The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-11
FIRST ONE OF HER KIND
Original Typewriter Girl Has
Been Discovered.
FL OURlSHED 25 YEARS AGO
Pretty, of Course, as a Type
Writer Girl Should Be.
FL OURISHED % YEARS AGO

millionaires as sIdlfully as on the key
boards Of writing machines.
Not alone has the Sunday World dis
covered her; lit has interviewed her, pho
tographed her as size is and procured her
photograph as she was in the days when
she alone of women trained her fingers to
rattle the keys that have come to play Sc
important a part in the worlds work
In accordance with the eternal fitness
of things, the first typewriter girl was
good to look upon. And now, a matron
of Sc, her rosy cheeks and round amiable
face make her exceedingly attractive. A
quarter of a century ago, when she was
the pioneer of typewriter girls, she pos
sessed rare personal graces.
I There is nothing about her appearance
suggesting frivolity. Hers was classic
type, serious, intensely WON AMY, essen
TALLY business-like.
But that was a serious age, when even
love wa made seriously. And again, the
latter-day frivolity may be an unreal at
tribute foisted on Mrs. Beach's young
successors by comic operas and the comic
papers. 1t is true, as the modern type
writer girl may point out, that the hero
inc of this story was guilty of wearing
earrings; but such was the universal fash
ion of her time.
Most important of all, there was a
cause for the pictured seriousness which
the Sunday World mentions with diff
Gence.
The first typewriter girl was married
Yes; it is a painful confession to make
but the truth must be told at all hazards
She had a husband: but that should not
rob her of the distinction of being the
first typewriter girl, because she was
really a g.rl wife. Besides, her husband
has a typewriter reputation on his own
account, having been the first man to ac-
cept a regular position outside New York
to operate d machine for correspondence
purposes
In any event, if Mrs. Beach's claim be
taken exception to on the ground of her
matrimonial en- tanglement the Sunday
World can introdu the sec nd type
writer girl, who was not only unmarried
when she became Mrs. Beach's cor7rade
at the keyboard, but who actually won
and wed the first gallant young business
man to dictate his correspondence to her,
and thus created a precedent for all the
romances that have combined to throw a
hymeneal lustre over the typewriting
profession OF which more anon.
Mrs Beach was paid for her services at
the village of Falls Church, which is
tucked away among the Virvinia hills be-
yond the Potomac, not far from Washing
ton. The man who was the first to en-
gage her services, and who is entitled
to the credit of having invented the type
writer girl, is Lucien Stephen Crandau of
Sixth avenue and Sixth street, Brooklyn,
one of the pioneer typewriter inventors.
In March, 1919. Densmore & Yost opened
a typewriter salesroom at 707 Broadway,
New York Their establishment was on
the ground floor and presented an at
tractive appearance. Mr.. Crandall was in
charge of the salesrooms.
Each of these gentlemen subsequently
became the inventor of a typewrit.ng
machine There was a workshop con-
nected with the place and all took turns
in studying improvements and perfecting
the Scholes & G idden typewriter, which
had just been put on the market.
When the salesroom was opened a
couple of ladies were employed to sell
machines, but they made no pretense of
operating them for any purpose except
that of exhibition.
Just at this time young Henry A
Beach and his wife were in a difficult
position. he was a teacher, but had lost
his position, and illness prevented him
from seeking work
In this emergency Mrs. Beach sailed
! out in search Of employment. 1t so hap
pened that she came undsr the notice Of
Mr.. Crandau, who was brooding over his
great idea of training young women to
take dictatious from the public Noting
/ her intelligence and determination he CT
fered her an engagement, and she ac-
cepted it,
/ Mrs Beach at once begas prac;icing en-
/ the Scholes & Glidden machine. After
/ three weeks she was sufficiently expert 10
1 begin handling commercial matter. Her
/ first piece of work was the genealogical
/ tree Of some family whose name has
/ passed from her memory.
/ Other. women were added to the Office
/ force, until a half dozen were employed.
Mrs. Beach, under Mr.. CrandaH. had
charge of the force. There was no sys-
/ tenn Of teaching, as at present Each
/ learner followed her own Judgment and
used her fingers as seemed easiest.
! Mrs. Beach was paid for her sedvices at
about the same rate that now prevails.
/ She got five cents per hundred words for
q single copy; eight cents for two copies.
/ and ten cents per hundred words for from
TWO TO six cOoies-the maximum obtain
able in those days.
Plays and sermons were an important
/ part 81 the work done by Mrs. Beach and
! her fellow copyists. Inventor Crandall
stin giOws with pride at the skill of the
first typewriter giri. He said 10 a sun
day World reporter the other day:
Mrs. Beach became one Of the most
expert operators \ the country. Il was
one Of the curiosjies Or New York in
those days 10 see q typewriter girl.
Business men never expected to emplov
| them in their offices.
When Mrs. Beach first came to work
she knew nothing about typewriting. She
was clever pupil. In = few weeks ha-
| fingers were running rapjdlv over ~
keys and making the machine hum. 70
the astonishment OF the crowds who
came into the store
Il advertised 10 do all kinds Of convin-
At that time Il was plain 10 me TIA,
women would in a few years be ernplove3
/ ~, .-,r-,--,.r