The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-05-03
GIRLS AS SrENocRAPHERs.
some Advice to Those Who Intend Study.
Ing short Hand.

some Advice to Those Who Intend STUDY.
ing Short Hand.
o. the many fields OF usefulness
now open t. women. one has proved
p eaSant and profitable to many, and
may prove so TO many more-StenOg-
raphy. or shorthand. says woman
in the Country Gent eman. True
there are numbers already in the Held,
but there is room for good stenogra.
pliers, and will be for years to c me.
Business men are daily coming to ap-
precIate their need OF StenOgrapherS,
and are learning the real worth OF a
good one and the utter use csSneSS Of
Il poor one There a.e many incom-
petcnt stenographerS and they pro e
great hindrance to those really pre-.
pared for their work. a business
man who decides to employ short
hand writer, and Sc ,ure> the service
Of poor one to start with. is not
apt to be favOrably impressed with
stenographerS rs Il class. and perhaps
can scarce. y be persuaded to make
another trial.
y word OF warning to those about
to undertake tie study o. short
hand: 1t is nor more difficult to
master than many other studies.
neither does it re ;uire peculiar adap-
tat on, As many suppose. but it does
need a thorough English education
tack of it, Unless girls are familiar
with the rules Of grammar. compost
tion, spelling, and the studies OF this
kind, their :imc viii he norc profit
ably spent acquiring this know edge
than IN oring over the outlines OF
shorthand. \ good plain hand
writing is also essential, or at least
advisable, though many think that
if they are able to operate 4 type
writer rapidly, the nature of their
penmanship is Of little Importance.
We find girls-plenty OF them
who have passed through a course a.
business college, and can show
diplomas stating their ability to
write certain number of words
minute, and yet these girls will as
sure you that they wasted their time
in the study, since they have been
unsuc essful in securing positions
OF course they were unsuccessful. 1,
it 20 be supposed that a business
man wants such cir S? Let US peep
over their shoulders as they work.
Yes; they can write $50 words i
minute, but here is girl who writes
in such haste that she cannot read
her notes correctly. and Is not to he
relied on: here is another who never
| mastered her spell ng-bOOk, and
makes objectionable errors in srell-
inI:.thcre is another who is in Il
state OF bewildermcnt as to where
the capital letters and punctuation
marks belong, and is continually get
tangle. Common sense should tell
one that there is no place in Il bust
ness office for such girls, and it is
| worse than folly for them To aspire
| to such positions until they are lifted
| for them.
The girl who cannot only secure 4
| position, but retain it, is the one
who can write her notes with mOder.
ate rapidity, can transcribe them
| accurately, write neatly either with
pen or typewriter, and can hand to
her employer letter the sentences
OF which arc correct in construction.
| punctuated as they should be, and
containing no misspelled words or
misplaced capitals A CIR. VIII is in
tell gent, possesses common school
education, is lcvel-hcaded and dig
n fled, is the girl to 1t herself for Of
| flee work. She will adapt herself to
! her surroundings, see the things that
need to be done and perform them
quietly and without furry. ana ere
lang her employer will wonder how
the office work was done without her.
For such girls there is yet q wide
field OF labor, and they need have
little hesitancy in preparing for the
work. Let me repeat that thorough
ness of preparation is necessary in
this as in every undertaking, for the
time has gone by when shoddy labor
will be accepted in any department..
Eut with ordinary intelligence. care
full preparation and honest effort,
success is not far diSoant for the
wo"ld-be girl stenographer.