Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-04-05
Marvellous Type
writer Exhibition
Wonderful Speed and Accuracy At
tanned by Mr.. Woodson

An unusually large audience was
in attendance upon the chapel exer-
cises of Friday morning, March 29th.
Mr. w. n. Philips, of the school of
business, introduced Mr.. Raymond
p. Kelley, who conducted the won
derful exhibition Of typewriting by
Master Parker c. Woodson, both of
New York City. After considering all
that we saw, it would seem that Mas
ter WoOdson has reached the limit
of human possibility Master Wood
son is little more advanced than a be-
ginner, having entered a business col
ege for the purpose of learning short
hand and stenography as recently as
January, 1910. The townspeople,
students and faculty enjoyed the ex-
hibition and demonstrated their keen
interest by frequent hearty applause
All the tests were on new matter
selected by member of the school of
business, written on stock type
writer mot one especially manufac-
tured for Master Woodson) carefully
timed with a split second stop watch
and compared for errors by members
of the faculty according to strictly
test conditions. The boys remarka-
BILE display of speed and unusual skill
in accuracy appealed to all, and was
! widely commented upon.
Although Master Woodson has no
knowledge of the French language,
| he copied from a French reader Sc
cured from the college library, at the
rate of "A words per minute, without
error, by the touch, all finger or
| piano" method of typewriting
In copying by the same method
from new matter in the English Ian
guage, the boy wrote at the rate of
| 1872 words per minute of difficult
matter and 1877 words a minute of
ordinary matter.
The test which amazed the audience
was Master Woodson's copying new
matter in the English language at the
rate of ia words per minute while
carrying on an animated conyersation
with a member of the faculty. The
questions We're unexpected and de-
manded considerable concentration
of mind, but it seemed to make no
difference in the speed and accuracy
of the writing.
Perhaps the most sensational feat
of all was that of writing 105 words
minute, from new matter, and at
the same time mentally adding up
three columns of five figures each,
without error in either the writing or
adding.
In doing this work Master Woodson
copied the reading matter from a
book while listening to the figures
read to him by Mr.. Kelley, and carries
the totaIto each column in his mind
and calls it off as the last mum Der in
the column is reached. The correct
ness of this work was verified by a
faculty member.
Taking dictation of a very difficult
business letter, new to him, at the
rate of 113 words per minute with his
eyes blindfolded was another per-
Torrance of the youths. A surpris-
ing test was that of pinning a hand
kerchief on the keyboard and writing
directly through it, under which con-
ditions Master Woodson attained a
high rate of speed with accuracy.
The climax of Master Woodson's
clever work came when he demon
strated the mechanical speed posi-
bilities of the typewriter. Taking
for his copy speed sentence" the
writer attained speed of 236 words
in single minute, without error 1t
was estimated that in this test he
was sustaining a speed of about IL
IL strokes or finger movements. per
second.
| At the close of the dem onstration
Master Woodson gave an interesting
talk in which he emphasized the inn
portanee of touch typewriting.