The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-07-31
WHITE MARBLE STEPS.
A Social Vanity that Costs PHILADELPHIA
S3,B5O,OOO Every Year.

This city, says O Philadelphia corrc-
spondent OF tho Sun, has m industry
peculiar 10 itself, aud it is therefore
worthy Of honorable mention. Every
house has marble doorsteps, and houses
of any pretension have marble trim
mings or foundations which rise above
the sidewalk frora two to four or five
feet. The industry referred to is de-
voted to keeping this marble work clean.
A stranger would think it q small matter,
and that few whisks Of brush or
broom would be sufficient; but this is SO
far from being the case that great deal
Of hard work is required, aud it must
be dono in q scientific manner. The
reason for this lies in the fact that there
is more or less iron, or perhaps other
minerals, in the marble, which, con-
tinualIy coming to the surface, must DO
taken out by Eard rubbing and scrub
bling, and likely enough with tears.
Usually the work commences early in
the morning, sometimes at daylight. A
bucket and scrubbing brush arc re.
quired, also soap, cloth, and some rot
ter stone, and the laborer gets down on
her hands and knees as frst step-if
such movement is n Stephen begins
to rub on one side, and painfully goes
over the surface, much rs carpenter
would do il it were piece OF black wal
nut to he planCd and smoothed and
sandpapered. Nor will ordinary scrub.
bling at all answer; for the discolored
spots arc to be watched and rubbed IN
til they wholly disappear; and il the
spots will not cont" they must be rub.
bed till they shall. Now, when it is
considered that there arc from two to
four, and even dozen steps. and, be-
sides, line OF marble from fifteen to
twenty-five feet long, it will be seen that
there is solid, honest work to be done.
Sometimes good half hour is required
for two stops alone.
What is singular about this matter is,
that such is the social arrangement con-
corning it, that it is impossiblot to neglect
the work, for il it is neglected, the next
door aeighbor, oil tho people in the
street, all the passers by will notice the
remissness, and n glance CT contempt
will be cast at tho front door, at the win.
dows, and the whole house, and the 30
cial standing Of tho inmates will DO in
danger, and perhaps credit itself will be
in jeopardy.
1t is presumed that the servant girl
does this work, and it is certainly true
that the operative looks like servant
girl. But the truth is tho great majority
Of families own their own houses, and
they do not keep servants, 50 it is the
woman Of the house who is out on her
hands and knees, and ut an hour when
her husband and children are either in
bed or helping in some WY to get the
breakfast, or, when there is only one
servant she will be required at the
range, or, il the servant has not done
the scrubbing well, leaving yellow
spots, and there have been contemptu-
GUS glances, the Indy Of tho mansion
goes out, but nobody is the wiser, for,
dressed in IN old gown, and in WORKOUT
shoes, she knuckles down to the great
social duty, feeling assured that when,
later in the day, she steps down those
SNOWY stairs dressed in silk and all other
things in the latest style, and perhaps
admired or envied by every eye, she
will not be shocked by seeing o single
foul spot. And so day by day, month
by month, and year by year, this Phila.
delphia industry goes on.
Now, taking ont factories and strictly
business houses, there are in this city
not less than 100, 600 houses whose mar
bic steps mud trimmings must be rubbed
down every day. The value OF the work
performed and OF the material used will
average fully ten cents for each house
though in many cases the work is richly
worth twenty-five cents-therefore the
daily investment is $4,000, equal to
SO, $50 900 year; certainly IN enor-
nous sum, considering that it con-
tributes to neither food, clothing, 70.
ligion nor politics.