The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-04-01
A CHAMPION TALKER.


He is clerk employed in the audit
ing department of a railroad company.
He asserts his ability to speak correctly
and understandably 5000 words an
hour, ten hours at a stretch, and to
maintain this speed for ten consecutive
days.
AS a side statement Mr.. Conway says
that he has reached the speed of 65.O4O
words for one hour-a high-water mark
of 1,0S4 words a minute, or IS second.
Mr.. Conway says that nature has en-
dowed him with an unparalleled faculty
which has been cultivated to perfection
by the duties that devolve upon the
clerkship he holds, and he is not averse
TO placing his money. in any reasonable
sum, upon himself, If there be anybody
that thinks he or she-mother-in-laws
not excluded-can defeat him.
Mr.. Conveys duties in the railroad
Office are in the main to call on bank
checks. payrolls. bills OF lading and
other documents that must be checked
over by the auditors clerks.
When this work was assigned to him
he resolved. knowing that he possessed
a strong voice. to make a speciality OF the
work. He has more than demonstrat-
ed that his remarkable gift has prae-
tical side, for he does the work of three
men, that Is, he calls OF three different
sets of vouchers at a speed that keeps
three expert clerks busy checking his
calls. In seeking to make speciality Of
his calling Mr.. Conway kept in mind the
need of absolute accuracy, and at the
auditors Office his fellow clerks say
that he will not average one error a
month.
One night recently Mr.. Conway gave
an exhibition of hfs powers to a party
of professional men, and the result of
his performance was the issuance OF his
sweeping challenge.
Mr. Conway had taken from the Of
flee a large number OF Cancelled pay
checks, each one OF which was written
by a different hand.
1t may be said in passing that Mr..
Conway. besides reading the check. is
expected to detect any error. and any
bank teller will testify that the num-
ber OF mistakes that may be made in the
simple writing OF q check Is surpris-
Ing. AS an illustration OF what Mr..
Conway had to read In one check the fol-
owing actual copy OF one OF the slips
-contaiping an error-is presented:
NO. 56544. Wheeling, W. Va, June 5
1903.
Pay to the order of Antonio Frances
CO di PAUL. Forty-five and 6s-l00 Dollars
o
To call this check as demanded by the
auditor Of the road. omitting pay to tht
| order Of and making the amount read
''forty-five sixty-eight." the reader mus
pronounce 81 words. The check is fail
average one
This with 80 others was handed tC
Mr.. Conway and he began to read
with marvellous motion. the words came
like bullets from a Maxim gun
l At first IL was utterly impossible ex
| cept to the three clerks from the railroad
/ ONCE, who were familiar with his work
| TO distinguish a word. BY degrees, how
ever, the ears OF the novice listeners be
came attuned and before Mr.. Conway
had finished there were few in the room
who could not follow him
/ When he came to the check contain
ing the error in cents. as shown above
Mr.. Conway simply threw it aside to in
dicate that he had detected the mistake
His performance, including the hand
ling of the checks, occupied exactly 81.
minutes and seven seconds. or over 81
words a minute, or eight and one-hal
words a second.
One word more about this marvelou
voice. Mr.. Conway. who is a performe
upon violin and organ. astonished hi
hearers by demonstrating that his voic
had a range of just one note short @
four octaves-
Seating himself at the organ. he struc
the F below double c. Then like a sub
terranean rumble came from his ches
q corresponding note. In succession b
followed the notes past three octave
and then on up to E fat.
There is no shorthand reporter ths
lives who could follow Mr.. Conway
said James E. Wilkinson, court repol
, ter and one of the most rapid stenogrs
} pliers in the country. Frederick Ir,
land, reporter OF the house of repr,
sentatives. holds the record, l believe.
223 words a minute.
II THE average speed for court repor
ers is from $50 to $50 words a minut
= but there are very few who can tai
D $50 words a minute for ten minutes
= a stretch.
Il once reported a speech OF Senate
elect Isidor Rayner OF one hours ur
ton. He average los words minute.
got the speech. but the strain is one
| will never endure again"