Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-17
HAD A VERY QUICK EYE.
A Man Surprises Another Man VIII.
Writes a Letter.

Writes a Letter.
The typewriter was clicking away at a
great rate, and man was sitting near
watching the flying fingers of the operator
He was waiting to see the attorney who
was the employer of the operator, and
when the attorney finally entered the visi-
tor did not observe his approach.
Hello exclaimed the proprietor of the
Office. what are you looking at nay type
writer 50 absorbingly for? Have you been
dreaming that he was lovely maiden in
disguise, or some other fairy story Ike
that?' a.
No" replied the visitor, II was just
trying to realize how difficult feat 1 saw
a man perform yesterday. down at one Ct
the hotels. where there Is one of the fastest
operators In town."
What did he do? Jump board bll?''
mo, that's easy. What he did was diff
ferent. A nan who was with him and some
sort of a trade on. don't know what, but
just before they preceded to conclude 1t,
the other man said he wanted to write
letter t. his partner in Chicago He had
it already drafted in pencil, and he took it
over to the far side of the writing room
and handed it to the opera tor, saying to be
careful, as 1t was very important. and to
get 1t done at once Then he joined the
other man. but before they began talking
third party called the first man aside for
short talk AS these two talked, the
operator at the machine. clicked at the let
ter, and the man who was waiting for some
reason, watched the operator very closely
as her fingers flew over the keys.
THE letter was finished at least three
minutes before the talk was. and when
that was done the operator handed the man
the letter in an envelope duly addressed
and went back to her machine. The man
put the letter in his pocket just as it was
handed to him.
ha
ing to the waiting man. for so much delay,
but it was unavoidable. However, I'm
ready now to close with you at the prices
named
to YOU at any price said the other man in
a suppressed tone, greatly to the surprise
of the man with the letter in his pocket.
In another minute there would have
been fight on. but l rushed in as did an
other party and in the excitement the man
with the letter got away and disappeared.
In response to our inquiries as to what 1t
was all about, the man told us that he had
made study of training the eye to quick
ness, and that he practiced 1t whenever he
saw a typewriter at work. He had so per-
fected himself in it that he could follow
the fingers Of the fastest operator. and he
could read whatever he might happen to be
writing. In this case he had done the same
without thought. because the man with
whom he had the trade on was engaged
for the moment. Before he had read five
lines of the letter, however. he discovered
that the man was making arrangements
with his partner in Chicago to swindle him
cut of 5000. 1t was cold-biooded case of
steal and the wonder to him was that he
hadn't hit the scoundrel first and told him
why afterward.
That was all there was to it," concluded
the visitor. except that we tested him and
found he could do what he said and now
IL you don't think it Is difficult feat. you
watch your operator as she flies along
sc me time at sixty words a minute and see
if you can read the letters her fingers dance
among"