Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-21
TYPEWRITING AND LITERATITRE
Literary Man Unable to Do Machine
WOrk-Habits of Other Writers.

From the New York Tribune.
mo, cannot use the typewriter" remarked
literary man the other day, ''nor can dictate
with any satisfaction. And there are a good
many other people in the same boat with me.
L heard one well-known writer say not long
ago that, while he could get along well
enough with his correspondence on the type
writer, he could do nothing at all in the way of
literary work. As for dictation, it was
simply an impossibility for him; he had trie d
1t repeatedly, but had never been able to sue
coed. 1t was the more singular in his case
because he was formerly public speaker and
was III the habit of speaking without a manu-
script, and he is noted as a talker, being fluent,
ready and rapid. He even said that he could
not dictate correction in type-written COPY:
the only satisfactory thing for him to do was to
take the copy himself and write in the change
Then, there Is -: he must be making
something like $500 a week from his literary
work in all directions. One would think that
he would be almost compelled to employ a
stenographer, but understand he does all his
work with his own hand have heard of n
very prolific editor who was induced by his
friends to Tighten his labors by employing a
stenographer and typewriter. In his case il
worked very curiously. He had no trouble
about debating, but he found that by this
means he was enabled TO do a great deal more
work than prevously-that is. a great deal
more writing so, instead of diminishing
his labors he really increased them.
in my own case, l can dictate a letter
fairly well, and l could do piece of Journals
tic work IN that way or by typewriting it; but
anything that is to have the literary touch must
be carefully worked ont with the pen. And do
not believe that it is simply a matter of prac-
tice; though, to be sure, it is possible that it
may be. That is, if one were trained
from child to use the type writer
instead OF the pen or pencil, the
art OF composition might come naturally
to him when lingering the keys. But greatly
doubt whether 1t can be learned late in life
Take the case of -, feel confident that
the notable decadence of his style in recent
years, which Is, Enthusiastically, very marked
is this result of his use of the typewriter
Formerly he was most fastidiOus in his style. but
now he is slovenly and careless. The change is
really wonderful to one who has read him
closely for years as / have.
$50 | am far from thinking the type writer an
unmlXed blessing. At the same time l be-
leve that every manuscript offered for publ
cation ought to be type written. believe that
would-be authors find it TO their advan-
tage to go to the small expense which the
copying of their efforts by the type
writer would entail. Editors, find, are much
more willing to examine such manuscripts than
those which are written i'll scrawling, grabbed
and uneven hands, even if there be some indi-
Vuuallty ABOUT THESE. III Is not individuality
that the average editor is looking for; il is
something fresh and striking and original, and
he is loath to take the trouble to decipher bad
chirography on the bare chance of finding
something worth his while. So my advice
to the young men and young women who add
SO much to the governments postal receipts
year after year is to have their productions
typewriter They will save postage, of course,
as a typewriter manuscript is less bulky than
one done by hand. And in case of several re-
jections and reattempts they may save in pos
tage the cost of the typewriting."