St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-22

night' | asked, why and she said that
the rooms were so infested with cock
reaches, fieas and
OTHER NOCTURNAL vERMIN
that it was impossible to get good
nights sleep, and many girls left ON
that account. l then made personal
inspection of some rooms and found she
told the truth. A place was easily OBJ
tainable, for the girls do not stay long,
but Ididn't dare try it.
visited the st. James next. The
girls seemed to have no special cause
for complaint. Their rooms, although
slightly crowded, were neat and pleas
ant. The fare is good, and several of
the girls spoke gratefully of the house
keepers kindness when they were Ill.
While trying my luck as servant L
succeeded in obtaining place at the
West hotel. Having heard that the help
didn't receive much to eat, | had curl
osity to see the quarters before applying
for place. The help come and go by a
rear entrance. There was a printed
regulation prohibiting any one from Wis
iting the servants quarters without a
written order. After explaining that
was looking for work, the Waterman al
lowed me to pass. | first went up stairs
to see the servants rooms. They are
roomy. well furnished and neat in every
respect. Iron bedsteads are provided.
All of the furniture is good. Halls and
stairways being finished in oak which
is scrubbed every morning until they
fairly glisten. Bath rooms and other
toilet convenlences are provided and
required to be kept in perfect order by
the girls. Altogether the girls rooms
were what one would expect in model
hotel. | had considerable trouble in
finding the helps dining hall, in the
course of my wandering L stumbled into
the guests dining hall. This large
apartment looked beautiful. the after
noon sun coming through the stained
windows lightened the effect of the
heavy carvings, while the silver and
dainty china on the many tables looked
so cool and inviting. ''Of course"
thought /, 1.-The helps dining hall will
be something like this only more plain
in its appointments Leaving the
dining room l drifted into the kitchen
and staid awhile watching the cooking
operations. Every modern improve
ment is utilized, the force seems well
disciplined and everything is wonder
fully neat. Down in the basement /
saw the laundry force and finally in a
remote corner came across dark little
den containing small range with a
battered tin boiler on the top. There
was a greasy table at one side, along
the wall could dinly see rows of coarse
dishes.
''What's this range for?" asked of
That's where we cook the helps
meals" he replied.
"Then you don't cook what they eat
in that nice, clean kitchen up stairs?"
'Of course not" he said, promptly;
but he wouldn't answer any more Ques-
lions.
Opening off the cook room was long,
narrow room. The ceiling was high.
Light came from windows partly below
the level of the sidewalk, lots of dust
came in, too. There was coarse plaster
ing over the stones of the basement.
The long, narrow tables were of the
commonest make, covered with brown
oilcloth instead of snowy damask. A
plate, cup and saucer with iron knife
and fork was laid at each place. l
didn't see any napkins; maybe hired
girls wouldn't know how to use them.
There was no castor on the table. Salt
and pepper i'll open saucers; ants hold
ing high carnival in the sugar bowl;
FLIES IN THE MUSTARD;
in fact a swarm of flies had settled on
each table. If it were stirred they
arose In cloud, only to settle some
in other places about the hotel, but
down here they were so thick that they
often were served, ready cooked, in the
food. All sorts of broken. dilapidated
chairs did service as seats. There are
more than $50 girls employed, SO it was
an easy matter to slip in among them,
stay over night and get a meal. While
waiting | saw
THE COOK MAKE A STEW.
This is the way he did: Taking
dish of cold meat scraps he boiled them
long and well, thickened the dish with
flour, put in a generous chunk of old
grease, also pepper and salt for season.
ing. That was the meat for dinner. l
whispered to the girl next me how it
was cooked. but she said we might as
well try it now, because it would come
on every meal until it was eaten. so it
would probably taste better before it
was spoiled. The fish was tainted, and
l wondered if the potatoes hadn't for
gotten when they were first cooked.
There were SO many flies in the melted
butter and it had so pronounced an odOr
that l didn't dare try it. Nobody
pretended to try tea or coffee. Bread
was the only fit article of food on the
table. So made meal of bread and
water. l saw many of the girls try to
eat the food and turn away in disgust.
The laundry girls have the hardest time
for their work is laborious, and they
must go out and buy their meals if they
can't eat what is served. The chamber
maids manage to get an occasional lunch
off the remains of special orders served
to guests in their rooms. l saw them
eagerly devouring these bits, but they
said they would be discharged if caught
doing this. The girls complain bitterly
Of hnir far 70 h
but | was unable to find out whether it
was his fault alone that such food was
served, or if it was by the managers
orders. Certainly, if l had not seen it
could hardly credit the present sys-
tenn. After this experience l departed
early in the morning. Nearly all of the
girls receive $12 month and board.
The working hours are not longer than
the average in such places. Colored
walters are employed instead of girls in
the dining room. Such was the condi-
ton about three weeks ago and l do not
suppose it has changed.
AT.THE NICoLIET HOUSE.
the girls dining room was tolerably
clean. The dishes were coarse, and
some food inferior in quality. but eat
able. Whatever is left over from the
guests tables and cannot be utilized
again is served up for the girls next
meal, much to their gratitude and de-
light. Their rooms are comfortable,
but not at all pretentiOus. One girl
complained to me of a custom, which l
have noted in factories and forgot to
mention, she said: at is customary in
this hotel and others for the help to
make up purse of from $50 to S1O0 to
buy the proprietor present occasion
ally. Many, in order not to lose caste,
have to contribute when their small
earnings are naeded elsewhere, and l
think that if a proprietor
TIRE ATS HIS HELP IIISIIY