Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-31
SATURDAY, MARCH 81, 1866.
A SHORTHAND WRITER.

III -T-H . : II
known in the Lane as the man in black
he had black clothes, black hair and blae
looks. He was very sharp-his walk wa
sharp. his tongue was sharp, and his pei
WAS sharp. The more business he got, tn
worse his temper grew but it was al
bark-there was no bite in it. If b
scolded a poor wandering shorthand clerl
one night, he was none the less ready Il
give HIM another job the next, should h
happen to call. The most deadly offens
in his eve WIS correctness. He could b.
spiteful to clerks who we're clever enough
TO give no occasion for criticism. II,
gave the preference over such to clerk
who were human, and who erred. Thes'
gave a nightly feast to his irony and sar
casm. Disappoint him Of his meal, be a
sharp and immaculate in copying from
your Shorthand as himself, and you for
feited his friendship forever. You were
conceited fellow-an unpleasant compan.
ion from 4 P. N. to perhaps the small
hours Of the morning.
One Thursday night in November
when Michaelmss Term was a week old,
Mr.. Bubb strobe along from his modest
dining-plaee through the cold fog in the
Lane towards his Office. He stepped
quickly up the dark, unlighted staircase,
and stopped into his rooms. There were
only some thirty or forty folios to write,
and then he was free to use a ticket for the
Opera given him by a friend. In the
outer OF clerks Office, was his established
clerk-a boy of ten years, who lived in the
regions below with his mother. There
was also a stranger waiting young man
with a notebook in his hand.
Nothing to night" said Bulb, who
could not vet afford to paw others for doing
what he would do himself.
The stranger turned TO 90.
"If you please, sir" said the boy,
Hume and Smollett have sent round 10
say they want the evidence in Jones and
Perkins by nine o'clock tomorrow.
What - cried The disappointed play
goer.
The boy repeated his message.
Why, there's 200 folios of it, and I've
told everybody / should mt want them.
Run down the Lane, and if you don't find
some Of them, never show your useless
face here again. RUM"
The boy disappeared on his errand.
"And now, said Budd, turning to the
stranger who had fingered, "you are in for
it. There's 300 tolios to do before you
leave this Office"
avery well, sir"
This philosophic reply caused Budd to
scrutinize the. stranger more narrowly.
He was dressed in an Inverness a he
held his round hat respectfully in one hand,
and u brand new reporters note book in
other. He looked very young his
voice was not broken; his cheeks were
smooth, and free, as yet, from whiskers;
bis dark hair was short and curly; his
black eyes had amerry look in them. In
ine, he was a very good looking boy.
a have never seen you before" re-
marked Budd. "Where did you learn
shorthand ?"
AT home, sir"
"Have youever done such work as mine
"No, sir"
Good graciousl Then perhaps you
amt do it l am sure you can't. You
lon look as if you could And whats to
become of me? Do you know what 300
olios mean?"
"No, sir"
tAVuSAb hOh1 sdAu DuUU COuIemp- /
uously. Well, then, I'll tell you, its
more than twelve hours hard work. And
What will become of me? If that boy
Doesn't find some help, I'll hang him."
at is true, sir, that l ave never done
his work before" persisted the shorthand
novice, but you can't tell whether 1 can
10 it or not till 1 have tried.
"An Irishman said something like that
he was asked if he could play the
remarked Bubb severely.
Here his boy clerk returned. al can
ZEE nothing but the fog, sir, if you please
Under the pressure Of business, his mas
er deigned no reply but a look" What
5 your name p he demanded OF his would
e assistant.
John Smith, sir"
"A very remarkable one. Sit down
me there, and tell me if l read
90 fast"
He opened the notebook in which he
lad taken down the evidence in Jones
-ersus Perkins, and began to read aloud.
ohm Smith wrote it down in his own
in the notebook he had
with him, beginning the ques-
ions ut the extreme left, and the answers
the middle of the page. He had nearly
He'd a couple of slips, when Bulb stopped
1ddenly and watched how far he was
ehind. Only four or five words.
Read" said Bubb.
John Smith read unhesitatingly. Bulb
ried lard not to feel pleased, and failed
Write it out on this paper. Begin six
ines from the bottom-I will put the
,,Is.- - ,E,---.-lr "a - - IL |
rs and AS in the margin
Without a word John Smith did as
and that in a swift, clear hand
Don't leave blanks" said Bulb, "and
ont puzzle yer a word you can't make
ut at once; ask me-"
But Smith had nothing to ask.
You'll do" remarked Bubb, pithily.
| bright thought struck him. " You
ant expect Nr. Smith, the same pay as
n experinced hand. Two pence per TO-
is what such a man gets, and we reck-
n about eight folios in a sheet of evil
ence. III give you three halfpence
Till that do?"
"Yes, sir" replied Smith, humbly. So
their work they went-Bubb debating
Jul lily tiAo AZ a III " 0AAAALIr Will
irections to fit it in on the right side of
sheet, and then copying out himself the
o%ntinuation from his own note book
hey worked on thus without interrup.
on, a a cup of tea and a hastily swal-
owed crust till between three and four
be next morning, when all the evidence
fas written fairly out.
"Come as soon after three this afternoon
s you can, said Bulb, as he parted with
is new assistant at the door, of the office;
1 have a case in Kindersley's court"
'ubb returned to read over, page, and
in a neat cover his many sheets of
Manuscript. Then ne made himself a bed
n the couch in his own Office, and slept
till eight o'clock, when his boy
Jerk came up from the kitchen with his
reakfast.
That night the Offices of Mr.. Bubb pre-
a noisy and busy seem The outer
was crowded with ASSISTANTS, who
moked and wrote, and talked, and sent
ut the boy for beer, which they passed
!, each other under the table-who were
instantly asking questions, and making
and occasionally swearing soto
Gee. The door of Mr.. Bulbs private
flee was ajar, and from thence
is snarl and sheer came to them in
.pid sequence. All the evening, they
ad been taking turns to be dictated to
t Mr.. Bulbs desk, and the wrsngling
him and his slow dictatees-his
ring favOrites-was ever in tie ears of
Il. The low-stationer's boy had worried
l.ll 49,. d. -4,Ha - e. D. ---.