The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1897-10-15
HAD A veRY QUICK eye.
Nan Surprise. Another Man Who
Writes = Letter.


The typewriter was clicking away at
great rate. and man was sitting
near watching the flying fingers Of the
operator. He was waiting 10 See the
attorney who was the employer OF the
operator. and when the attorney hnal-
ly entered the visitor did not observe
his approach.
Hello" exclaimed the proprietor Of
the Office, what are you looking at
my typewriter so absorblngly for7
Have you been dreaming that he was
lovely maiden in disguise. or some
other fairy story like thatf"
NO" replied the visitor II was just
trying TO realize how difficult a feat
sa W man perform yesterday. down at
one OF the hotels, where there Is one
OF the fastest operators IN town"
What did be doz Jump board
bm?"
mo. that's easy. What be did was
different. man who was with him
had some sort Of trade on. don't know
what. but just before they proceeded
to conclude IL. the other man said he
wanted TO write a letter TO his partner
In Chicago. He had IL already draft
ed in pencil. and ne took II over to the
far side OF the writing room and hand
ed II to the operator. saying TO be care
full, as IL 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 a 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 II was handed to him.
4 hope you viii pardon me- he said
turning to the waiting man. for 50
much delay, but IT was unavoidable
/ However. I'm ready now TO close with
you at the prices named
And I'd see you hanged before I'd
= sell to you at any price said the Other
= man in a suppressed tone. greatly tc
. the surprise OF the man with the letter
. in his pocket.
"In another minute there would have
= been a fight on, but / rushed in. as die
5 another party. and in the excitement
=. the man with the letter got away ans
E disappeared In response to our in
- quiries as TO what II was all about. th'
man told us that he had made a studl
Of training the eye TO quickness. ans
that he practlced II whenever he saw !
typewriter at work. He had so per
fected himself in II that he could fol
low the fingers OF the fastest operator
and he could read whatever he nigh
happen to be writing. In this case h
had done the same without thought
because the man with whom he ha'
the trade on was engaged for the me
ment. Before he had read FIVE lines o
the letter. however. he discovered tina
the man was making arrangement
with his partner in Chicago TO swindl
him out Of 5000. II was a cold-blood
ed case OF steal. and the wonder TO hin
was that he hadn't hit the scoundrs
first and told him why afterward.
. THAT was all there was to it, COZ
N cluded the visitor. except that W
tested him and found he could do wha
he said. and now. II you don't think
is a difficult feat. you watch your OF
orator as she flies along some time a
Il sixty words minute. and see II 20
!. can read the letters her fingers dane
4 among. Washington Star.