New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-02
GIRLS IN CLERICAL WORK.
S. S. PACKARD, THE VETERAN TEACHER.
ON THE STENOGRAPHY FIELD.
NO BETTER OPPORTUNITY ANYWHERE FOR
YOUNG WOMAN OF FAIR EDUCATION.
PERSISTENT APPLICATION AND
COMMON SENSE.

YOUNG WOMAN OF FAIR EbONhiioN'
PERSISTENT APPLICATION AND
COMMON SENSE.
Some thirty years ago 1t came to me that
many business houses in New-York were badly
served in clerkships owing in no small degree
| TO the fact that good capable women we're not
! employed In the place of incompetent and incon-
sequent boys and thought 1t might be worth
/ the effort TO do what lay In my power to change
! this condition. This was, before the Introduction
| of the typewriter, and before the proved utility
of the office stenographer. ] accordingly adver-
/ tIsed through the best mediums. reaching the
/ city and into the suburban places for nfty IN
! telligent and courageous young women who
/ would accept n business training at my hands
! and hold themselves ready for such positions as
| might offer. In response to this appeal Cd
| tai.ed thirty girls and young women. ranging
from eighteen 10 thirty-fve years of age pro-
posed to educate them at my own expense and
! to supply them all with paying situations. They
were zestful and ambitious. and soon removed
any doubt / had as to the good results WHICH
might follow Compa ratively few came from the
country, and they were all self supporting "oiH-
en-. or those who desired to be such None sought
the instruction merely an accomplishment
As soon as discovered the particular qualities
I
ence with business houses. selecting those most
likely to require the kind Of service that women
could render. These were publication onices'
1avvers, offices and the class of retail mercan-
tile houses in which / felt sure good places could
be eventually secured. / simply said to these
possible employers that / had at command a
number OF well-proved. efficient women clerks
who were not only able to work but Wihg u
| do so and who could readily supplant ineinclent
office boys and young men who depended upon
! their sex to hold their own as against women Oh
whatever qualifications. The result was that l
had no difficulty in placing every well-Guaiifed
girl in paying position
SENSE OF TIANKFULNESS.
The most gratifying thing about the whole
! matter was the sense of thankfulness which
was awakened in the hearts of the employers
| II was discovered that there were ever so many
things in and about offices that were supposed
to be within the scope Of young men alone that
could be done quite as efficiently ana appro-
priately by girls; such, for instance as manag-
ing Office details and taking charge OF depart
ment work In number Of instances my bright
girls developed into competent managers, ana IN
few cases. now vivid in my memory. acheVed
DISTINGUISHED success executive officers IN
houses where they began as subordinate clerks.
The advent of the typewriter opened new and
limitless field, and l had the great satisfaction
of placing the first girl stenographer In business
This line Of employment as Is now so well
known, was especially adapted to the clear
brain. ouIck fingers and methodcal habits Of the
rcsourceful girl and II Is not at all strange that
i, has grown to be almost exclusively "woman's
work"
To such an extent is this true that It Is
G,d willing to I'M
dertake stenography a profession. and so
to-day one of our chief difficulties is to
fill the places that are open and so 1ull
of promise in the way of advancement.
for il goes without saying that there
are many stenographc positions which can be
filled only by young men. one or the deploraoe
results however Of this demand for young
women as stenographers has been the precipita-
ton upon the business community OF horde OF
half qua lifted girls. who get a smattering or IN
str,lction in schools and otherwise, and push
themselves into places which they are wholly m
competent 10 fill. A feeling prevails among the
unthnking that to be able to manipulate type
writer KEYS and take down" from dctation at
an assumed speed cover the requirements In this
department of work, while the fact is that there
is probably no clerical position in which brains
count for so much. To be the accepted medium
of communication as between the business or
professional man and his correspondents IS TO DE
a trusted and faithful employe, and any degree
Of aptness intelligence or fidelity Is sure 10 meet
Its reward.
sTENOGRAPHERs ALWAYS NEEDED.
In spite of the plethora Of applicants for
stenographic places there has never yet been
d time and is not likely to be. when competent
female stenographers will not be needed, ana IN
all my experience as an Instructor II mas never
been difficult to place competent stenographer
Let II be understood at the outset however. tha'
q competent stenoErapher can never be meas
ured by the ability to write hundred words a
minute without understanding item, or manlpu-
lating a machine however defty' unaccolhpa,
MED with the sense which renders the work
acceptable.
The question of most interest to the seeker
of profitable employment pertains undoubtedly
to the cost OF acquiring competence. TO the prop
| ability OF being able to do the work ana 10 Inc
| place which can be secured. and these ques-
! lions are all difficult to answer so That they
will AZ individual cases To those who are able
to stand the expense the surest and best means
Of becoming expert stenographers is through
the best schools and 1t so happens that in all
parts of the country. and especially IN our large
cities there are welconducted. efficient schools
where the learner having inherent qualifications
| and a fair English education, can eventually
| count upon attaining TO proficiency of the hlgh-
est order. 1t is within the scope OF efhcient
teachers absolutely 10 fit the students for the
most exactlng duties of stenographic work. and
IL Is not impossible for an energetic and intel
ugent young woman to acquire the art through
private study. with such assistance as may
| easily be had from practical stenoSraphers
THE PAY EXPECTED.
As to the pay for acceptable work, the chances
are perhaps better in this field than in any other
where women are generally employed No pro-
fcient stenographer, even without large expert
ence as such, need work for less than from rs
TO SO week at the start, and that with an
assurance of steady advancement The rates
maid for good stenographers in the best business
houses to-day vary from $40 TO 80 week, ana
there is possibly no line OF work in which women
can engage having q fairer prospect of leading
TO something even better.