The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-04-06
New York SERVANTS.

New York Servants.
"And how do you like service in
American" inquired the reporter of q
smooth-faced gentleman in a striped
green-and-red vest, whose nationality
was unmistakable.
"It's torble. Hall things CONSIDERED,
hits tot ble," with due emphasis
How does it compare with service
in England?"
1.-The pickins is very good-good, but
the hignOrance is simply orful."
In what sense do you mean?"
81 mean as ow most Hamerican
families don't know nuthink about hetti-
quet. I've bin in this city nigh on two
years, and their hain't 3 season wot
they don't hask my advice on points of
hettiquet. Why, it was honly the other
day as my missus wanted to know ow
the table ought to be set for dinner.
Hask the first cook, lam, says l, for
l wasn't engaged to dress tables, but
honly to wait on 'em. told the French
cook, and he got orful waxy. 1t nd
never do, yer know, fer me to be him
terferin with the cook"
But don't you think it was compli-
ment to your experience?"
"Missus meant well, hive no doubt.
as so she hort SEEM as I've lived in two
lords families, and waited on a Russian
Count for more mir year"
"Then you can explain, doubtless,
the organization. of the servants de-
partment?"
"There's no one better. But hain't
yer dry?" After calling for, "two
whiskys 'ot" the gentleman proceeded:
1.-THE ed of the establishment is the
steward. But there's very few Hameri-
cans as keeps lar stewards. Buffers
in this country gently does the stew
ards work, and pretty good thing
they make hout of it. They mostly gifts
seven hundred dollars in wages and
three suits year, but they make double
that in perquisites and commissions
and private tips.
Galore butler goes to place. the
first thing he hasks himself is: 'Wot is
the place worth?' and if he don't see
his way to making twice his wages he
won't take it. Lor' bless yer heart, the
wages haint nothink. He gets his
whack from the wine merchant, and he
can save on is clothes. If he makes
two suits do the place of three he'll get
the tailor to allow him for the suit he
don't want, and it's charged to the
masters account. After the butler
comes the valet. His perquisites are
not to be sneezed at, for he gets his
masters old clothes, nearly as good as
new, besides lots ov tips. Some on 'em
make S400 or $500 a year hixtra, par
ticlir when the fam'ly's on its European
tower. The first footman's picklin's is
mostly in tips, too; he gets the flowers
left after receptions and balls. which he
sells hover agin. The all porter's place
is quite nice thing for man that
knows his business.
How about the coachman?"
"'Es got his hown men to look halter,
such as grooms, 'elpers and stablemen.
He haint got a bad thing either, for be-
tween his tips from the veterinary sur
geon and the 'arness-makers, and a
good sum now and again from the sale
of boss, l guess is place is wurth all
the way from eight 'undred dollars hup,
with his board, lodgin' and clothes
found" - .a
Il suppose the same rules apply to
female servants also?"
"Yes, and some on 'em make more
than we do. The lady's maids, who are
mostly French or German, come in fer
lots O. things. silk dresses, laces, and
very often 'andsome sums o. money,
cos yer see theirs is confidential posi-
ton, and they don't change much. Hi
could tell yer some very tidy stories
which I've heard from ladies' maids,
and they'd make hinterestin'. reading.
but, of course, / wouldn't do that, cos
fits against the rules of hour profession. -
'What is lady's maids place
WORTH" j.
"In good rich family what don't
know much, should say it's with nigh
on a thousand a year. one way and an
other. After the lady's maid comes the
upper 'ousemaid, wot sees the rooms
properly busted; then there's the sec
ond 'ousemaid wot attends to fires and
sweepin' hout. The third 'ousemaid
keeps the lower part of the 'ouse hin
order. 'Ousemaids don't get much,
not more than twenty dollars month.
Kitchen maids sell the fat and scrap.
which comes to something in the course
of a year, while the cooks chip in with
the butchers and grocers. for they can
horder almost what they like. Hamer-
leans, yer see, will spend their money,
and they haint particlir about the
hitems.h
"Have you any notion about the cost
of ball or reception during the height
of the season?''
81 could give yer retty fair hidea.
A friend o. mine told me that at ball
given by Mrs. William H. Vanderbilt,
last winter, the bills footed up to eight
thousand dollars for wines, fruit, flow
ers and heXtra attendance. Why, an
Henglish family wouldn't spend 'alf the
money. l know for a fact that at n
certain ball given by family in Fifty
seventh street, friend that's in service
there got no less than thirty dollars in
tips for 'elpin' the gents hon with their
hovercoats. Some families don't hal
low tips, but their people never stay
with 'em longer than month at a
time. They're holways changin',. and
families that change never get good
servants. Live an let live is my motto;
fairs fair half the world over. Our
knowledge of langwidge makes us worth
all we gifts. IN. Y Journal.