The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-24
TR|BULATIONS OF
A STENOGRAP HER
One of Them Tells Some of the
Incidents of a Career.
THERE ARE SEVERAL KINDS
tricks of Smart Boss Who Had an
Aversion to Paying BiIls-Asked For
Itemized Account and Forgot"
to inclose Check.
CBy Edwin Bennett.)

1t should first be remarked that there
arc many stenographers who may be
termed so caIied" stenographers. This
"ouid-oe assistant to business men. af-
ter a several months course in a hurry
ur business school. which pays little
attention to the fact tina THE student
Is lacking IN even a ''slap-dash'' smat-
tering Of the principles Of grammar ana
punctuation. makes his appearance In
tho business world as a capable a,nar-
uensis. In due course he secures
some kind Of a position, and, II with a
superior who is at all competent as a
business man, lives life Of misery In
the hourly expectation OF getting the
bounce for making numerous unpsrdon-
able blunders. This fate is usually his
sooner or later, unless he has an en-
ployer too careless or too ignorant
as Is sometimes the case-to see his
errors, or one whose business does not
warrant the employment of competent
help. For such a sysnographer life
has few attractions (Which is, doubt
less. the case with incompetents In all
fields and grades of work., and his
efforts are so bent toward ekinr ont
an uncertain livelihood that the bright
er Rcdes OF life are not apparent to him.
A FUTURE.
But the occupation Of stenoErapher
Ava SAaS Sooh6 AuoA hIlO mas. DIV patient
study and effort. become thorolr-hlw
competent to act such, and who
looks forward to higher work while so
employed. is not the mental dru6cerv
that one in a higher walk of business
life might at first thought suppose 1t to
be- Aside from the fact that the duties
which appertain to his regular work.
and tho regular work itself as steno-
grapher. require no small degree Of COM
mon sense and skill for their correct
performances, he is necessarily entrusted
with many OF his employers business
secrets, ard must be conservative even
with his fellow-clerks. Such young
man, employed under such circum-
stances is a very different being from
the Incompetent drudge In daily fear OF
icSing ibis position and whose work Is
source OF agony OF his employer and
the langhlng-stock OF the latter's corrc-
spondcnts.
The confidential position Of the office
stenographer. II he be wide-awake, en-
niles him to see the inside workings Of
his employers business. to gauge the
mental caiibre OF that parsonage. and to
appreciate all the little ms and outs of
diplomacy, and, not infrequently, sharp
practice. resorted to by the concern In
furthertng the all-important operations
OF doing business" and making money
SHARP METHODS.
As case in point which Will illus
t1Rte one OF the methods employed by q
business man IN another State-for who
would dare whisper that Richmond
business man would be guilty Of such
quibblins?-to evade the disconcerting
request to please remit" 1t is recalled
that letter was addressed to the
creditor. enclosing check in accordance
with a third and most urgent demand
for payment However. when the gov
eenor' placed the letter in the enve-
lope-which duty 1t was not his habit
TO per.orm-he s'inadve;tently' omitted
TO enciase the check. as was duly ex-
planned to the creditor. resident In . dis