Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-01-09

lie S~--s. grow muSCdCne. His Cooper
field description of the trials, tribula-
tons and discouragements Of the shorthand
student has stirred the risibilities Of many
tens of thousands of men and women who,
since his day, have striven to acquire skill
or perfection in the craggy science of con-
tracing speech on paper. II must pro-
woke the amusement Of great many
young men and women in Washington, for
the national capital is full of stenogra-
piers and stenographic students. A good
proportion of them are successful and ha ye
lucrative positions in the government de-
partments and in business Offices but ac-
cording to the manager of an employment
agency with whom Star reporter had an
interview the other lay there are hun
dreds of stenographers Of both sexes, only
moderately proficient, in Washington who
the opportunities that are presented to
them here.
Il don't know of any better city in this
country for good stenographers than Wash
ington,' said this man. Just now there
is scarcely government department here
that has not numerous vacancies for good
amanuensis stenographers. The civil service
commission is unable to fill these vacancies
on account of the lack of competent peo-
pie presenting themselves for the steno-
graphic and typewriting examination.
Scores of young men and women who
have only partly learned these two accom-
plishments attempt to pass the examina-
ton, which is certainly not difficult one,
and fail dismally. These appear not to
have thoroughly understood the maxim
that If thing is worth learning ut all it
is worth learning thoroughly. There Eas
been some little eXaggeration as to the in
surmountable difficulty of learning short
hand. Some writer's have gone SO far as
to declare that to obtain a complete mas
terry of stenography is to equal the diff
Guilty Of obtaining an intimate knowledge
Of Greek and Latin. This is absurd.
Result Of Hard Work.
1.-THE pre-eminent stenographers whose
annual incomes run into the thousands of
dollars-the court and legislative reporters
and the newspaper men 'sWho report con-
ventions and affairs of that sore-are born
not made, but for all that they have been
compelled to devote themselves for years
to the study in order too acquire absolute
proficiency. 1t Is not Of this class of Ste
nographers that l am speakings The gov
srnment departments here do not require
stenographers who can take go words a
minute. What they need, and what they
don't appear to be able to get just now,
is the good amanuensis shorthand writer,
who can take say, from 125 to 100 words
a minute, and who can intelligently tram
scribe his notes, chiefly correspondence on
a typewriter
Il hold that any young man or woman
of ordinary intelligence can learn to do
this. with earnest study and close applica-
ton, within the period of year-often
less than that. There are only three rules
to be followed by the student of stenog-
raphy who is in earnest and means to get
there. The first is practice; the second is
practice; the third is practice. q man
can't learn to play Yankee Doodle on the
violin in less than a year. and when he
does finally learn the tune 1t is of no prac-
teal use to him. But the young fellow
who sits down with his teeth hard set will
stenographer within the period of twelve
calendar months, and who sticks to the
determination, has the chance to make a
frst-rate living here in Washington.
May Become Discouraged.
''The trouble is that about eight out of
every ten young people who start in to
learn shorthand get discouraged at the
outset and abandon the study. The task
looks too big. If they don't abandon it al
together, they drift along lazily, giving the
study half an hour occasionally, and try
to make themselves believe that they are
learning 1t. In the course Of a year these
students become stenographers Of that
lamentably exasperating class who, If they
are ever given a chance to exercise their
skill jot down notes that they can't read.
The two that have stuck to it have mean
time gained proficiency and confidence, and
are tit to go into any mans office and
handle his stenographic correspondence for
him. If they keep at 1t for another year,
taking dictation for couple of hours a
DAY, they are able to resign their amanu-
ensis positions and apply themselves to
money-getting as court or legislative re-
porters.
''The young man or woman who wishes
to become fitted for obtaining paying po-
sition as a stenographer must study for
from three to five or even six hours a
day, according to their respective capaci-
ties for absorbing the intricate problems
presented by the art This thing of learn
ing shorthand while you wait is the purest
balderdash Any teacher who processes
to be able to drill stenography into a stu
dent thoroughly in three months, as good
many OF them do, Is fakir to be avoided
1t can't be done. None Of the stenographic
teachers In Washington make any such
claim, but in some OF the other cities the
advertisement to this effect is common.
Must Be Well Informed.
"a good general education is absolutely
essential as basis even for a moderately
good amanuensis stenographer. There are
any number Of bright. quick-witted stenog-
raphers, whose sharpness Of mentality has
enabled them to pick up the art of note.
taking with surprising rApidity, who CAM
spell or punctuate. What, good are they
or what use to the governmental chief Of
division or the business man Is a note
book full or stenographfc notes, II the
stenographer can't transcribeIdhem intel.
| ligently, without innumerablei blunders In
photography and punctuation? Good spell
ing is particularly essential. - The rendi
| ton Of a phonetic Language into properly.
srelt English is not 30 Easy as it might
| appear. tos ID
THE stenographer who,is employed in an
office where technical wonds pertaining to
the arts and sciences areiin common usage
soon finds this out. 1t dis inv the proper
transcription of notes that so many Of the
shorthand writer's who present themselves
for the civil service stenaeraphic examina-
| ton fall down. The dictatim given to
| them is not rapid. 1t rarely goes above 1Oi
words minute. But it is a dictation the
| transcription of which requires thorough
knowledge of spelling and punctuation. to
say nothing of a knowledge of proper bust
ness form, and q great majority of the
stenographers who have got the dictation
| all right and who are able to read their
notes offhand knock their percentages kite.
high when they get them down In black
| and white.
One hears good deal Of tommy-rot
| with regard to the inability Of women ia
learn stenography as wen as men, It IL
| true that they very rarely become eminent
/ as legislative and court reporters although
| there are two f1rst-rate female court re-
| porters in Chtcago-but some OF the very
/ best amanuenSia 9teno1raphera know are