The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-16
And the sleeves cannot be selected from
among others without they are labeled.
2. Because OF the nature OF dictation.

monograph AS he does his shorthand
writer. Tie cannot smoke cigar, enjoy
the cool breeze from the open window
through which come the street noises, and
talk with his back to the phono-
graph across the room. lie must
plainly inject speech right into II
mouthpicco. He cannot wear n heavy
beard aud mustache, and humble and
strain his words through "a mass Of hirsute
adornment lie cannot order tho phono-
graph TO "writo to smith," leaving it to
the machine, as he does 10 the shorthand
amanuensis, 10 supply Smiths initials, his
place of residence, street number and
official POSITION. But, above ALL the man
who dictates will find himself deprived OF
his customary running comments OF sar-
casm and self congratulation over tho
language and expression Of the letters lac
il debating. All, or nearly all, men who
dictate letters pride themselves on their
beautiful dictioD. know such man in
Alta lta, who asserts that his style
il Ike that Of Manulay. Those who die.
Ia q use great deal of side talk, and
laugh, sneer. curse, doplorc the dizziness
OF the other fellow and laud their own
pcnpicacity Now what Is really not die.
talion is not put into the letters by the
shorthand amanucnsis. But the phono-
graph would record all. ii am any judge
OF the men who dictate 10 shorthand
writers, they will never permit their
inalicnable rights 10 be thus de-
stroyed by an electric machine, II IS
too strict ON liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness. And suppose report Of a
conference or interview IL wanted. This
often happens. Tho Shorthand writer
can report II, the phonograph cannot, for
no two or more men will take turns at a
mouthpioce, talking at awaN figure, under
such circumstances, 50 long rs short
hand writer Is available.
A machine, however wonderful, cannot
! displacc human being in this class OF
work In the very nature Of things, and
IL must almost entirely coniino itself TO It's
uses NJ TOW.
Take single example. The phone
graph cannot straightcn out the numer-
Gus changes In language that are made by
the person who dictates. ] mean changes
made while composition and dicialiOn are,
rs they nearly always are, simultaneous.
There are few exceptions u tho follow
Ing rule:
In any largo office. numerous letters.
articles, Arguments, otc., are dictated 10
n short writer, and in which great many
changes insthc language arc made during
the progress Of the dictation. Pick up the
the note book OF the shorthand writer and
examine page Of his notes. You will see
that 10 follow the dictalion, hc has been
Obliged Co make numerous crasurcs, with
worls and sentences substituted and inter
lined. with names and dates often given
wrong, and which lac is expected 10 cor.
rect In transcribiny. Awkward rcpctitions
must bc made smoother, and oven after
thoughts ans dictated Of whole paragraphs
that have TO bc marked for insertion two
or three pages forward or back. Involved
diciation like this, and IL n frequent, often
taxes the skill OF even expert stcuOgmph-
crS This one consideration will L. found
fatal 20 the usc OF the photograph ~ an
amanucnsis. Besides. the shorthand
writer Is every day called upon % refer
10 Oficc documents and place extracts
from them into lcticrS TO insert tables Of
figures, foot them and place the letters be.
fore the employer In their thus completed
form. All this l. outside Of mere rccurl-
ing u dicta,iun, aud not To bo handled by
n machine. Neither eau sufficiently cN-
phcit drcyuous ~ ooyyr these Icquirc-
inents Nc dictated into tiir machine p1rcn-
thytically. IL has been tried many times
With the graphophUuc aud has slgnally
failed
Moreover, ~ the writer understands IL.
there h no saving Ia the expense. Accord
ing to newspaper statements 10 was first
proposed % LEASE the machines 10 500
each per year, making the user pay cXor-
hli1utly, ~ ~ TIM rasc Of the telephone.
Now It Is proposed 10 sell them at So
each, with considerable additional cN-
pcnsc 90 bc horne tor battery power. tir
supply Ol new WAX sleeves and TUuIirl.
Witch. 81 course, will have 10 h' done los
IN expert. Marx. 10 IN not claimed that
I m th's nmnuunus's work the phuuusrtph
| - 81 any practical usc unless IL lils by iis
ndo r. live pDts1u o. Vtint uu "a typewriter
/ what ~ reproduced irpm the photograph.
J Therefore, Is r. combined Shorthand writer
I anu typewriter iur morr umlnurnss work
can b' hinrl Ter say sl2 per week. mud h
c'sis ~ least so work Tor typewriter
] operator only, there 81 uU rcouomy in nav.
/ I'M that weekly $40 when 10 involves nav.
/ iug ont an additional az, lor aphunUpIlrh.
] With added expenses Tor supplies anl o..
| pairs Hiring live person to write short.
hani mud operate a typewriter would be-
preferable
al course am not abiding 10 the fact
that shorthand Wrllrni generally command
mnrc Wages ,hln the above. They do val.
liable work outside u shorthand employ.
incnt. on books and hsuns holding bu,i.
mes, interviews IA aud out ul the 0lic'. ert
q knowledge ul the business and are very
. often 1T great value as private secretaries,
/ in the care and custody Ut paprs That
/ B. q matter outside OF the question hcp
/ dealt with. l.. T. BgowN.