Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-12-14
WORK FOR WOMEN.

The Recent Growth in the Demand foY
stenographers and Type Writers.
One of the most energetic and suc-
cessful business women in New York
manages a big institution for supply.
ing and training stenographcrs and
type-wrtcrs. She is an expert in
both arts and understands them
thoroughly. A few years ago she
started out alone to earn her own liv.
ing by such work whenever she could
find it to do. Now she has sixty or
seventy pupils in her school-room, n
score of busy type-writcrs in her copy
ing Offices and directs bureau of
operators and shorthand writers that
embraces good share of New York
and Brooklyn. She has built up her
business by sagacity and persistent IN
dustry. OF both qualities she has
great deal more than any number of
men possess.
Few people have any idea of the ex-
tent TO which stenography has grown
to be an adjunct or ordinary business
within few years" she said to re-
porter the other day. 81 have more
applications for competent phono-
graphcrs and typc-wriiers from
business houses than | can well
supply. They have got to be as
much a necessary part of the Quilt Of
big house nowadays as II safe. Every
firm must have one. | keep book
here in which every stcnographer is at
liberty to register 1t has grown to
the size of an unabridged dictionary,
and contains the names of thousands
of good operators and writers. The
overwhelming majority of them are
steadily employed at fair salaries. OF
course everybody cant learn the art.
But most of those who can need have
no fear of lack of employment, Judging
from present appearances, for the uses
of their services are becoming more
widespread every day. Women ordi-
narily make better operators and arc
much more satisfactory to business
houses than menP WhyP Wen, in the
first place, it is Il woman's work. 1t
requires patience, quick apprehension,
steady industry and duft fingers which
women often and men seldom have in
combination. Then women are more
trustworthy with the firms secrets.
Now, don't laugh. | know all about
those loary jests on the inability of
women 10 keep secret. just the
same, it is a fact that they can hold
business condolences better than men.
| have heard that again and again from
business men who have come here in
search of private clerks who are stem
ographers. They have told me they
would not dare to trust men with
the inside secrets of their busi-
ness which it would be necessary
for such clerk TO know. But they
would be perfectly willing to risk them
with woman. In many cases firms
have fitted up private Offices for women
stenographers who objected to going
into big wholesale stores and such
places where men only were employed,
rather than hire man in the position.
In this way a new avenue for the en-
ployment of women is rapidly ddEelop-
ing. | think it promises to become
more and more a profitable source of
livelihood for them. If Mr.. Howells'
pooryoung lady in "A Woman's Reason
had known enough to learn stenog,
raphy, and had been ordinarily bright,
she could have supported herself easily
enough"
Show long does 1t take one of fair
average ability to learn the business?"
"Under ordinary circumstances and
by steady application about six months.
That is, to learn stenography and be-
come a moderately good operator on
the typewriter. The two should al
ways go together. After such course
most young women are competent to
do any ordinary work and can earn
from So to Sl5 week. II they arc
unusually bright or get TO be experts,
| they can command from $lS to $25. -
N y. Mail and Express.