Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1901 — His Spelling System. [ARTICLE]

His Spelling System.

Dobbs met his friend Turner In the tram. They were both going to Birmingham and stopped at the same hotel. Turner registered his name “E. K. Phtbolognyrrh.” Dobbs, noticing It, exclaimed, "Here, what are you using such a foreign, outlandish name for?” “I am not assuming any foreign name,” replied Turner. “What kind of a name Is It, then?” “That is my identical old name, and it is English too—pronounced ‘Turner.’ ” “I can’t see how you make ‘Turner’ out of those 13 letters; besides, what Is your object in spelling that way?” asked Dobbs. I “Well, you see, nobody ever noticed my name on the register when I wrote it ‘Turner,’ ” the latter explained, “but since I commenced writing it ‘Phtbologynrrh’ I set them all guessing. It is, as I said before, English spelling, j *Phth’ is the sound of ‘t’ in ‘phthisis,’ | ‘olo’ is the sound of ‘ur* in ‘colonel,’ ‘gn’ there is the/n’ in ‘gnat,’ ‘yrrh’ is she sound of ‘er* in ‘myrrh.’ Now, If that doesn’t spell ‘Turner* what does it spell ?”—London Standard.