Oliver Dyer
Encyclopedia
Oliver Dyer was an American journalist, author, teacher, lawyer and stenographer. A pioneer in phonography
, he developed his own shorthand system
which was the first to be adopted for use in the United States. It was used not only for courtroom testimony but also for recording political events such as the Free Soil Convention
in Buffalo, New York
, and sessions of the 30th United States Congress
in Washington, D.C.
, in 1848. It was in the latter role that he became the first Congressional shorthand reporter.
Dyer also had a successful career as a columnist for a number of popular publications, such as the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, New York Ledger
and The Sun, during the 1850s and 60s. He was prominent among the reformers who campaigned against the various saloons, clubs and other "immoral establishments" of New York's underworld. His 1868 expose of John Allen
caused the saloon keeper to become infamously known as "the wickedest man in New York" and forced to close his dance hall. Dyer was also one of the signatories of the Water Street Revival "street preaching" document, which supported attempts by religious leaders to convince saloon keepers and other criminal figures to abandon crime as a way of life.
on April 26, 1824, Oliver Dyer moved with his parents to Lockport
where his father, Jeremiah Dyer, opened a shoemaking shop. Dyer spent most of his early life in the city and became a schoolteacher in 1840. During this time, he became interested in phonography
, a popular type of shorthand system
then being used in Great Britain, and soon developed his own system. A student of Sir Isaac Pitman
, developer of Pitman shorthand
, Dyer initially practiced by copying Sunday sermons verbatim and later began teaching phonography classes in which he demonstrated his new system. He began teaching and lecturing in cities across the county. In Philadelphia, he established the first American shorthand periodical, the American Phonographic Journal, as well as the first experimental classes in shorthand at Central High School
. After receiving permission from the school, he taught a volunteer after-school class of 250 students free of charge from which would emerge some of the most prominent shorthand writers of the period such as Dennis F. Murphy. These classes were so popular, with the students showing much promise, that shorthand was officially added to the school's curriculum the next year under a regular instructor.
Dyer's system became widely used throughout the decade, and Dyer was eventually considered the leading authority on shorthand in the United States. In 1847, he began supplying the first phonographic reports published by the New York Tribune
and for a newspaper in Toronto
, the latter being the first published in Canada
. This system was especially used in courtroom testimony and was used to record the proceedings of the national Free Soil Convention
in Buffalo, New York
, on August 9–10, 1848. Dyer later travelled to Washington, D.C.
to record sessions of 30th Congress
as its first shorthand reporter. He was a strong supporter of the abolitionist movement and often had disagreements with then Congressman Horace Greeley
. Dyer studied law while living in Washington, but later chose to pursue a career in journalism instead.
By the early 1850s, Dyer was a full-time writer for a number of magazines and publications such as the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, New York Ledger
and The Sun. It was in the field of journalism that he gained his greatest fame. In 1852 as editor of the Musical World and Times, he hired Fanny Fern
from Boston as the first woman to have her own newspaper column, to great success and rapid fame. The next year he helped her find a publisher for her first book, which became a major bestseller in its first year. She was such a success that by 1855 she was the highest-paid newspaper writer in the nation.
Dyer was an outspoken critic of saloons, clubs and other immoral establishments which typified the New York underworld. In 1868, he was hired by Silas S. Packard shortly after his founding of the magazine Packard's Monthly. That summer, Dyer wrote an exposé on saloon keeper John Allen
, a one-time religious student involved in prostitution and murder, for which Allen gained infamy as "The Wickedest Man in New York". He later had "a truthful biography" published about Allen, The Wickedest Man in New York: "Truth Stanger Than Fiction", which became very popular not only in New York but around the country. It also made Packard's Monthly very successful and set the tone for future stories; the magazine's official slogan became "truth is stranger than fiction". Even Allen, despite his notoriety, embraced his new-found publicity by pasting copies of the article in the windows and on the bar mirror of his dance hall, and had business cards printed up using the title "Wickedest Man in New York" as the owner. This led some reformers to criticize Dyer for advertising the red light
and vice district
s of the Fourth Ward.
Dyer was also associated with the so-called "Water Street Revival", in part due to his writings for Packard's Monthly. He was one of the signatories to the "street preaching" document which gave support to religious leaders' efforts to convince saloon keepers and other criminal figures to abandon crime as a way of life. They persuaded John Allen and others to allow their establishments to be used by missionaries for prayer meetings and other church services. The New York Times
eventually exposed the revival movement as a fraud. Dyer's public crusade against Allen resulted in the close of his Water Street dance hall, and Allen died two years later.
In his later years, Dyer became a published author on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from religious writings and political topics, such as the effects of Reconstruction, and the history of The New York Sun. He also wrote biographies on fellow journalist Henry Woodfin Grady
, historian George Bancroft
, and former U.S. Presidents Andrew Jackson
and James A. Garfield. In 1876, his spiritual journey took another turn, and he was ordained as a minister in the Swedenborgian faith after years of service in Washington, D.C. and New York City.
