Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-06-20
1YpzwalrlNa AND LlrrRA7UKE
Advice for Those Who Wish to Make .
Good Impression on Editors.

ADVICE Tor InOse Uho Wlsn 70 1h1AO -
Good Impression on Editors.
"No, cannot use the typewriter" Fe-
marked literary man the other day,
"nor can dictate with any satisfaction.
And there are good many other people
in the same boat with me. 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 dicta-
ton, it was simply an impossibiity for
him. He had tried it repeatedly, but
had never been able to succeed. 1t was
the more singular in his case because he
was formerly public speaker and was
in the habit of speaking without a man
uscript; and he is noted as talker, be-
ing fluent, ready and rapid. He even
said that he could not dictate a correc-
ton in typewriter copy. The only sat
isfactory thing for him to do was to take
the copy himself and write in the change.
"Then there is -; he must be max
ing something like $500 a week from his
literary work in all directions. One
would think that he would be almost
compelled to employ stenographer,
but l understand he does all his
work with his own hand. l have
heard of very prolific editor who
was induced by his friends to tighten
his labors by employing stem
ographer and typewriter. In his case it
worked very curiously He had no
trouble about debating, but he found
that by this means he was enabled to do
q great deal more work than he had done
previously-that is, great deal more
writing-and so, instead Of diminishing
his labors, he really increased them.
'In my own case 1 can dictate letter
fairly well, and l could do piece of
journalistic work in that way or by type
writing it; but anything that is to have
the literary touch must be carefully
worked out with the pen. And do not
believe that it is simply matter of prac-
tice; though to be sure it is possible
that it may be- That is, if one were
| trained from a 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 it can be learned
late in life. Take the case of -. I
| feel confident that the notable decadence
of his style in recent years, which is uR
nlistakably very marked, is the 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 l have.
$50 am far from thinking the type
writer an unmixed blessing At the
same time l believe that every manu-
script offered for publication ought to be
typewriter. believe that would-be
authors would find it to their advantage
to go to the small expense which the
copying of their efforts by the typewriter
would entail Editors, fnd are much
more willing to examine such manu-
scripts than those which are written in
scrawling, Grabbed and uneven hands,
| evenif there be some individuality about
these. 1t is not individuality that the
average editor is looking for, it is some
thing fresh and striking and original,
and he is loath to take the trouble to de-
cipher 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
typeYritten. They will save postage, of
course, as a typewritten manuscript is
less bulky than one done by hand. And
in case of several reflections and reat-
tempts they may save in postage the cost
of the typewriting. New York Trib-
une.