Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-11-18
THE PASSING OF
STEROGRapAERS
How Talking Machines For
Business Use Affect Them.
DISPLAYING TEE ILL TRAINED.
old Method of Dtctation Too slow For
Modern AFFAIR. - Talking Machines
First u.ed to Report Congregational
Debates-Business Mans Method of
Employing the Continuance.

Employing the Continuance.
The application OF machinery to
business has become one OF the most
important. perhaps the most impor-
tant. OF latter day innovations. says
the New York Post. Not only has the
volume Of business been vastly inereas-
ed. but new classes OF workers have
been called into action. The introduc-
ton of tue typewriter meant more to
the great waiting army Of women toll
ers than the discovery OF gold In the
KlondIke meant to its army Of miners
The woman typist and the woman
stenographer really were the pioneer
business women. They opened the
way for countless other women In
countless business positions. II was
through the typewriter that women be-
gan TO develop their latent capacity
for affairs. 1t will probably be their
strongest commercial hold for many
years to come.
The stenographer. however, is slow
ly but surely disappearing. The ex-
pert stenographer will continue indef-
nitely to hold an important place, but
the ordinary product Of the business
college is too slow for these rapid days.
too inaccurate for the precise and d.
rect methods now required. The ma
jority Of girls who take up this branch
of Industry have grammar school ed
ucation only and come to their work
about as badly equipped In the way Of
general information and liberal cul-
ture as it is possible to imagine. 1t Is
said in business offices that newly
graduated stenographer who can be
depended upon to spell the names Of
American cities correctly Is rarity,
and nearly all stenographers have pain
fully to acquire a complete vocabulary
of unfamiliar words before they are
of any great value In business.
TO take the place Of the imperfectly
educated, badly equipped photographer
comes the automatic talking machine,
which records and gives back the im-
preston Of the human voice. 1t is
probable that few business women re-
| alize the extent to which this machine
! has already entered into competition
with them. The business colleges re-
alize 1t and after the first protest have
accepted the fact as inevitable and in
combatable They are even beginning
to introduce the machine into their
courses and to teach its use In connec-
ton with typewriting.
The first place in the world where
! talking machines were made to take
the place of stenographers In large
way was In the United States capitol
building in connection with congress
sional debates. The method was found
so satisfactory that it has remained in
T.. continuous use ever since. Under the
old method the expert shorthand re-
porters took their notes in the senate
and house, afterward debating them
to a corps Of ordinary stenographers,
who had the task Of transcribing them
by typewriters. The present method
shortens the time by half and has also
been found much more accurate. The
reporters merely confide their notes to
the machine, the cylinders being turn.
ed over to rapid and intelligent typists,
who transcribe from transmitting ma
chimes. Practically two persons In
stead of three handle the matter, thus
eliminating danger Of errors. The
typists are able to work much more
quickly. because they are saved the
work Of reading their notes, which are
often puzzling and require thought tc
translate.
These advantages, the saving of time
in dictation and transcription and the
ability of each clerk to turn out lar
ger amount of work, is felt In business
offices and even more than other con-
sideratiOns, such as the need of &C
curacy and intelligence on the part Of
the stenographer, are acting in favor OF
the new system. The business man
the lawyer. the banker are rapidly
adopting It, Some business houses
have as many as seyenty-fve talking
machines in everyday use. From 9
dozen to twenty machines is no I'M
usual number for house to order al
one time.
The machine in compact form /,
placed in the back of an ordinary rel
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
tenn has to be added, and for remote
localities, where this system is no
perfectly practicable, the machine |!
run by clockwork. The business maj
reads his letters, debating the answer.
to the machine. If he has more thar
ordinarily competent secretary he die
} tates briefly write to Smith
Jones, Dubuque, Ia, and tell them tina
their matter is under consideration
with the board and will probably conn
up for adjustment at the next meet
Ing" or write strong letter t
Briggs about those Perkins orders.
} Usually, however, he dictates his let
, ters in full. If he makes a mistake b
may push the cylinder back and tall
over his former words, using lOude
tone, or he may say. mo; cut that GU
and say this" The typist, as rule
! hears the letter before she begins t
write. On her desk is Transmitting
machine with ear tubes. Few horn
are in use. The transmitting may b
done as many times as the typist wish
es. thus avoiding all possibility of mis-
takes. The cylinder may be made t
revolve slowly or rapidly, as is suite
to the speed Of the operator. At nigh
the office boy puts the cylinders into
shaving machine which scrapes then
smooth for tomorrow's use. The cylin
ders may be used over and over unit