The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-08

head. She is nearer IA than she is Is
Her mother is Mrs. Esther Thomas VINO
lives on First avenue. between Blanchard
and Lenora street. In the newspaper sto-
Ties where the subject IL a girl she must
be pretty, otherwise the story IS a fail
ure. This story Is not a failure. There are
not many women on earth who could pose
for picture OF health and be more sue
eessful than Miss Whitehead. she may be
even greater mentally than physically. but
the chances are the two are on par.
Now 20 the person who knows nothing
about shorthand work it may appear as
an easy matter 70 write over 100 words
blindfolded and then read your work. Il
Is not The old stenogTapher viii tell you
so. Go 20 the man who has been follow
ing the life for years. who studied short
hand when there were but two or three
systems in existence, and ask him what he
thinks about writing over 100 words a min
ute blIndfolded. Two girl stenograpners
who were told about ii said that IL was
impossible. But il is not.
II Is a fact that one OF the greatest lin
itations upon the shorthand writer Is the
necessity OF concentrating his attention
on the characters he is making. The sys-
TENS which have so long held sway in thef
world demand this attention. There are
marks TO be made above. below. or on the
line. and then there is shading and other
little requirements which necessitate the
closest work on the part OF the hand as
well as OF 1.-THE eye. II Is A matter or con-
siderable difficulty in most cases for one
writer to read with certainty the notes
Of another. unless pSovided with some gen
eral knowledge OF the statements they
contain; indeed. Il IS a common thing for
writer's 20 make mistakes n reading
back" their own notes. slight variation
in the forrnatlo Of a character IS likely
10 change or destroy the meaning Of
sentence. AS a natural result the atten-
ton OF a shorthand writer is wholly
taken up with receiving and recording the
words uttered He needs all his eyes 20
insure the legibllity OF his notes. II ne
attempts 10 watch the person speaking
instead OF following the characters he IS
making. he Is liable TO continual mistakes
The disadvantages which this necessity
entails is obvious. In recording a political
speech or lecture the Shorthand reporter
IS unable 20 watch the speaker or the
audience. OF what is going on around
him he can gain only an imperfect idea.
The motions OF the orator. the actions of
the audience, be can only see IN occa-
s5oual glimpSes. At a stereopticon lee
ture he finds no time . watch tho pie
tures. The duty az gettlnk the words
work.
But these Objectionable features have
been overcome by the new system The
Chicago man IN performing his feat the
other day used this system. II Is the Gre
alton OF his mind. There is no shading
ard writing above OF below the line IS
done away with. Persons who study this
system ear read one another's work with
out any trouble. Mss Whitehead who
gave m exh.hi,iou OF her work for the
benefit % e reporter ard an artist enter
tained a crowd q, the food exposition one
uiEht last week w3th q public exhibition az
her work she and Mrs :. a HUT took
Part in the exhibition for the benefit az
the reporter ard artist They took dc
tat!ans from newspapers sud court re-
ports. Both we're hlindfoidad and each
wrote with about the same rspidity They
wuald write fer a minute e- two ar a
time, thsn stop: the blinds were re-
moved. after wh{ch eEch read Aar oR1
work and then that - she other. 4 re-
porter "held the watch - dis the timing
took rart In THE dic-atian ana there vas
TO; che breath of q fake about she exh{-
eitoo- TIE tWo women have been study
ins ths 1fw system tor SIX months Mis-.
Whitehead has taken ether studies aY,~e
with her work. A. a half minutes sezr
ihe two wrote as hszA as sfx.v-threa
words.
Miss Whtehead's work Nas attracted
nors attention probably for ne ress.-
,ha1 she - chsls Il am satisfied 81. So.
said 90 q Pest -Irte,E se.ce rea3rter INA,
some cay 7 shaa b. ahls sa 20 much esS-s~
~ork- car notice an improvement -
ny NofA almost every eay, ard wlghln