was recently sent to the faculty of Cornell by the students requesting that a course in phonography be established in the college. Bogus names were affixed to the petition by some person who wished to be funny, and defaced as it was, as the Era says, the probabilities of its being granted are greatly lessened. We do not wish to comment upon the foolish action of affixing the bogus names, for that has already been handled severely enough in a very sensible editorial in the Era, but would observe that a course in phonography - an elective to be taken as regular college work by those who desired - would be very useful at Harvard, certainly as useful as the study of Chinese. Every one knows the value of a practical knowledge of short-hand, and with the growing demand for instruction in this art, it seems strange that Harvard, so liberal and so ready to establish new and instructive courses, should not have already undertaken to supply the demand among her own pupils. Many think that short-hand is of value only to newspaper reporters; but the truth is, that there is no man engaged in literary work, whether he be lawyer, minister, editor or author, who will not find, and repeatedly prove, a practical knowledge of short-hand writing of great use.

We would humbly suggest the value of such a course at Harvard, and feel convinced that opportunity for learning a better and quicker way of taking notes would be quickly utilized by a large percentage of the students.