Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1897-09-10
HAD A VERY QUICK EYE.
A Mon Surprises Another Man who
Writes Letter.

Mon Surprises Another Man Who
Writes a Letter.
The typewriter was clicking away at
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 final
~ entered the visitor did not observe
his approach.
Hello" exclaimed the proprietor of
the Office, what are you looking at
my typewriter SO absorbingly for?
have you been dreaming that he was
n lovely maiden in disguise, or some
other fairy story like that?"
NO." replied the visitor, II was Just
trying to realize how difficult a feat l
saw man perform yesterday, down at
one of the hotels, where there is one
of the fastest operators in town."
What did he do? Jump board
bill?"
mo, that's easy. What he did was
different. A man who was with him
had some sort Of trade on, don't know
what. but just before they proceeded
to conclude it, the other man said he
wanted to write letter to his partner
In Chicago. He had 1t already draft
ed IN pencil, and he took 1t over to the
far side of the writing room and hand
ed 1t to the operator, saying to be care
full, as 1t was very important, and to
get 1t done at once. Then he Joined
the other man, but before they began
talking a third party called the first
man aside for short talk. AS these
two talked, the operator at the machine
clicked at the letter, 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 ma
chine. The man put the letter in his
pocket just as it was handed to him.
~ hope you will pardon me- he said,
turning 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
land I'd see you hanged before I'd
sell to you at any price, said the other
man in suppressed tone, greatly to
the surprise Of the man with the letter
in his pocket.
| I'm another minute there would have
been fight on, but rushed in. as did
| ri nd In, ho tor,
the man with the letter got away and
disappeared. In response to our in
/ quiries as to what it was all about, the
man told us that he had made a study
of training the eye to Quickness. and
that he practiced it whenever he saw a
typewriter at work. He had SO per-
fected himself in 1t that he could fol.
low 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 mo.
ment. Before he had read five lines Of
the letter, however, he discovered that
the man was making arrangements
with his partner in Chicago to swiudle
him out Of $1,000. 1t was cold blood
ed 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, con-
cluded the visitor, except that we
tested him and found he could do what
he said, and now, II you don't think 1t
t..
orator as she flies along some time Mt
sixty words minute, and see If you
can read the letters her fingers dance
among" Washington Star.