The Van Buren press., 1893-09-09
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
SMART BUSINESS WOMAN.
Deftness and Tact Fit Many for Conn
dcntial Positions.

I
Somebody who makes it her business
to study such things says that a cen
tury ago there were but dozen en-
ployments open to women, counting all
housework us one, and now there are
over three hundred. 1t is the fashion
10 credit all this to the increasing liber-
ality of thought and the long agitation
for so-called ''woman's rights" Per-
haps some of it is due thereto, but sure
ly most of it is the natural result Of
that Industrial and commercial devel-
opment which has created SO many EN-
ployments in which deftness refined
taste and delicacy of touch are OF far
more value than mere physical strength.
If you doubt it, consider this con-.
trast: France, in which the Salic law
prevails from throne to cross roads
post office, and the political rights OF
women are not even SO much as men
toned, employs more women in clerical
and industrially technical ways than
any other country, while those new
states, in which political distinctions
are almost or quite abolished, employ
few or none. The more advanced the
civilization the less advantage has
mere muscle and the more have quick
ness of thought and delicacy of touch.
France makes her money by producing
articles of taste and beauty. Wyom-
ing, Washington, etc, make theirs by
telling trees. and digging ores, by ranch
ing and rearing cattle.
With good men pay is the dntermin-
ing factor in grading employment.
With women the neatness of the work
and the opportunity to maintain a good
personalappearapce are at least equally
potent. In stenography all three con-
ditions are satisfied. The pay is fair,
the work is clean, the finest costume Is
not too good for it, the eyes and COM
plexion are not injured. 1t is pre-em-
inently womanly work.
And deal of intellect may be put
into it, But it is there that we hear
the usual complaint. A woman stenog-
rapher, we are told, studies until she
gets position and can fill it fairly
WELL and thereafter 1t Is all routine
with her. She does not strive to ac-
quire general information which would
greatly increase her value to an author
or editor. She does not, say the critics,
even interest herself in others of her
profession. Ask any man in that line
who the stars of his profession are, and
he will at once name you such men as
Isaac A. Dement,, who won at recent
contest by writing over $50 words a
f. A T,.n-
land, who can "take" the fastest talker
In congress and never miss word, or
George n. Bishop, of the New York
Stock exchange.
Ask woman stenographer as to her
sisters, and the usual answer is "Well,
! don't read the stenographers journals
now and l really can't think OF any
just at present" Evidently the esprit
du corps has not yet been created.
There are, however, several very smart
stenographers of the fair sex, and in
New York they hold some very desir-
able positions. Perhaps the most noted
one now is Miss Minnie Minton Dyke,
private secretary of the citys building
commissioner. She is petite Massa-
chusetts girl, who began the study of
stenography but three years ago and
had quite the full average of trials and
disappointments in getting good posi-
tion.
One of the objections oftenest urged
against her was that she looked too
young for the place, which is a very
nice saying indeed to a lady in society,
x,,sa kDr 81 cto r,1x
After doing odd pieces of work her
first engagement of any length was to
assist Ollie Sumner Teall in political
campaign. She then opened an office
of her own and finally became private
secretary, as aforesaid, to Commissioner
Anthony Grady. She loses no oppor-
tunity to add to her general informa-
ton and is graduate of the Women's
Law school, aninstitution where most
of the teaching is done by evening
| lectures. She is now a sort of assist
ant commissioner, and has stenog-
rapher to whom she dictates letters
attending thus to much business she
formerly took in dictation from Mr..
Grady.
lady for private secretary when he
was at the head of the New York street
cleaning department. Miss Cynthia
| Westover made quite a reputation in
that position and is often quoted as a
fine example of what such semi
official should be. In truth, the Office
of private secretary requires happy
| - Ia iah
we have been taught to consider pecu-
liarly feminine. One must have deal
of tact, ability to catch an idea with
out requiring too many words in set
ting it forth, and especially If there are
many callers must the secretary have
the talent to say something to all and
yet leave none with any phrase that
may afterward be quoted against the
principal. .n
Mrs. John A. Logan is credited with
having trained her own private secre.
tary for several years, and as she had a
good subject to start on the result is
admirable. In her home there is a very
retired but comfortable and well-light
ed room where Mrs. Logan does hel
work, and the ornament and pride Of
that room is Miss Edith Marshall
Miss Marshall is a rather slender and
timid-looking Pennsylvania girl, who
had worked her way steadily into q po
sition in Washington city when Mrs
Logan met her and found her assist
ance of value. "She has my perfect
confidence" says that lady, ''and has
charge of all my mail, the details OF my
business affairs, draws checks for the
| ,,o,,,,a,,t ~ All my hills and is nv Othe1