The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-27
JUST LAY BLAME
ON THE TYPEWRITER
Cautious But Hurried Business
Men Dodge Criticism
PLAN OF TRAVELLING MEN
Clever Scheme That Has Resulted in
Saving Much Time for Busy Cor
spondents-It Also Light
ems Their Labors.
PLAN OF TRAVELLING MEN


From the New York Sun.
The phrase dictated but not re-read"
is now occasionally seen stamped or type
written in the lower left hand corner of
a typewriter letter. This is the latest
loophole of escape adopted by cautious
though very busy men to avoid reading
over the letters they dictate. and, at the
same time, to explain any error made by
a careless or ignorant stenographer.
BY this simple expedient a business man
Is able to affix his signature to each ofla
pile of typewriter letters, trusting to
luck that no glazing mistakes have been
made. Again, with this printed explana-
ton the business man may leave before
the days mail is finished, this explanation
making personal signature unnecessary.
This scheme for relieving ones self from
the results of mistakes caused either by
the misunderstanding of word at the
time of debating or the stenographer
ignorance of business terms was first
adopted by travelling statesmen obliged to
have most of their correspondence done
at hotels along the route and never sure
OF the accuracy of the stenographer avail
able.
As in many cases a salesman is Obliged
to leave for another city before his letters
are finished, the necessity for some such
explanation is obvious. While carbon
copy of each letter is usually sent him At
his next stopping place, the original goes
on to the headquarters of his com pany
and sometimes contains amusing mis-
takes, the result of ignorance of the terms
used in his particular line of business.
For instance, not long ago a fire insur-
ance adjuster obliged to dictate an i'm
portant letter Just before taking a train
cYrpriend HE visit tha
home office to find that only one half of
his letter had ever been received. About
midway in the letter the stenographer had
inserted this note:
Here the gentleman went so fast
didn't know what he said but it was
something about a crosseyed agreement
After little thought on the part Of thv
one who dictated the letter he remembered
that he had referred to a quasi agree
ment. an expression with which the hotel
stenographer was evidently unfamiliar.
Another instance was the case of a
Young attorney who dictated letter to
his stenographer asking a brother lawyer
If he could argue a demurrer on a certain
day The letter was sent out hurriedly
and not re-read.
The next day the letter was returned to
the writer asking for an Interpretation of
what seemed a surprising request In
VesugaIlon showed Iflal the slenogfapnef
had misread her notes and inquired If the
young lawyer could "agree to be demure"
on a certain day
Dictated by -, but not re-rald by
him." is sometimes added to the bottom
of letter by means of a rubber stamp,
the initials of the particular prison die
tating the letter being filled in with pen.
This method is adopted when the letter
has been dictated by one member of a
firm and signed by another perhaps not
entirely familiar with the subject matter.