The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-03-14
TYPEwRITING ABROAD.
It Is Considered DtscOurteOus to
Send "a Typewriter Letter ON
Any Pretense.

"Yes, sir, we send typewriters all
over the world" said a young man sit
ting in the lobby of one of the big Chi
cago hotels, to his companion, reports
the Inter Ocean. "Why, only last week
We shipped 20 to Turkey, and next
week we are going to send rs to the
sultan himself"
The elderly party who was sitting
in the vicinity of the young man lis
tened to this conversation with undis-
guised horror, and at this point could
restrain himself no longer. Young
man. he said, with a voice trembling
with feeling, as he arose and confront
ed the speaker, 'have you ever
stopped to consider the damnable base
ness of the business you are engaged
in? Think of your mother! think of
your sisters, if you have any, and aban-
don this vile traffic in Christian wom-
en-. OH"
The young man to whom the elderly
party was addressing himself had
gazed in open-mouthed wonder, but at
this stage had to throw himself back
In his seat and roar with delight, while
the old man looked on reproachfully,
Finally he gasped to his companion;
I'm blest if the old party doesn't
think l was talking of shipping
women"
When the young man recovered him
self he explained to the old gentleman
that his conversation referred to ma
chimes, not women, and the old gentle
man, with relieved look, walked has
tily away and left the young men to
finish their conversation,
The one who had been interrupted
resumed: eve send typewriters to
every country in the world except
China. Of course there are typewriters
made in Europe, but no country has
been able so far to make machine
that can even family compare with
those of American make. We have to
make machines that will write the Ian
guage of the various countries, but
that is only matter of minor detail.
"There's funny side to the use OF
the typewriter abroad. Take France,
for instance, where we are placing a
great many machines. A French mer-
chant will sill down and dictate se-
ries of letters to bis stenographer.
Then the stenographer will take his
notes-no, they don't have women
stenographers abroad-and will go to
his typewriter and dash off the letters,
Afer this is done he VIII take the let
tiers to his employer and the latter
will look over them carefully, making
such changes or corrections as may
be necessary. Then the business man
Will hand the typewriter sheets to
another clerk, who will copy them in
long hand, and these are the letters
that are sent to the business mans
correspondents.
Wouldn't that frost you? You see,
it is fetch of the business man
abroad that all letters on business, or
any other old subject for that mat
ter. must be in handwriting. A Ger
man, or French, or Spanish, or British
merchant who received letter from
correspondent written on type
writer would throw about II kinds Of
fits in rapid succession. 1t would be
viewed as mark of the greatest dis
courtesy. That is one of the reasons
Why the Americans find 1t so hard to
capture South American trade.
But they're getting educated
abroad. We've put crimp or two In
them, and some of the foreign firms
are trying to use typewriters more in
business affairs. They're buying more
machines every year, and It is only a
mater of time until they'll all do as
the Americans do"