Dyer died of bronchitis
at the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital
in Boston, Massachusetts on the afternoon of January 13, 1907. His funeral service was held three days later at the Church of New Jerusalem
on Bowdoin Street, officiated by Rev. H. Clinton Hay with hymns performed by the Schubert Quartet, before his burial at Forest Hills Cemetery
.
Phonography
Phonography, meaning "sound writing" in Greek, may refer to:* Pitman shorthand, sometimes called phonography, a system of shorthand stenography developed by Isaac Pitman* Phonography, a neologism used by some to refer to field recording...
, he developed his own shorthand system
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
which was the first to be adopted for use in the United States. It was used not only for courtroom testimony but also for recording political events such as the Free Soil Convention
Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, and sessions of the 30th United States Congress
30th United States Congress
The Thirtieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847 to March 3, 1849, during the last two years of...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in 1848. It was in the latter role that he became the first Congressional shorthand reporter.
Dyer also had a successful career as a columnist for a number of popular publications, such as the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, New York Ledger
New York Ledger
New York Ledger was a weekly story paper published in New York City. It was established in 1856 by Robert E. Bonner. Date of last issue was 1898....
and The Sun, during the 1850s and 60s. He was prominent among the reformers who campaigned against the various saloons, clubs and other "immoral establishments" of New York's underworld. His 1868 expose of John Allen
John Allen (saloon keeper)
John Allen was an American saloon keeper and underworld figure in New York City during the early-to mid 19th century. A former religious student, Allen was considered one of the most notorious criminals in the city and was known as the "Wickedest Man in New York"...
caused the saloon keeper to become infamously known as "the wickedest man in New York" and forced to close his dance hall. Dyer was also one of the signatories of the Water Street Revival "street preaching" document, which supported attempts by religious leaders to convince saloon keepers and other criminal figures to abandon crime as a way of life.
Biography
Born in Porter, New YorkPorter, New York
Porter is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 6,771 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Judge Augustus Porter....
on April 26, 1824, Oliver Dyer moved with his parents to Lockport
Lockport (city), New York
Lockport is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 21,165 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a set of Erie canal locks within the city. Lockport is the county seat of Niagara County and is surrounded by the town of Lockport...
where his father, Jeremiah Dyer, opened a shoemaking shop. Dyer spent most of his early life in the city and became a schoolteacher in 1840. During this time, he became interested in phonography
Phonography
Phonography, meaning "sound writing" in Greek, may refer to:* Pitman shorthand, sometimes called phonography, a system of shorthand stenography developed by Isaac Pitman* Phonography, a neologism used by some to refer to field recording...
, a popular type of shorthand system
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
then being used in Great Britain, and soon developed his own system. A student of Sir Isaac Pitman
Isaac Pitman
Sir Isaac Pitman , knighted in 1894, developed the most widely used system of shorthand, known now as Pitman shorthand. He first proposed this in Stenographic Soundhand in 1837. Pitman was a qualified teacher and taught at a private school he founded in Wotton-under-Edge...
, developer of Pitman shorthand
Pitman Shorthand
Pitman shorthand is a system of shorthand for the English language developed by Englishman Sir Isaac Pitman , who first presented it in 1837. Like most systems of shorthand, it is a phonetic system; the symbols do not represent letters, but rather sounds, and words are, for the most part, written...
, Dyer initially practiced by copying Sunday sermons verbatim and later began teaching phonography classes in which he demonstrated his new system. He began teaching and lecturing in cities across the county. In Philadelphia, he established the first American shorthand periodical, the American Phonographic Journal, as well as the first experimental classes in shorthand at Central High School
Central High School (Philadelphia)
Central High School is a public secondary school in the Logan section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Central, the second-oldest continuously public high school in the United States , was founded in 1836 and is a four-year university preparatory magnet school...
. After receiving permission from the school, he taught a volunteer after-school class of 250 students free of charge from which would emerge some of the most prominent shorthand writers of the period such as Dennis F. Murphy. These classes were so popular, with the students showing much promise, that shorthand was officially added to the school's curriculum the next year under a regular instructor.
Dyer's system became widely used throughout the decade, and Dyer was eventually considered the leading authority on shorthand in the United States. In 1847, he began supplying the first phonographic reports published by the New York Tribune
New York Tribune
The New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States...
and for a newspaper in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, the latter being the first published in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. This system was especially used in courtroom testimony and was used to record the proceedings of the national Free Soil Convention
Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, on August 9–10, 1848. Dyer later travelled to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to record sessions of 30th Congress
30th United States Congress
The Thirtieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847 to March 3, 1849, during the last two years of...
as its first shorthand reporter. He was a strong supporter of the abolitionist movement and often had disagreements with then Congressman Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
. Dyer studied law while living in Washington, but later chose to pursue a career in journalism instead.
