The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-04-12
TOLD OF TYPEWRITPpo
Conditions Influencing the cb.,.
Of Women in Search Of wa Vance,
Some Facts Which May Be q,
Those Contemplating Learnina =
Trade-The Kind of The
That Is Wanted.

sis it true that employers of
raphers and typewriters ara ;S s'eaos
to discriminate between met "Ciinei
girls and women of mature aoe !, sUGll
York Sun reporter asked a man ~, = Ne1
brought into daily relations Wv, VINO
ployers and who has helped bn ,'a 20
of women to secure places.
Generally speaking" wac
reply, ''when the same aug
of fitness is shown business sFs
make little or no disrini9..4'cS
but there are scores of fr,as
the city who prefer mature Ho,,aa :,
observation satisfies me tia. anr W
an under forty who has ability r;r a
and neatness of appearance s.ands
precisely the same plane as rnnn.
sisters of her profession Too ~ ,su
women who follow this purss ios,
bition in their work when bev ra..,
the age of thirty, because tbor 90 y
about them a host of girls fresh f,'~
school earning perhaps the sam, nav.
those far more experience Thr "a.
son an inexperienced girl re elves ~.
consideration is that when irst en,a,
ing upon Office duties She takes or,.,
pride in her work and her emnIor..
feels that she can then be lied nov
and has no serious thoughts Of marrr
ing for at least few years.
The age at which most young WON.
en- commence the practice of stenog,,.
ply and typewriting ranges from seven
teen to twenty-three years, and as com.
paratively few remain in Offices loo,.
than five years, it is naturally inferred
that those who have reached MAIN,
womanhood have long since passed n.
period of their first business zeal. ami
therefore cannot be counted On as ne,
manent. 1t is found, too, that in ma.
tiers of correspondence every bushes
man has his idiosyncrasies, be they in
portant or otherwise, which his en-
ployes must respect, and a beginnerhI
apt to conform more closely to In.
specific methods and details required N
her work than one who for years hs
known other forms and customs from
which she finds it difficult to free he,
self. Despite this there are doubtless
from three to five hundred women HI
this city above thirty years of age whs|
pursue shorthand and typewriting ia|
livelihood, though it is believed tha|
not one in one thousand commences Ii.
study after she has reached this aga
The few who do are oftentimes wome,
who have been thrown by domestic cir
cumstances upon their own efforts and
who do not seek the profession eiths
because of special adaptation or love 81
the work.
The reporter was told, also. that soma
men favor the employment of youn,
women because they are less trouble
some than their elders in demandin.
short hours and frequent holidays. At
the beginning of her career a girl la,
not learned to annoy her employer with
the daily request: May l go at thres
this afternoon" or: DO you mind i'll
leave this work till to morrow" Sh.
is content to do whatever is assigned
to her, is always alert aud neatly at
tired, and is as yet ignorant Of thu
tricks of the trade. On the other hand
woman with several years experienS
is better able to Judge the mood and
temperament of her employee. ami
knows when to interrupt or otferi
suggestion. She is never flustered an
seldom undertakes a task beyond he
power, and her superior capability
always shown in the finished doG
ment.
Il is characteristic mistake Of b
ginners to look upon their ability
take dictation as the only essential col
dition and to regard typewriting ast
. secondary Importance. Their ideas ak
OF punctuation and the tvpographis
appearance of a letter are often d
fective; while the mature operator VII
has been trained in her work know
the Importance OF this part of it al
realizes better that it is the typewritte
sheet that proves her competence, nc
the pages OF shorthand. about whic
her employer knows or cares nothing
Investigation indicates that persona
beauty in women is not essential to oil
tanning the place of stcnographer G
typewriter, In many place. particr
larry in large Offices and banks, wher
there are young men clerks, natur
women are desired. and often those Q
plain appearance. The books of an en-
ployment bureau show that when
woman's application is fled for refe
ence no note whatever is kept 0f he
personal appearance, but merely
plain statement of her speed and ez
perience and the salary expected |
is none the less true, however, tina
among stcnographers ana typewriter
good Judgment in matters of dress AM
bearing goes 4 long way toward giylnl
an impression of neatness and civiliig
and often overwcighs shortening
which might otherwise be detrimenia
to the applicant.
The women in this business who CIV
promise of being permanent eInploys
are nearly always preferred. and on
who possesses proper qualifications an
sufficient determination need have d
difficulty in finding a place where be
services will be well appreciated an
paid for, whether she be twenty o