The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-11-24

,,,ousthu, IL IS estimated, are females.
ABOUT three-fourths OF these female
operators are able to write shorthand
shorthand and type-writing now going
hand in hand. 1t would seem as if in q
very few years these young women will
nave monopoly of the shorthand
business. The number of male learners
OF the art of stenography is decreasing
every year. In every business office Of
Importance the type-writing operator
taxes her instructions in short-hand.
the merchant debating the substance Of
what ne wants to say to his correspond
ents, and the young woman writing the
letters on the machine at her leisure
and having them all ready to SIGN be
fore mail hour. .
But all these dry details of the type
writing business are pretty well known
to the public. What the public is per-
haps not SO well posted on is the Ell
9uette OF the typewriting machine.
future editions of books on etiquette
will probably contain chapter on type
written missives in their relation to
social forms. Perhaps such q chapter
is already published elsewhere. A re-
porter would be about the last one to
see it, for he would be ashamed to be
found dead with book on etiquette in
his possession. There is legend re-
lated Of a young woman in Hoosierdom
who got mad when her lover sent her a
letter written with a typewriter, and
sharply replied to the effect that she
wasn't to be wooed by machinery, and
that all bets were off. This story is
probably untrue, for Hooser girls are
not apt to turn up their noses at eligible
young men, except for some radical
fault. The serious questions suggested
by the story are: First, Is it allowable
to use typewriting machine in polite,
social and friendly correspondence?
Second, Is it allowable to use it for
love-letters? Third, Would proposal
OF marriage written this way hold good
in breach of promise case in court
OF law? These be questions that come
home to all of us. The first question
should be answered in the affirmative.
The second question is a poser. If the
young man has got it bad he may be
glad to get any sort of letter, and vice
versa. The opinion of an authority in
such matters is that the machine can be
safely used up to q certain stage Of the
courtship and must then be discarded
for the more warmly-appearing hand
writing. For instance, Miss Smythe,
who operates a typewriter for Packer
q Co., makes the acquaintance OF Mr..
Jones, retail salesman, at little
friendly social. They become interested
in each other. The stupid Jones does
not know howt to improve the acquaint-
ance, much as he desires to do SO, and
for all he can do may probably never
see her again. But Miss Smythe' s
womanly wit bridges the cllasni. She
writes to Mr.. Jones-and here the type
writer is misunderstanding some little
thing that will insure reply and open
Jones was to further acquaintance. She
writes:
Dear Mr.. Jones: 1 am sorry to trouble you
but want so much to know. and l am quite
sure you can tell me, who is the author of
the beautiful little poem you recited that
very pleasant evening at Mrs. Browns. 1t
began:
"Why doth my heart so strangely move?
Why am l sad and vexed?
Is it because gave my love
Before that 1t was axed"'
Your sincere friend,
MARIE EDITH SMYTHE.
Then Jones will reply that the poem
is by Mr.. Browning, of London, and is
entitled "'Twixt Sappho and Cha
rybdis," page 229, canto 48. If Jones
is properly caught he will call
around with copy of the poem and in
vite Miss Smythe out to a quiet place
in the park where they may read it to-
gether. Up to this point, and even
further, typewriter letters are permits
sible, but when Jones kisses Miss
Smythe's hand at parting,
and tells her what sal
airy he has, and the sort of woman his
mother is, and how it is his ambition to
have a little home of his own with a
congenial companion, it is proper that
Miss Smythe's next note should be writ
ten altogether in her own handwriting.
Jones will like it. If this disquisition
should be of help to young persons
whose path to matrimonial bliss is
blocked by this question OF etiquette the
writer will be amply repaid.
In basement office on La Sale street
a pretty typewriter sits atthe front win
dow in full view of the passers-by, and
it is quite common thing to see a row
of Washers, or dudes, strung along the
railing gazing down at the seemingly
unconscious operator. The other day
the young lady got annoyed by the per-
sistent attentions of two Enlish-looking
individuals, and sent the office-boy out
to tell policeman to warn them OIL.
The officer the boy struck happened to
be Steve Rowan of Tipperary, and if
there is any one thing Steve likes worse
than another it's a mutton-chop-whis-
kered Englishman. Very few words
were exchanged between Steve and the
Enolishman before the latter made an in
sulting remark and Steve promptly
marched the pair to the station, where
they were liberated on promise to drop
the masher business and let modest
girls alone.
The typewriting machine was invented
by a Milwaukee editor in 1867. The
benefits conferred to the world by edi-
tors will probably never be fully known.
The Milwaukee editor had two partners,
but as soon as he met man with
money, and willing to part with it, he
froze the partners out and took in the
capitalst. The machine has been i'm
ever since and is now rapidly
going into general use. 1t looks as if
the day were coming when the reporter
will carry his printing machine around
with him and print speech or an inter 11,