The Colfax chronicle., 1888-12-08
WASHINGTON SERVANTS.

Virginia Aunties Who Used to Cook sFO,
de Fall OF Richmon'.
AS rule cooks and other household
help in Washington are negroes, and
the white servant is comparatively
scarce. The supply is drawn chiefly
from Virginia and Maryland. but as
Washington became the negro's para
disc about the time the Freedman's
Bureau was established, they came here
from all parts of the South, but of course,
Virginia and Maryland, on account of
the proximity to the National capital,
furnished larger quotas than any of the
other States. A great prize in the eyes
of a proud Washington housekeeper of
means is to secure genuine old Vir-
ginia cook-an "old auntie," as they
are called-one who hasn't too many
new-fangled notions, and is willing to
work and who takes delight in pre-
pairing delicious home meals such as
she used to serve up "'fo' de fall of
Richmon'," as 80 many of the darkies
here express it. 1t must not be inferred
that there are no good cooks among the
younger generation, for there are, and
of recent years negro men have been
cultivating the art of cooking, and
negro male cooks, while employed
chiefly at hotels and restaurants in this
capital city, are also being utilized in
the homes. Adarky is so fond Of good
eating that it is but natural they should
cultivate the art of improving them
selves so that they can command high
wages. The younger set are not as
reliable and steady as the old
timers who were trained in slavery
days, but they do quite well
considering all the circumstances,
and if housekeeper is fairly good
manager there isn't really much trou-
BILE in securing here good cook. The
wife of Western Republican Senator
says that when she was small girl
she used to hear her aged grandmother
talk of dishes that were peculiar to
Virginia, her grandmother having
gone West from that State. The Sem
ator's wife had almost forgotten these
dishes, but on coming to Washington
to live she employed a negro woman
as her cook, and it was not long before
''old aunty" was placing before her
some of the dishes she had heard her
grandmother speak of. '.Old aunty"
had succeeded in changing completely
the diet of her Western employers, and
they are so fond of the new way of eat
ing things, so far as they are con-
cerned, othat they prefer it to the
Western.
This is the bright side to the culinary
question in Washington. Some people
have no end Of trouble, especially those
who happen to engage restless, i'm
pudent and worthless young black
woman, who has at times had her own
way and literally bossed the people
who hired her. They have this kind
in Washington as treasures, and un-
happy is the lot of the family who has
an experience with cooks of this de-
scription. One good housewife, about
six months ago, lost a valuable cook
who had been in her employ for many
years, and she had a tormenting ex-
perience before she secured another
that approached her. After trying
half dozen she hired one day a likely
woman who came well recommended
and said she had been walking around
for week looking for a place, and
seemed glad to find employment again.
Being told that she would be expected
to prepare light supper on Sundays.
she indignantly replied: mo, indeed.
ma'am; you can't git me to cook noth-
in on Sunday eveuin' fer nobody"
She then switched of to look for an
other place.-COr. st. Louis Republic.
-ssl)id Won see anv Ouabers in Phil.