Evening journal., 1897-09-21
AAp A veRY QuIoK eYE.
! Man Surprises Another Man Who
Writes a Letter.

Writes "A Letter.
The typewriter was clicking away at
great rate, and a 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.
"Helloa," exclaimed the proprietor
of the Office, ''what are you looking
at my typewriter so absorbingly for?
Have you been dreaming that he was
a lovely maiden in disguise, or some
other fairy story like that?'
NO" replied the visitor, Il was just
trying to realize how difficult a feat
| saw a man perform yesterday, down
at one of the hotels, where there is
one of the fastest operators in town"
"What did he DO? Jump boar6
bin?"
mo, that's easy. What he did was
different. A man who was with him
had some sort Of a trade on, and /
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 it already
drafted in pencil, and he took it over
to the far side of the writing-room and
handed it to the operator, saying to be
careful, as it was very important, and
to get it done at once. Then he joined
the other man, but before they began
talking 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
few over the keys.
"The letter was finished at least
three minutes before the talk was, and
when that was done the operator hand
ed 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.
"I hope you'll 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
"'And I'd see you hanged before I'd
sell to you at any price, said the other
man in a suppressed tone, greatly to
the surprise of the man with the let
ter in his pocket.
I'm another minute there would have
been a fight on, but 1 rushed in, as
did another party. and in the excite
ment the man with the letter got away
and disappeared. In response to our
inquiries as to what it was all about
the man told us that he had made study
of training the eye to quickness, and
that he practiced it whenever he saw
typewriter at work. He had so per
fected himself in it 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 haC
the trade on was engaged for the mo
ment. Before he had read five lines o
the letter, however, he discovered tha
( the man was making arrangement
with his partner in Chicago to swindl
him out of $4,000. 1t was a cold-blood
ed case of steal, and the wonder to hin
was that he hadn't hit the scoundre
first and told him why afterward.
THAT was all there was to it." con
, cluded the visitor, except that W.
5 tested him and found that he could d'
4 what he said, and now if you don
l. think it is a difficult feat, you watcl
e your operator as she flies along SOM
time at 60 words a minute, and see
you can read the letters her finger
dance l-Mashinrto Star.