By the early 1850s, Dyer was a full-time writer for a number of magazines and publications such as the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, New York Ledger
New York Ledger
New York Ledger was a weekly story paper published in New York City. It was established in 1856 by Robert E. Bonner. Date of last issue was 1898....
and The Sun. It was in the field of journalism that he gained his greatest fame. In 1852 as editor of the Musical World and Times, he hired Fanny Fern
Fanny Fern
Fanny Fern, born Sara Willis , was an American writer and the first woman to have a regular newspaper column. She was also a humorist, novelist, and author of children's stories in the 1850s-1870s. Fern's great popularity has been attributed to her conversational style and sense of what mattered to...
from Boston as the first woman to have her own newspaper column, to great success and rapid fame. The next year he helped her find a publisher for her first book, which became a major bestseller in its first year. She was such a success that by 1855 she was the highest-paid newspaper writer in the nation.
Dyer was an outspoken critic of saloons, clubs and other immoral establishments which typified the New York underworld. In 1868, he was hired by Silas S. Packard shortly after his founding of the magazine Packard's Monthly. That summer, Dyer wrote an exposé on saloon keeper John Allen
John Allen (saloon keeper)
John Allen was an American saloon keeper and underworld figure in New York City during the early-to mid 19th century. A former religious student, Allen was considered one of the most notorious criminals in the city and was known as the "Wickedest Man in New York"...
, a one-time religious student involved in prostitution and murder, for which Allen gained infamy as "The Wickedest Man in New York". He later had "a truthful biography" published about Allen, The Wickedest Man in New York: "Truth Stanger Than Fiction", which became very popular not only in New York but around the country. It also made Packard's Monthly very successful and set the tone for future stories; the magazine's official slogan became "truth is stranger than fiction". Even Allen, despite his notoriety, embraced his new-found publicity by pasting copies of the article in the windows and on the bar mirror of his dance hall, and had business cards printed up using the title "Wickedest Man in New York" as the owner. This led some reformers to criticize Dyer for advertising the red light
Red Light District
Red Light District may refer to:* Red-light district - a neighborhood where prostitution is common* The Red Light District - the title of the 2004 album by rapper Ludacris* Red Light District Video - a pornography studio based in Los Angeles, California...
and vice district
Vice District
Vice District is one of six districts of the province Sechura in Peru.-References:...
s of the Fourth Ward.
Dyer was also associated with the so-called "Water Street Revival", in part due to his writings for Packard's Monthly. He was one of the signatories to the "street preaching" document which gave support to religious leaders' efforts to convince saloon keepers and other criminal figures to abandon crime as a way of life. They persuaded John Allen and others to allow their establishments to be used by missionaries for prayer meetings and other church services. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
eventually exposed the revival movement as a fraud. Dyer's public crusade against Allen resulted in the close of his Water Street dance hall, and Allen died two years later.
In his later years, Dyer became a published author on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from religious writings and political topics, such as the effects of Reconstruction, and the history of The New York Sun. He also wrote biographies on fellow journalist Henry Woodfin Grady
Henry W. Grady
Henry Woodfin Grady was a journalist and orator who helped reintegrate the states of the former Confederacy into the Union after the American Civil War....
, historian George Bancroft
George Bancroft
George Bancroft was an American historian and statesman who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state and at the national level. During his tenure as U.S. Secretary of the Navy, he established the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1845...
, and former U.S. Presidents Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and James A. Garfield. In 1876, his spiritual journey took another turn, and he was ordained as a minister in the Swedenborgian faith after years of service in Washington, D.C. and New York City.
Dyer died of bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
at the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital
Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital
Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital was a homeopathic institution in Boston, Massachusetts that performed the first successful removal of the kidney in New England....
in Boston, Massachusetts on the afternoon of January 13, 1907. His funeral service was held three days later at the Church of New Jerusalem
Swedenborgian Church of North America
The Swedenborgian Church in North America . The Administrative Offices of the denomination are located at 11 Highland Avenue, Newton, MA.-Beliefs:...
on Bowdoin Street, officiated by Rev. H. Clinton Hay with hymns performed by the Schubert Quartet, before his burial at Forest Hills Cemetery
Forest Hills Cemetery
Forest Hills Cemetery is a historic cemetery, greenspace, arboretum and sculpture garden located in the Forest Hills section of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery was designed in 1848.-Overview:...
.
Further reading
- Bonner, Arthur. Jerry McAuley and His Mission. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Bros., 1967.
- Brasher, Thomas L. Whitman as Editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1970.
- Stern, Madeline B. "Pothooks for Freedom: Stephen Pearl Andrews and the Introduction of Phonography into America". Bulletin of the New York Public Library. Vol. 67, No. 6 (June 1963): 33–56.