St. Paul daily globe., 1891-07-19
FOR PLUCK AND BRAINS.


A Few Facts in Behalf of the AM
bilious Young Woman Who
Earns Her Living at the Type
writer.
A profession which requires the en-
ergy, patience and tact to master it that
this one does should receive from the
people the same respect that is paid to
all professions that reqnire labor and
brains. That it does require these two
last mentioned qualities is plainly dem
Onstrated by the fact that so many make
miserable failures of is, and after
a few futile efforts give it up and
pursue some other calling. Though
the st. Paul papers are exceptions,
the lady stenOgrapher has for some in
eXplainable reason become the incentive
for coarse newspaper jokes, and the
typewriter girl, as they choose to cali
her, and her alleged flirtatiOnS with her
fellow clerks and employer are the
inspiring objects of these vulgar witt
cism. She is pictured as the emoOdi-
ment of female frivOlity and incOnsiS-
tency. That the young lady ever has a
thought outside of her own pretty per-
son, and eliciting the proper amount of
admiration for the same seems to some
utterly impossible. And so they are
discussed. Always ''cOn," however,
never PRO" and the bad qualities a
few individuals among the profession
may possess are attributed to them as
class.
A reporter said TO me, upon being
asked about the matter: 1.-The tele-
phone girl has had her day, and the type
writer girl is Just in the zenith of hers.
And what does it matter anyway. They
are only harmless newspaper jokes and
are regarded as such by sensible peO-
pie" If this is the honest opinion of
one of the inStigatOrS of these vulgar
fabricatiOns, it is possible then that we
have been making much ado about
nothing" Worse than that. The good
name of an honest profession has been
irreparably injured, and consequently
the members thereof.
During all my reading of the papers
! have never seen but one defense for
the bright, ambitious woman who earns
her living at the point of a pencil, out
side of the stenographic magazines aud
periodicals, and the question has arose
as to what can be said in behalf of this
So-called brainiesS and depraVed class of
gills. A column could easily be writ
ten on this side of the question had
the space, but as have not, will cOnfine
myself to a few Of the leading facts. In
the first place, a girl to be a successful
stenOgrapher, must be equally as well
educated as the school teacher. She
must have pluck, energy, persever-
ance. and a goodly amount of in
telligence. The theory requires from
six to eight weeks to master it.
Then at least four months must be de-
voted TO incessant dictation and acqulr-
ing business forms. After which, If she
has made the most of her time, she Is
ready to take position, and makes her
first acquaintance with the business
world, and that dreadful employer" of
| newspaper nOtOriety. Nine cases out
of ten she will be received with the
courtesy and consideration which any
true man Will extend to woman plucky
| enough to enter the business arena. And
| now a word for this employer. Al
! though ] do not think their tallorS eX
! perience any very serious difficulty in
! fitting their coats over their wings, as
! they are no angels, but good, noble
men may be found here as elsewhere,
! and men with but small portion of
! these manly qualities will recognize
pure, dignifed girl who is making
brave effort at self maintenance, and as
such she will not fail to receive his un-
qualified respect. Association in the
! business world with woman of this
! character will have an ennObling in
| fiuence upon her fellow workers. She
will readily discriminate between a
friendly courtesy and vulgar familiar
ity, and she will meet the latter with
that reserve and dignity of manner
which will leave no desire for repeti-
ton by even the most depraved of her
associates. Her treatment of matters
of this kind, and conduct in general,
should call forth the most wholesome