The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1895-04-05

The commonly accepted idea that the
women who fill positions of stenogra-
piers are usually women of low-graoe
business ability, and that their WORK -
wholly and simply mechanical, may De
very easily dispelled by looking into the
daily affairs and experiences OF some
of those who are employed In hotels
and other large and public buildings OF
this city.
The hotel stenographers Of st. Louis
are said to be above the average repre-
sentative women OF the craft, n TINS
belief has very good grounds upon Whlcn
to rest, for they are, for the most part
women who have had sufficient business
experience to make them fully capable
to handle correspondence of all sorts'
and, indeed, this is an absolutely neces-
sary qualification for the woman VINO
wishes to be successful in this part1cu-
lar line of stenographic work.
The dictation that comes to the hotel
~stenographer is as varied as could pos
sibly be imagined, says the st. Louis
Republic. One day perhaps h may
take down what the patent medicine
man says about his "sugar-coated'-
pills, and the next day, or the next hour
even, from the lips of the orator, who is,
or the orator who would like to be,
distinguished for elegant and polished
speech, a harangue that it keeps her
wits as well as her pencil busy trying
to follow.
The commercial traveller who sells all
grades of wine, the iron merchant who
has a thousand and one names for as
many different ores, and, N fact, men
who represent every kind Of business
under the sur, hurriedly dictate their
letters. and expect, too, that they shall
be properly Transcribed on the type
writer. To do this the typewriter must
be more or less familiar with the typical
terms of each line of business, as well
as knowing how to spell and punctuate
correctly. More than an ordinary
amount Of common sense and good
judgment must also be possessed and
exercised.
If in the haste of taking notes a word
is omitted, the s~tenographer must be
intelligent enough to know how to sup
ply it, for it is not always possible to
refer such matters back to the dictator
until it is too late to complete the letter
for the particular outgoing mail it may
have been intended to catch.
There is yet another thing that the
~stenographer in public office needs al
most as much as she does a thorough
knowledge Of business, and that is tact.
1t would never do for her to and back
a letter to the man who had dictated it
n tell him any little error he may
discover is his own. The only way for
her to get out of such a thing as this is
to graciously admit h a more than like
ly she misunderstood him.. If it is his
own error and he knows it, he may not
admit to her that it was, but he all the
more admires her generosity in Shout
dering the blame, and remembers her,
most %profitably to herself, when he
needs further stenographic work done.
Then there is a strange social phase
of life h a comes more before the notice
of women in this particular line of work,
perhaps, than in any other, and this,
too, she must school herself to meet.
HAS it ever occurred to you," said
one Of these bright typists who has a
desk in one of the largest hotels of the
city, "hoW very many men there are SO
unfortunate as to be ~unhappily mar
ried? That is, according to the stories
h poor fellows seem so willing to in
fiict we poor hotel stenographers with"
If the last man who had told his
sensible little woman his tale of woe"
had been near to see the mirth it had
provoked, he would, no doubt, nave
been ashamed to think he had proved
such a poor judge Of human nature for
one and woven sue a weak bit of senti-
mentality for her to only laugh over.
In the Office Of a wealthy business
corporation, not long ago, the chief
clerk found it necessary to dictate a let
ter to the lady stenographer that was
afterward to be passed into the hands
of the manager for signature. He good
naturally accepted the task he had
found SO agreeable, and promptly pro-
ceeded with it. Standing behind her
chair he began his dictation. All went
we'll until the letter was about half way
completed, then the gentleman, who had
his yes fixed on the young lady's soft,
wavyc coil of hair, thought he would pay
her a nice little compliment.
What very pretty hair you have,
Miss Blank"
Miss Blank smiled, but said nothing.
The letter was finished and handed to
the manager. He, glancing over it, dis
covered a sentence entirely foreign to
the subject matter Of the epistle, il the
very middle of the page. When Miss
Blank was called in to explain she
opened her big blue eyes in a sort of
wondering fashion and said:
why, I only put down just what Mr..
Brown said"
Miss Blank was excused from further
explanation, but the quality and GUAM
tity Of laughter that was thrust upon
Mr.. Brown was more than that gentle
man could stand. and it soon became a
question as to who should give up a
position and leave the office-he or Miss
Blank; and the matter finally terrni-
mated when Miss Blank quietly handed
in her resignation.
The women who have their desks in
hotels Or office buildings pay a certain
percentage or bonus for the privilege,
and spend as many hours a day or night
there as they may see fit. AS a rule
they find it necessary to remain until
quite late, for a great deal of their dicta-
ton is given after business hours, SO
as to have it ready by the morning Of
the mex day.
1t is quite the exception now to go to
any city and fail to fad a stenographer
in all the large hotels and public build
ings. Women have found that if thew
have the ability they can make these
positions pay them better thar the ordi-
nary salary received by stenographers
in individual offices.