The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-19

that In the tenth story OF the Potter Building,
where her girls, when they stop long enough to
look out the window. can see the blue Orange
Mountains in the distance, and almost at their
feet the bright. gay City Hall Park. with little
black beings scamperinR about all over 1t;
while In between is n Vista OF everything. the
dingy red acres Of roofs with wlnd-twisted
steam clouds writhing from a hundred CHIN
neys. like white ghosts caught to their grave
stones and ovcrtaken by daylight. struggling
to be free: the dull, rough field Of the river,
ploughed in eccentric burrows by a score OF
crawling red. yellow. and white ferrybonts.
and Hoboken. a dark hill, white dotted with
houses. with the great. gray monastery
brooding over them like a large and
solemn hen over small and lively chick
ens. Before such n window. amid the clat-
ter and tinkle Of half a dozen typewriters.
she told the story OF how she came to go into
business for herself. Middle age, or moro than
n fair share OF worry, has grayed her hair u
little. but dimples and soft, CHEEKY gray eyes
fairly offset that, and a neat black cloth dress.
fitting wcll. gives an edifylng air OF business
like n~eatncss BETTING the neatness OF tho
place. Her voice remains soft and flexible,
which IL remarkable. She Is probably the only
woman in tho country who has been able to
follow the business OF debating for typewriter
c~opyists without having an unpleasant element
OF shrill monotony added to her voice.
IL began business as q stenographer and law
reporter" she said. eleven years ago. and
prnctised that alone for about two years before
/ went into typewriting. / started the bust
ness both in Now York and Now Jersey, intend
ing to locate In New York, but happened to
lave n great deal Of New Jersey influence, and
so for il good while most Of my work was there.
] knew nothing Mt first about the business eN-
cent TINT L got some sort OF IN lueu Oh IL Dy
being engaged In charitable work. MY mother
Is Iai,"s !" phil, dhrI =, to and | WAS So S5ou .aa
I've ability; Almost tho irst thins I did wns
F fre ~ an Gn IL wn IS an "a S Saaa,i isasion a9 Of r STs
resentatives somei hing like the Charity Organs
cation Society, in this city, thai is, 1t came TO be
dent. / organized It, and I suppose develoned
any business tnlent l may have had In doing
II begnn by tenching school first to support
was independent. Teaching was very d%istaste;
wanted to get ont of it. / had a lawyer friend
who cmnioyed an eHnert LADY sten2Grnp n IN
Brothers have a way Of Directing TO laboring
women for sisters. You know: had influence
teacher. / taughttwo years in one OF the finest
schools in New York, but, | always felt as
t = 9Sse tine i1I.nd ips ;n,rd u tsS'i y @s VII lis l0 sacno NY
rnrher-she was one Of the first women stcnog-
rnnhers in New York. At. that time stenoG-
Comparatively lew good ones, and she was
earning n very high income. She gave me
sons s,1, ,ns ndyir e.rn ABOUT /, s mliyIT ant sGte ssisrnsnS
when l thought was fitted for a place. went
to her. | had had no instruction, except from
iasked her for work and she dictated, some
copy back She held back her head and laughed:
II ,&,na nrt tppnh nIrf IF fha rrnnArf nrn. hnf IL
was accurate. worked with nor some time
without pny, Just for the experience; and l Ind
sc a epar ai,s"dis / Iremember the trouble Was tbasf
wouldn't work on Sunday. We parted Mt tho
corner of the street. and thought my fortune
ste,s vas - the r. only ,n ~s s%n era inren ! Ene ~ tbs
vent wHT' 10 lin. lie ,reated ms Very 81 CONTINUOUSLY.
hut he did not wish any one TO assist him. He
gnve me the names, OF several renorters. and
but ! did not get any, employment from them.
l had done considerable for the IaperS In the
s way na .e and my l lirss psid ey slen %sl's hi w Wsr (
Sor,ea to be vsrba,im: and it read oil right but
had to 90 n deal Of guessing in flling up
""There was a LAWYER in Jersey City who had
S Sfas sp Ie cot soa 2 si fe!S5lSs fe g. a m,h { e sa e ia Upon IN
He told me he would dictate to me g New JerI
could have ali the work Of. that office. People
who ara outside Of the profession do not know
that "ritins shorthand and renddtnH 1t are tWo
tHs u,sdi tils" paper t" me-. and I took It down in
shorthand without any difficulty. He was very
abstruse and complicated documents q New
Jersey law paper Is: ! think. the worst. That
evening to read my notes: fortu,
heriin to read q sentence: and he would toll me
the context. Through this assistance j pre-
scented to the lawyer u very accurate cory of
the paper and secured tho work OF that Office:
In fact, | was invited to have 9 desk there. and
Inv reporting for Jersey City. and was obliged
to employ W young men to assist. me-. l was
fascinated with the work. and would often sit
iiailsdi to deliveff them when promised. re:
nights and three days, having, two or three
sIIeaoEraphic, amnnuenses to help me. without
taking a few minutes for meals. in order to get
copy ready to SO by express at q certain time.
Il may rs well confess that u part Of my large
which led me during the first year to work for a
lower price than tho regular charge, ! knew no
reporters . and; in TACT, at TINT IT. time nSnIlsanw n report port.
into tho profession. They we're very willing TO
have them net MS amanuenses In helping them
suited for regular awreporters., l used to Ark
tho lawyers what the price Was Tor the work.
ulQ, anu i charged Just what tDey tOlu mo. AT tno
end OF one year the solitary resident law re-
porter Of Jersey City had become q little recon
cilpd to my existence. and sent for mo ono day
to take n ease for him. / then discovered that
l was charging too low n price. and l immedi-
ately raised my rates.
"Wlen l first snw tho advertisements OF the
type writer l thought stenoeraphers wore
doomed. ] examined the machine. and re-
ceived my first lesson in .typewriting. After
this ! felt no fear in regard to it's competition,
but saw that 1t would be q valuable auxiliary.
and In a short time bought n machine. One Of
the agents ri the TYPEWRITER mado me an otter
10 so into business with him at that time. l
have been invited TO share u partnership with
four different gentlemen. or course / mean u
business partnership, You know. One OF these
was n man who had, been established n num-
Dor OF years, md lad n very. valuable business.
But ] have Always intended to. II. possible.
illustrate the fuct that q woman could cnrry on
u business herself. and for that reason refused
all offers OF that kind. although in one or two
instances 1t might have been to M pecuniary
advantage to have accepted.
MY business grew so large while occupying
the Oiiico OF tho Jersey City lawyer that | Rpo1-
oglzed one dny to the senior member Of the
firm in regard to It, und asked him II / was
making him trouble. He said
mo you may. bring all the ladies you want
to this office. My office IL the most orderly
Office in town. and think the reason is be-
cause we have ladies here
II received tho most courteous treatment