The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-30
PLUCK AND INDUSTRY.
CAREER OF MISS SEYMOUR AND HER
BUSINESS SUCCESS.

BUSINESS SUCCESS.
She Has Achieved = Good Deal in Twelve
Years-She Was . Pioneer In New
Line of Work for Women-Hov the Work
Has Prospered-Story of Her Life
By all odds the woman whose name h
now most closely connected with the type
writer as a means of enabling girls 10 oo-
tain a living is Miss Mary +. Seymour, who
has nearly twenty typewriters constantly
employed upon salary, with from nTe 10
fifty Others on piece work Miss seymour
has been in business in New YORK ior
twelve years, and besides business success
hiss achieved distinction rs the first woman
notary whose appointment was recognized
as valid in this state, and as the successful
editor and publisher of The Business WON
ans Journal, a most successful puoiicar
ton. now in its second year. l found Miss
Seymour the other day in one OF her three
offices. where amid the clatter and unkle
of half dozen typewriters, Miss seymour
told me the story of how she came To so into
business for herself.
81 began business rs stenogrspher and
law reporter" she said, Fifteen years ago.
and practiced that alone before / went into
tvpewriting ! started a business both IN
New York and in New Jersey. Ny mother
was quite a philanthropist, and | was
brought up TO do a great deal of oenevo-
lent work, and in that way. suppose, l
acquired some executive ability / began
by teaching school first TO support myself,
but it was unpleasant work and wanted
to get out OF it.
SHE GOT START.
had friend who employed an expert
woman stenographer in New York, and he
advised me TO take up stenography- AT
that time stenographers charged high
prices, as there were comparatively few
good ones, and she was earning good In
come | went TO her when l thought l
knew enough for practical work, and she
dictated 10 me some legal notes. When l
brought back the copy she laughed 1t
was very much out of the proper form, but
it was accurate.
II worked with her for some time Just
for the experience, and had hopes of part
nership some day, but we separated be
cause | would not work on Sunday. /
went to Mr. Munsou, the well known stem
ographer, for employment. and tried a
great many offices in New York. Then /
took TO reporting lectures for the newspa-
pers. which filled up some of my time while
waiting for something better.
There was lawyer in Jersey City who
had been counsel for a relative Of mine in
a suit for which he got $4,000 fee, and |
called upon him. He said he would dictate
10 me New Jersey law paper, and If was
successful in that l could have all the work
of the Office.
people outside of the profession do not
know that writing shorthand and reading
it are two separate qualifications. The
lawyer dictated the paper To me. and /
took it down without any difficulty. |
went home. OF all the abstruse aud com
plicated documents New Jersey law pa
per Is, think, the worst. That evening /
attempted TO read my notes.
SOME HARD TASKS.
fortunately for my future career my
brother was a lawyer. | called him 10 the
rescue. Through his assistance present
ed 10 the lawyer very accurate copy of
the paper and secured desk there, final Y
obtaining so much work that | employed
two young men TO assist me. ] WAS fas-
cinated with the work and often sat up all
night in order not TO break promise about
delivering my notes.
II remember one instance where
worked two nights and three days. with
three stenographers To help me, without
sleeping at all, except for little maps. and
taking but few minutes for meals, in or
der to get some papers ready for a certain
time. When | first saw the advertisement
of the typewriter / thought stenOgraphers
were doomed. | examined the machine,
and after that felt no fear in regard 10 its
competition. j saw that 1t would be val
liable aid.
In 1880 I was offered desk room In the
Office of Judge Pratt. of New York. | was
timid about facing the publicity OF large
office full of men, aud decided To wait for
orders and work at home. About three
months experience in waiting for work
and getting little cured me Of my folly and
satisfied me that business woman must
adapt herself TO business rules ] then
opened little office of my own on Broad
way and started the typewriting business
by writing out my own notes on the ma
chine.
Il was the first law reporter who made a
practice of doing this in New York Short
" before / started my Office ! met young
lady who had been brought up in luxury
and who had been thrown upon her own
resources She attempted teaching aud
failed She tried many other things, and
even went into a factory, working for three
dollars a week.
HOW HER BUSINESS HAS oBovE.
ut was the knowledge Of this girls ex-
perience that partly induced me TO start
business in which could employ others.
After buying my typewriter / sent word 10
this young lady. and she after practicing
on the machine, WAS the first one ] EN-
ployed in my business. Another girl whom
/ employed TO run on erranGs began 10
practice on the machine and | taught her
also. She was about fifteen or sixteen
years old at that tine. The first Of these
young ladies now earns 81. 60 a year in
large law Office, and the second IL consid-
cred one of the experts Of New York, and
Is paid still higher salary
Gradually my business increased so that
found IL almost impossible 10 carry out
my original intention, which was 70 90
perfect WORK Women have been 50 often
accused 81 iuaccuracy and uubusinezsilke
habits that | meant 70 show something
different. Finally had 70 start a train
ing school ia order to get competent a.
sistsnts / introduced al employment
bureau branch ia my business and con
Quoted it on the prime. pie that would get
places only for those v 10 Lad passed an
examination and tseen found con- e;ent
Today ] suppose Se have in New York
about 2. 900 women earning living By work
IN Offices which formerly fell % Young
rsen, and there is no part o. ny business
that has afforded ne 20 much satisfaction
a. Il. instruction department have had
tie pleasure Of seeing youag ladies' who
nave come here With 10 ideas % bugsaeAs
no1 occupying positions 81 trus: IA some
u Ire lara.ez> II r-saz u this rs.~