Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-21
OPPORTUNITIES OF TO-DAY
stenogrsphsrs Possibilities Exceed ThOs'
Of Many 0thera
HARRIET MARTIN GIVES GOOD LETTERS
Says Bright Mind with Fair Educa-
tion and Attention to Bust
ness Are the ONLY
Essentials.

Writing on this subject in the New
idea womans Magazine" Harriet Martin
says in part: Probably no one occupation
open to women offers the worker so many
chances to rise" provided she knows
chance when she sees IL, as does the APP
parently modest calling Of the stenog-
rapher. Many a girl who has resented
friendly suggestion that she master the
typewriter has lived to follow the sugges-
tf6n and thank the friend heartily for his
wisdom. True, it is modest. There is
nothing very grand" about studying
shorthand nor in copying of business let
ters on the machine. But It is well for us
to remember-particularly those of us who
live in America-that grand" beginnings
are not necessary to us who live in Amer
lea, that grand" beginnings are not neces-
sary to large accomplishments, and that,
IN keeping with our fine democracy of
spirit, we can i'll afford to look down on
any useful work.
Even though a stenographer remains
merely a stenographer, so long as she
works, even though the possibilities" of
being something more through her very
stenography are never seen by her, her
work is highly important, and its relation
TO our swift conduct of modern business
intimate and invaluable. The study be-
comes interesting, however, to the young
woman who while also perhaps average, is
blessed with one incentive lacking in the
girl Of whom we have just talked. That
incentive is the answering desire to get
on. Give her stenography for starter"
and venture to prophesy she will get as
far as she wishes to-
There is almost no limit to the stepping
stones that lie around waiting in business
offices for the ambitious young stenogra-
pher. Take the private secretaryship.
never heard of a private secretary who
wasn't first stenographer, probably a
ten-dollar-a-week one. Perhaps others
have existed, but they are certainly not
frequent. The uses of stenography in sec
retaryships are too obvious to need mem
ton. And SECRETARY. rapidly becoming
one of the necessities Of life to her en-
ployer, supplies his sentences as she takes
down his letters and writes them practi-
cally from suggestion. She must needs be
a rapid worker and this average girl with
the motor power of ambition back of her
mas seen to 1t that her work is rapid
stenography has served to start girls in
the higher professions by giving them the
means which is to do advanced study. A
physicians stenographer has become i'm
bued with the desire to study medicine.
Soon she is combining her secretarial work
with few hours of daily devotion to med
zeal books. After a while the physician.
seeing her determination, enters into the
scheme, and medical school becomes a nos
sibility There is no more practical nor
easier method of earning money ION the
Side than that of the stenographer. The
great attraction of the work is that there
Is always plenty of 1t to be done. Stenog-
raphers-good ones-are in demand. either
at salaries or by the hour or by the piece
Of work.
NOR does the use of stenography and type
writing end when one gives it up as a me ms
OF earning money from other people, 1t is a
vast saving OF money to oneself The
writer the preacher, the teacher save dol
lars upon dollars by doing at least trough
copy" on their own machines There has
been much talk of late about the value. or
lack OF value, of literary productions writ
ten first hand upon the machine 1t seems
however, to be the consensus of opinion
that is not dependent upon the method used
In getting 1t off the finger tips. Why touch
Ing typewriter keys should prove less in
spirational than moving a pen along passes
comprehension. although many earnest and
troubled ones have seen in the advance Of
the typewriter the death of inspired liter
allure. Surely, IL person has something to
say, he will be able to say it whether by
pen, pencil or machine.
Here, then. are the main conclusions of
consideration of stenography as an occupa-
uon OF women; 1t is quickly learned and
by almost any type of person possessing
average capability. Elderly women are not
debarred from following 1t. as they are
from most businesses in this rushing age
Youth, on the contrary, is no hinderance.
Again, the pleasant conclusion, that there
Is demand for women stenographers-
good ones-and money awaiting them when
they have learned the work Stenography
not only provides an opening but estab-
fishes foothold whereby sometimes op-
portunities leading to positions of great
influence and affluence are secured A
knowledge OF stenography stands to a girl
somewhat as well invested sum of money
does to the investor. She can use the in
terest at any time to help her over a
difficult situation. When she needs a few
dollars extra, she can draw on It, even
after the necessity of earning. her daily
bread as a stenographer has been elimin-
Rted.
nTAMONnQ- Edhot,,, 1eth -.