The evening world., 1888-07-07
shorthand after q few months instruction
and OF very reasonable rates for tuition.

hhAAa IN n " ohh hhRNs
and OF very reasonable rates for tuition.
A POPULAR pELusIoN.
The result Of all this is that shorthand IL
looked npon by the great mass Of persons
unacquainted with the subject, rs an art yery
easv Of requirement, and the prevailing idea
learned the shorthand writer can write with
absolute accuracy, and at a high rate of
speed, without any extraordinary mental
effort.
The contrary Ia the case. however. Not
only must the shorthand writer fully under
stand the theory Of his art, but he must be
in as constant practice as a musician or any
other person who has to make his living by
the combination Of trained brain and fingers
operating III unison. The truth IS that to
write shorthand at n speed very slightly be.
yond that to which the writer's practice and
study have brought him is an intense mental
effort, and to increase that speed again in
the slightest degree would make his task sn
impossibility..
Practice " the only way TO increase speed,
as 1t is the only way to play the violin; but
practice alone will no more make an expert
stenographer than 1t will make n violin viz
tuoso. The expert photographer is q genius
like the poet. he Is born, not made his
pen sweeps gracefully through new and un;
familiar outlines with the same. measured
movement with which il records the familiar
Saxon of everyday life, and he grasps the
meaning Of an intricate and involved
sentence in his notes with q rapidity little
short OF inspiration.
WORK IN BUSINESS HOUSES,
While the work Of the ~amanuensis, TO
which class the bulk of the stenographic ele-
ment naturally belongs, is rendered easier
than that OF the reporter by it's continual y
running in the same groove the speed Mt
which dictation is given In business houses
frequently runs up to as high a rate as that
which the reporter is required to attain. The
~anlanuensis is often required to write out
hurried notes on the typewriter ut a high
speed with perfect accuracy late in the day,
VIII lie his or her employer is waiting with
teverish anxiety to atix his signature and
hurry to the train.
The AFFINITY to respond to such calls at a
moments notice, to furnish an accurate tran
script at a high speed, is an evidence of some
tn ng which no mere superficial knowledge
of shorthand can supply un ess reinforre ed
by pr. ctice. and practice which must usually
be had outside Of business hours: " Actual
work is not practice" says Mr.. Morris, the
1.-THE Phrase" MANY. employers dictate at
q low rate # speed habitually, except when
Iaboring under excitement. The ordinary
speed is actually no practice for the stenog-
for these sudden bursts Of high speed, he
must practice at least occasionally outside of
business hours.
SKILLED LABoRERs.
It 10 not necessary here to draw attention
to the need for a good education. quick per-
ception and varied knowledge on the part of
the amanuensis IN order to accomplish his
work to the satisfaction of his employer. No
doubt many of the failures which tend to
bring down the scale of remuneration for
stenographic work have been caused by the
absence of these qualities and requirements.
The Stenographers' Association seeks to
speak with united voice to those employing
photographers, and 10 show to such that the
labor, If properly performed, is worthy of a
hire suitable to skilled labor and 1t also de-
siraa IN im,,raaa nn0n ito memharl that all
work should be done in the best possible
wly-to aid them in improving and increas-
ing their qualifications, and to establish and
maintain an esprit de corps which will bring
the recognition due to all good and laudable
effort.
A HIaHER
Recognizing fully the fact that q low
standard of work means a low standard of re.
Enumeration, 1t endeavors. first, to increase
the alb lilies of its members, and, secondly,
to show the EMPLOYERS of stenographers,
whe her as 8 or otherwise, that
the hard 8 udy aud constant practice. which
the conscientious shorthand writer brings to
his task is deseI wing of q fair and remuner.
alive salary. In face of the fact that adver.
t,sements are not uncommon Offering less
than the pay Of car driver or laborer for O
stenographer, 1t is believed that n movement
of this kind will necessarily appeal to all, nc
may be.
WOMEN sTENoaRAPHERs.
It is the misfortune of the English Language
that it has no pronoun capable Of expressing
in the singular number a substantive of either
the masculine or feminine gender. Conse
~quently we have been Obliged 10 use the pro.
nouns he and his alone in REFER ne to steno.
graphers. in order to avoid the cumhrout
repetition of he or she, her or his. Let it no
be suppo ed, however, that we are unmind
full of the very large element of women in tn,
shorthand profession. The Stenographers
Ass ,cIation is happy to humble many yer,
talented ladies among it's ranks, and is at al
times ready to welcome the fair sex INTO it
midst.
A GALLANT TRIBUTE.
Shorthand and typewriting have been i'm
mense boons to the female sex, and We arr
proud to soy that they have always cooper
ated with their brothers in the profession il
endeavoring to promote the interests of tn,
Graf and raise the standard Of It's members
A high tribute must be paid to the gen
eral intelligence, superior education ant
lofty character of the women employed il
this great city as stenographers.
The foregoing are some of the considera
lions which prompted the formation of tn
Stenograuher,' Association of New York. ant
it is believed that stenographers in genera
will cooperate with II in this work, which i
to the benefit of all alike.
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