The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-11

den and Sam Sloan, came to my store
and their comments on the typewriter
and the typewriter girl were amusing.
II kept pushing the claims of the type
writer girl. Thousands of merchants
shook their heads when 1 told them they
should take one of my girls into an Office
to copy correspondence. Shorthand al
this time was rare accomplishment.
In few weeks I had half dozen
girls learning to typewrite and they were
all good looking and cultured
Mrs. Beach recalls her typewriting days
with pleasure.
With little practice she said to a
Sunday World correspondent, 81 can do
as good work now as at any time. /
liked the work. could write as rapidly
as any in New York
But the machines of those days did
not permit the speed now attained. The
depression of the keys was considerable
and prevented rapidity. The carriage
had to be drawn back with the foot
Sometimes the movement would break
the cord
THE machines were continually getting
out of alignment, and we were required
I became so proficient that L could al
most manufacture a machine. Keeping
one in order was an ordeal.
AT one time a treasury department Of
fetal came to New York with a list of
dies and plates used by banking institu-
lions which he desired copied. There was
no one in the treasury department who
could operate a typewriter. He urged me
to. come to Washington and take employ
ment under the government.
''Mr. Beach was the first man sent out
from the salesrooms to position
While still suffering from illness he
learned to use machine in 1S.y R. c.
Dun & Co. desired typewriters in their
Philadelphia offices, and Mr. Beach was
sent there.
I'm the autumn of 1875 I followed my
husband to Philadelphia and relieved him
on the typewriter.
while was in Philadelphia the treas
ury department made another effort to
engage me-
Mrs. Beach gave up typewriting many
years ago. Her husband is now employed
in the pension bureau.
This leads I'D to the first typewriter
romance. The story was told to the Sun
day World by both Mr.. Crandan and Mrs.
Beach. Its heroine was Miss Kirkman,
the first woman operator to be hired
after Mrs. Beach, who instructed her IN
the use of the machine. Mr.. Crandall
says she was the most charming girl he
nd +O IN, fhnSfa
days. She was native of the West
Indies
The first customer to give dictation to
Miss Kirkman fell a victim to her
charms. AS to his identity there is a
conflict of testimony. Mr. Crandau says
his name was Ford, and that he was in
the real estate business. Mrs. Beach's
recollection is that he was a lawyer of
Newark. This is Mr.. Crandalrs descrip-
ton Of the process by which the young
man was captivated while debating to
Miss Kirkman:
Mr.. Ford watched her handsome face
shy, innocent and rosy. He fell in love.
1 did not blame Mr.. Ford
Il will never forget the day when Miss
I<irkman came to me, her face suffused
with bushes, told me that Mr. Ford had
proposed, and asked advice.
Here was a dilemma l did not want
to lose Miss Kirkman's services. But she
was such a charming girl, and I was so
that she would be happy as
Mrs. Ford that 1 gave the couple my
blessing.
They joined arm in arm and went
awav as handsome q cOupIa as 7 ever
saw. Happy? That couple continued af-
ter marriage like two cooling doves. 1 was
never sorry for advising the second type
writed girl TO join hands with her first
client"