The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-16
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer.


Wanted: An Ideal Stenographer.-1.
1 have received a. fearful appeal
from a man who asks me to write an
article upon the kind of steno-
srapher the respectable business man
| wants."
I'm not looking for an angel" walls
this harassed employer, II don't ex-
| pect perfection in this imperfect world,
but 1 do feel that / should be able
to find q stenographer who is capable,
efficient, modest and ladylike all in
one.
But so far have not been able
to discover this pearl of price, tho |
stand ready to pay her good money II.
by any chance, she ever drifts into my
office door. I've changed stenograph-
ers five times in the last two and q
half years, and this is the kind of thing
I've drawn:
There was Miss O.. who was slow
and indifferent to her work.
| There was Miss L. who was sloven-
ly in her work, always late, who had
her hat on ready to ring out even
before s o'clock, and was generally dis
agreeable.
There was Miss x who was all per-
| sonality. She seemed to think that a
charming personality atoned for bad
| spelling. inaccuracy and unreliability.
There was Miss x. who was an ex-
cellent stenographer and good girl,
but who certainly didn't look or dress
| her when my friends came into the Of
flee and saw her in her tissue paper.
peekaboo waists. skirts nearly to her
knees. and with dope smeared an inch
thick all over her face and lips.
And now I've got Miss K. She is
and efficiency itself. She's never
late, dresses suitably, and is interested
in her work, but she's flirtatious. She
hangs around my desk in a way that
Is exceedingly disagreeable to me and
instead OF going home when her work
is done. she remains after the other
employees have left, with no valid
reason for staying. Also she and an
other stenographer live alone in a
large hotel apartment, which is GER
tainly no place for working girls on
moderate salaries to live.
This girl is SO efficient can't af-
ford to lose her. Neither can afford
to be gossipped about in my office as
certainly shall be when the other
employees begin specializing about why
this girl remains after the others have
gone away in the evening.
I'm not vain enough to think this
girl is in love, with me. I'm no Lo-
thario. I'm just middle aged bust
ness man whose affections are per-
manentiy engaged by his wife and
chlldren- Try 10 treat every Siri IN
my employ as I would want some
other man to treat my daughters II
they should ever have to earn their
own living, and there's absolutely
nothing doing in the sentimental line
around my office.
And 1 represent the great mass OF
business men who employ young
women stenographers. SO won't you
please write an article urging girls to
get right down to work, and cut out
the society stunt and the vamp stuff
in business offices and business
hours.
And there you are, girls. I have
quoted the mans letter at length be-
cause he states his case more forcibly
than / can. He draws a portrait of
the kind of stenographer that every
business man is Ioking for, and pining
to pay a good salary to, and urge
upon you to. gaze long and earnestly
upon this portrait and see how much.
you resemble it.