The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-11-18
A HOUSE RUN BY RULES.
Curious Placards Posted Up in Balti'
more Mans House.

There are good many queer people
| in this world. just at present Balti-
more contains as odd a parsonage as
! Charles Dickens Mr.. Dick. He is a
| bookkeeper who runs his house by
rules. A reporter of the Baltimore
Ne1CS, who recently visited his residence
| says:
Placards of rules were placed in every
room for the guidance of its occupants,
and for their violation sundry penalties
are provided. In the hail the following
rules were posted, the placard being
wedged in the crevice of the mirror in
the hat-rack:
Please hang your hat up.
Please wipe your feet
Please do not take away our UNI
brellas.
Please put your umbrella in the rack.
Enter the parlor by the first door to
the left.
In the parlor he found a similar
poster. 1t was fastened to the shade of
drop light and at night its lettering
was brought into conspicuous promi-
nence by the light under it. The pla-
card read thus:
Please do not soil the photograph
album.
Please do not finger the oil paintings
to see if they are genuine for they are.
Please do not touch the mineral speci-
mems on the side-table.
Please do not move your chair from
the position it occupies.
Please close the piano after using it,
and put the music where you found it
If you found it out of its place put it
where it belongs.
No visitors entertained in this parlor
Of 8 and 8 p. m., and after 1870 D. m.
Any visitor calling at any hour when
no entertainment is allowed will be
compelled to await the arrival of the
hour when some member of the family
is permitted to enter.
Young men will observe the rule
that no visitors are entertained after
1880 p. nj.
Members of this family are prohibited
from occupying this parlor except to en-
tertain callers.
The rules are rough on visitors, but
the reporter learned from regular
visitor to one of the young ladies of the
house that they are rigidly enforced.
Suspended from chandelier which
overhangS the dining-room, was a pla-
caro- which reads thus:
Please take your time in eating.
Please replace the different articles in
the casters.
Please do not place your elbows on
the table.
Please sit upright in your chair.
Please eat with your fork.
In the kitchen the servant girl kept
such close watch upon the reporter
that he could not copy the rules he saw
over the dresser. He got few furtive
glances at them. They were very long,
and outlined in detail the cooks duties,
such as the amount of salt, pepper and
other condiments to be placed in GER
tain articles of food, the amount of flour
required for biscuits and rolls for each
meal, when butter was to be used, etc.
inere was place for every pan and
pot, and each was specified. Even the
amount of coal required for days use
in the kitchen stove was set down.
There was q special injunction that
everything was to be kept neat and
clean, and any failure to do so would
be detected by the master of the house,
who would inspect the kitchen every
day. The servant girl was allowed to
receive company on one night each
week, and she was permitted to take
Sunday night to herself, provided she
would return by 1880 p. m. Violation
of the rules was punishable by her being
kept on duty on Sunday night and re-
fused company either for one, two, or
three weeks, as the magnitude of the Of
tense might justify.
The harshncSs of the paterfamilias
was brought into full play when he de-
vised the rules for the bedchamber
which his two daughters occupied. The
placard was of the same pattern as
those in other rooms throughout the
house-twelve inches by eight, plain
black lettering, surrounded by a broad,
black border. The placard was sus-
pended by ribbon from the top of the
mirror frame. and the card covered the
top of the glass. 1t was probably
placed in that position by the father to
insure its being seen long and often.
Every time that either of those young
ladies ties her bonnet-strings, arranges
her hair or gazes into the depths of her
blue eyes, she cannot help seeing that
placard. Any young lady must know
how often, then, those rules meet the
eyes of the fair occupants of that room.
They read thus:
My daughters will refrain from using
cosmetics, paint, powder, and other
such stuff on every occasion.
TjOht lapinr Is nrOhj hited
No conspicuous jewelry must be
worn.
Rose water is the only perfumery per-
mitted.
The teeth and nails must be carefully
brushed at least twice d day.
The bureau drawers must be kept in
prim order.
No high-heeled or tight-ftting shoes
allowed.
No garments should be thrown hap
hazard on the chairs.
The lights in this room must be ex-
tinguished at II p. m. promptly.
1t is unnecessary to add that my
daughters will say their prayers before
retiring at night and after rising in the
morning.
Similar rules are placarded in the
chamber of the father and mother. Even
the son is not exempt, and he is told
how often to shave, what kind of cravats
to wear, etc.
The Telephone Recognized 1t.