The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-10-09

chine second, you find many who have
studied carelessly, and who have
meager English education for a founda-
ton. l think this may be said of one
out of every five. AT length, if you are
lucky, you find stenographer TO whom
you can dictate your novel. The very
way she receives your phrases and the in
tellige,ce Of her gi tnce seem to prophesy
what the judgment of your public will
be. She writes rapidly, is able to read
her notes and sends you in your ideas
embalmed i'll clear violet type that
makes them delight your eye. The
worst of it is these clever workers, these
bright girls, always get married or go
into business for themselves with as
sistants. In the former instance, of
course, they shelvo working entirely, and
under the latter condition it is impossi-
BILE to dictate. You need a quiet room
and the presence there of only the one
person to whom you have been accus-
toned "
This statement of facts l heard on ev-
cry hand. There is nothing to preclude
a woman becoming typewriter whose
education is almost fragmentary. She
does not even need to write we'll, and,
while her work is kept within the limits
of copying verbatim, she may be very
bad speller without being detected But
sooner or later she has chance to OBJ
tain a good position if she brought more
cultivation to her work. In order to ad-
vance from mere copyist every type
writer with her eyes on a possible fu-
ture should try to learn stenography-
endeavor to teach herself from class
books if she has not the money for the
tuition.
She should also take up course of
the way to and from the Office should be
of sort TO improve her mind and keep
her in touch with the best current liter
allure of the day. The boon we'll
equipped stenographer is to her employer
cannot be estimated. knew of one who
for years was employed by u popular
playwright. Going over a list of his
successes one day, he spoke of some Of
the best bits, or a good phrase, etc.
81 had stenographer at that time, "
he said regretfully, "who was one of
the brightest girls ever knew. She not
only was sympathetic listener, made
no mistakes and turned the work out
in jiffy, but she'd think of the plays
overnight i'll way that would have
flattered and overioyed a more conceitcd
man than | am. Then, by Jove, if she
wouldn't venture to suggest little things
| to you that she thought might be an
/ improvement! / took every one of her
ideas gratefully and paid her a salary
that satisfied my conscience. Those clev-
er bits we were talking of were hers.
You might know such pearl beyond
price wouldn't long stay in a rut merely
manipulating work for somebody else.
She's doing magazine work now and
has written some verse that l think as
good as Meredith's if not better.
Apart from the fact that their work
commands less money than mems,
found that women as typewriters were
in demand for other traits that com
mended them to the suspicious and the
conservative.
81 don't have a man here, said &
merchant, because he would have tn,
run of my private Office, and l don t
believe in exposing the male youth to
temptation by leaving money under his
hand, as is often the case here. It's my
theory that men, because they have
more channels for spending money anC
more opportunities for being foolish
are more easily tempted to dishonesty
than women. Also, don't want "a mar
here because I feel Discrimination tC
letting him into all the secrets Of my
trade. You know he might get too am
bitious like Cesar, and some time use
what he knew against me and i'll favol
of my competitors. Now, woman un
derstands what you say, but she doesn'
know the bearing Of one fact agains
another and doesn't bother her heaC
about your affairs out of business.
know man whose ruin might be traced
to boy stenographer who idly gossipeC
of his affairs at IA ticklish time.
Nothing is so poorly paid as plail
copying in type. No one can make lif
so miserable for an employer as a type
writer who can't spell and phrase unles
it be a stenographer who cant read he
own notes, On the other hand, no offic
worker is so well paid as a stenographe
and typewriter who brings clevernes
or quick intelligence and good, simpl
education to the practical part of he
work. Her value is almost inestimable
KATE JORDAN.