Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-02
AGE OF TYPEWRITERs.

Conditions Whieh Influence the
Chances of Women in Search of Work
From the New York Sun. =
els 1t true that employers of stenograph.
ers and typewriters are inclined to discrim.
mate between pretty young girls and wo-
men of mature age?" Sun reporter asked
man who is brought into daily relations
with employers and who has helped hun
dreds OF women to secure places.
Generally speaking" was the reply
when the same degree of fitness Is shown
business mer make little or no discrimina-
ton but there are scores of firms in the
city who prefer mature women such as
'Veritas,' whose letter 1 read in the Sun.
My observation satisfies me that any wo-
man under forty who has ability, Vlvacity
and neatness of appearance stands on pre-
cisely the same plane as the younger Sis
tiers Of her profession. Too many women
who follow this pursuit lose ambition In
their work after they reach the age of
thirty because they see all about them a
host Of girls fresh from school earning per-
hapS the same pay as those far more eX-
perienced. The reason an inexperienced girl
receives this consideration Is that When
first entering upon Office duties she takes
great pride in her work, and her employer
feels that she can then be relied upon and
at least few years.
1.-THE age at which most young women
commence the practice of stenoSraphy ana
typeW riting ranges from seventeen TO
twcrty-three years. and as comparatively
few remain In offices longer than nve years,
it is naturally inferred that those who nave
reached mature womanhood nave long
since passed the period of their first busi-
ness ZEAL and therefore cannot be counted
on as permanent. 1t is found, too, mat In
matters of correspondence every business
man has idioSyncracieS, be they important
or otherwise, which his employees must re-
spect; and beginner is apt to conform
more closely to the specific methods ana de-
tails required in her work than one VINO
for years has known other forms and GUS
toms from which she finds 1t difficult to
free herself. Despite this there are doubt
less from 300 to 800 women in this city
above thirty years of age who pursue
shol thand and typewriting for livelihood,
though it is believed that not one In a
thousand commences the study after she
has reached this age The few who do are
oftentimeS women who have been thrown
by domestic circumstances upon their own
efforts, and who do not seek the profession,
either because of special adaptation or
love of the work.
The reporter was told also that some
men favor the employment OF young women
because they are less troublesome than
their elders in demanding short hours and
frequent holidays. At the beginning of
her career girl has not learned to annoy
her employer with the daily request. May
l go at 3 this afternoon" or, do you mind
if l leave this work till tomorrow She
is content to do whatever is assigned to
her. is always alert. and neatly attired,
and is as yet ignorant Of the tricks OF the
trade. On the other hand, woman OF
several years experience Is better able to
judge the mood and temperament of her
employer, and knows when to interrupt or
offer a suggestion. She Is never clustered
and seldom undertakes task beyond her
power and her superior capability Is al
ways shown in the finished document.
1t is characteristic mistake of begin
ners to look upon their ability to take die
tation as the only essential condition and
to regard typewriting as of secondary I'M
portance Their ideas also of punctuation
and the typographical appearance Of let
ter are often defective; while the mature
operator who has been trained in her work
knows the Importance of this part of 1t,
and realizes better that 1t Is the type
written sheet that proves her competence.
not the page of shorthand, about which
her employer knows or cares nothing. Her
shorthand is so symmetrically written that
she always knows about how much space
her notes will occupy when transcribed,
and she is able to arrange her copy artis-
tically, without loss of time.
Investigation indicates that personal
beauty in women is not essential to obta1n-
ing the place of stenographer or typewriter.
In many places, particularly in large law
offices and banks where there are young
men clerks, mature women are desired,
and often those of plain appearance.