The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-12-25
Chicago Stenographer Who Gains
World of Experience.
SHE HELD MANY POSITIONS
Twsnty-Sevan In Thlrty-Slx Weeks
Takes Pride In the Record, She
Fasiatss Her Stoy.
[Chicago Evening Post.l


Smiths a stenographer and type
writer. She has the remarkable record
of having had twenty-seyen positions
in the space of, thirtysix weeks. But
what seems still more strange than
her record is her pride in it.
"Why shouldn't | be proud OF itl'
she might ask you defantly. 4 re.
ceiyed a recommendation from each
employer and have full reason to he
lieve that | gave perfect satisfaction
everywhere"
"But-bnt" yon exclaim. And ther
having recovered yom eqnanimity, you
fire this question trinmphantly MT the
young woman
"Then why didn't they keep your"
She laughs merrily. "Ah, that is tn,
point" she says. "You see, l was only
hired to sfill out"
'sTo fill out" you repeat in o
puzzled sort of way, meanwhile rackins
your brain for the meaning of this alb
struee technical term. TO fill out? Oh
you mean"
When Others Are on Vacation.
.Of course. Other stenographers take
vacations once in while. Another is
needed for week or two. They call NJ
the office"
''Beg pardon?"
"The typewriter agency where / am
employed, silly. They ask for type
writer"
"of the organic kind, presume you
mean?"
"A typewriter who can handle office
work efficiently. just weeks worl
while the regular typewriter is out Of
town. The manager says, we have one
here, and they send me out"
"Yes, and then"
And them" replied Miss Mabel Smith
II go into an office / have never seer
before, with no time to get acquainted
with the methods and ways they have
there. The other girl had week, per
haps, to learn the office routine; a
week in which she could make mis-
takes now and then and nobody would
say anything. l have to get onto
everything in an hour"
And at the end of the week, when |
am thoroughly familiar with all the ins
and outs of their business methods
when | have become used to the peeu-
liar way of debating that my employer
has"
Oddities of the Dictators.
did you say peculiar?"
.'Yes, every man is different. Some
of them walk up and down the floor
and puff away on black cigar while
they dictate in nervous spurts, others
peer nervously over your shoulder now
and then at your notes as if they wan,
ted to see if You were getting it right
and Others sit decently at the desk and
talk. But when | have become used
to the ways of the office. my time is
up and so back to the typewriter
agency
''And there?"
"And there the bright spots in my
existence are furnished by the poets
Poets about typewriter agency?'
NO the poets who haven't type
writer, and come in"
"And write sonnets to your eyebrow
Isn't that nice."
Not on your life. The poets who
come in and have me write out sonnets
to somebody else's eyebrow, and address
the envelope to Scribbler's Magazine
Why Sonnet Is Interesting.
"And why is that so interesting?'
Because there is only fourteen lines
to sonnet, and it takes me about
three minutes to finish the job, and /
charge the poet 25 cents for my SER
vices"
"0h, | see.'
"Yes, and then the next day there
comes another request from another
firm, for typewriter to stay three
days. It's n law firm. Before | 90, /
know nothing about the law. When
return, | know all about it--that is,
all that stenographer needs to know.
And ! am henceforth fully qualified to
do stenography and typewriting in any
law office in town. have several
recommendations which say so, if you
won't take my word for it.
And them" continued Miss Mabel
Smith, barely have settled down to
the quiet existence of the typewriter
agency when | am called out to big
wholesale concern, where / stay two
weeks, and know at the end of that
time as much about the business as
the superintendent.
Leads to Substantial Reward.
Il help out in physicians offices, mu-
steal colleges, coal companys, charity
bureaus, and what not. And"
"But why don't they keep you at
some of these placesf' you break in
desperately. "You ought not to be
wasted on typewriter agency"
"Oh, a man doesn't like to fire his
regular typewriter, even if he does
like me better. And the experience is
worth lot to me. This is the best
school in the world"
''Bnt | should think"
"Listenl'' and Miss Mabel Smith leans
over and whispers eonfdentially. 81
have been stenographer for only year,
and have just accepted permanent
position that few typewriters can reach
in five years. All because of my train
ing Do yoa see nowf"
BE YOUR OWN TANNER AND
GLOVE NAKED Nv ..s.rx. 80. @oxa