The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-26
GOVERNMENT sTENOGRAPHs.
Many Scattered Through the Depart
ments-PensiOn Office Corps.
Washington Post.

washington POST.
Scattered through the departments hero
writer's. Most every well-equipped office
has one or more of them with typewriter
machines, but it is in the Record and PEN
sion Office of the War Department where the
greatest and most tangible advantage has
been taken of the presence of clerks who
can skilfully operate the Typewriter and
write shorthand rapidly While other
bureaus or offices of the government have
a few shorthand writer's dispersed through
the various rooms, in the Record and Pen
sion Office all the StenOgrapherS are assem-
bled in two large rooms. Colonel Aims
worth has solved the vexatious problem Of
the timely disposition OF work, and inquiries
made of mis- bureau are invariably answered
the day of receipt. In his office everything
tends to shorten the interval between the
receipt of u communication and the reply
thereto. The Stenographic corps of the
office is an important factor in the accom-
plishment of this result
The stenographerS are hard workers, but
Uncle Sam generously manifeStS his graft
tude by suffering them to draw sustenance
at the public crib at the rate OF l,2OV or
81, 400. Ladies are not excluded from this
corps There are three of them In the
stenographers rooms, but they are type
writer operators only
passing from the elevator up the long
hall, your attention is arrested by the in
cessant clatter Of typewriter machines.
Opening the Slated door you VIII be struck
with the diligence and assiduity with which
the stenographers are applying themselves
to the work in hand. You will observe the
out cases, as they ere received, 10 those
stencgraphers not actually employed on die
tated matter, while the other stenographers
are rapidly reproducing III type the notes on
the books before them
Go into either of the two rooms OF the
corps at any hour of the official day, and
the noise will probably suggest TO you 4
machine shop. Seated at typewrters con-
veniently placed about the rooms are a
dozen stenographers deXterously manipu-
latipg the keys of the noisy machines.
transcribing from notebooks the dictated
matter that is being constantly received.
1t is a scene of unexampled activity 10 be
Witnessed in few offices. All are busy;
some returning with work, others seek
ing IL. .
Operating a typewriter is laborious 1t
calls for but one position of the body a
constant movement OF the myers; much
mental application 10 follow the shorthand
notes and the keys, and is a severe mental
and physical strain on those thus employed.
But the stenographers, as have stated,
receive q remuneration that they could OBJ
tain in but few Offices outside of the gov
eminent service. After office hours they
prosecute the study of the law, medicine,
dentistry, the languages or literature.
The rooms of the stenographic corps are
contiguous 10 three large rooms containing
the correspondence division of the office.
over the deliberations of this division Col,
Ainswowth has diffused his own vigorous
personality and his example is the rule OF
their conduct Here Is another scene OF un-
RENTING industry. Seated at desks about
the rooms are experienced clerks engaged
reaching tbs oihce from every part OF the