The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-11-30
THE PASSING OF STENO6RApHERS
How Talking Machines for Business Use Affect Them
Old Method of Dictation too Slow. Business Mans
Method of Employing the Continuance

adopting it. Some business houses
have as many as seventy-fve talking
machines in everyday use. From
dozen to twenty machines is no I'M
usual number for house to order at
one time.
The machine in compact form is
placed in the back of an ordinary roll
top desk. the connection with the cleo
trio light wire being entirely out OF
sight In case the office is not equipped
with electricity storage battery sys-
TEN has to be added. and for remote
localities, where this system is not
perfectly practicable, the machine IS
| run by clockwork. The business man
reads his letters, debating the answers
to the machine If he has more than
ordinarily competent secretary he die
tates briefly. "Write to Smith ~
Jones. Dubuque, Ia. and tell them that
their matter is under consideration
with the board and will probably come
I'D for adjustment Mt the next meet
ing" or Write strong letter TO
Briggs about those Perkins orders"
Usually. however, he dictates his let
tiers in full. If he makes a mistake he
may push the cylinder back and talk
over his former words. using a louder
tone. or he may say. no; cut that out
and say this" The typist, as rule,
hears the letter before she begins to
write. On her desk is transmitting
machine with ear tubes Few horns
are in use The transmitting may be
done as many times as the typist wish
es. thus avoiding all possibility OF mis-"
takes. The cylinder may be made to
revolve slowly or rapidly, as is suited
to the speed of the operator At night
the Office boy puts the cylinders into
shaving machine which Scrapes. them
smooth Tor tomorrow's use. The cylin-
ders may be used over and over until
they are shaved very thin indeed.
The use Of the talking machine in
court reporting has become more gen
eral than anywhere else. One large
reporting office in New York has a
plant of twenty -four rooms, thirty
eight machines, twenty eight typewrlt-
ers, eighteen operators and four boys
to Serve the needs of twenty-five court
and unofficial reporters. From 1000 to
1000 pages of dictation are sent out
every day. A whole days court pro-
ceedings are in neat typewriter copy
ready for delivery before the next days
proceedings begin. The immense vol
ume of matter relating to the inquiry
of the Slocum disaster was dictated to
the machine. Three expert stenOgra-
pliers and three first class typists did
the work, and the testimony was out
at 8 o'clock in the vening of the day
it was taken.
Business women are interested to
conjecture the effect of the new sys-
tenn on their prospects. 1t is certain
that the talking machine will ultimate
" succeed to q very large extent the
woman stenographer. The effect OF the
application of machinery has always
been to increase the volume of bust
ness, thus giving employment to lar
ger number of individuals. Women
will therefore not suffer in the long
run. The expert, soundly educated wo-
man will continue to occupy the place
she has made for herself in industry.
Tie woman secretary, competent, con-
scientious. discreet and helpful is a
modern development of too high val
ne ever to be displaced.