The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
JUST BLAME THE TYPEWRITER
Ir Anything Comes Out Wrong In Your
Letters Lot OF People DO.


Said the public stenographer and type
writer in the hotel:
YES, there are many funny happenings
in the careers OF ~stenographers; a great
many pathetic occurrences and loads OF ,irri-
tating ones. The ludicrous ones are caused
mainly from the indistinctness OF the dicta-
tors articulation. instead OF the natural
stupidity OF the stenographer. as he is prone
20 think.
sFor instance, one man said TO his
stenographer in thanking a friend for a
Christmas present: 4 will endeavor to
reciprocate, and the letter came back to
him: I will never r~eciprocate.'
The shorthand pen wielder had won
dered at such an expression, but neverthe.
less, having asked him three times II that
was what he had said. and receiving an
affirmative reply. so wrote it. This was
the last letter for that day. so Miss Stenog-
rapher put her hat on and went home
before IL was signed. The next day her
employer said to her, laughingly:
-'You did the darndest thing yesterday
81 know what IL was now she replied,
but ! asked you several times " that was
what you had said. n you said Yes
What did you do about the letter.
oh replied the boss. I corrected it
and sent 1t on
-'Well, ! wish you Wouldn't swear at me.
at any rate replied the young woman.
-'When did I eve swear at YOU never
did-at least, not where you could hear me.
the employer added smilingly.
Another man dictated Rolling Jeems'
IA slang expression Of his own for the James
Riyer), and the perturbed stenographer
sent it OF rolling Jeans. wondering all the
while what il meant.
THE recipient OF the epistle made this the
occa sion for n letter, saying hat such names
were Dissertation to the beautiful river, so
the nice old gentleman dictated another
letter, beginning: L hope you will pardon
the error Of a new stenographer, who
solenlnly swears that with the help Of Coo
she will never 30 g%riovously err again.
"One man used TO chew his words, and
wha. came forth for one letter one day
sounded as much like 'Prow!er's Protective
Association as anything else, and although
that seemed a very doubtful association,
after thinking and thinking l finally wrote
it as it sounded. and I was called down in a
high handed manner. when the real fault
was that Of the dictator.
These and many similar errors are caused
either by defective hearing or lack Of proper
dictntinev but the blame usually attaches
to the poor stenographer. The employer
thinks no doubt that there Is no use Of hav-
ing a secretary II the fault for all mistakes
cannot be put upon her, as a fascinating red
haired woman once exclaimed, What's the
use OF my red hair II I cannot have a temper?'
SO with the secretary. II they are not to
be scolded when the boss 10 out of temper
they are no use whatever.
-Some men, most men I may say, expect
reading TO he one of the qualifications
Of the typewriting girl.
-Cne mar who has come under my observa-
ton a good lea would pick up a bunch Of
letters and read them for a while, and then
start on, Tell what's name and then he
would proceed to dictate at the rate Of a
public speaker. In the ofioe which this