Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-07
The Retainers of the Aristocracy
Form a Separate Class.
THEIR sERVILITY AND LOYALTY
As Much Caste Among Them in England as
in the Higher Ranks.
MARQUIS OF sALlsBURY's HOUSEHOLD

nave Ienlalucu 10 ever blncS. 4OuhJ 5ShN-
ant in Great Britain considers himself of q low
er circle Of mankind than his master, and brings
up his children in the same belief. Humility
is the creed.
The master-perhaps drunken, scottish and
poverty-stricken gambler, graced by neither
birth nor position--curses his servant like mad,
and filings his bootjack at him. The servant
who IS as likely as not an intelligent. honest,
frugal and temperate man-dodges the boot
jack, bows respectfully and murmurs the per-
ennial Thank you, SIR"
This quality Of humility is met with every
where. Nothing is more amazing to the casual
American than the hauteur and arrogance Of a
typical London manor gentleman, since the
distinction is very sharp in the English metrop-
olis-when dealing with people who serve him.
that" because it's the jargon of the town; but
his politeness is put forth with such an indis-
cribably arrogant air that IL is scarcely less
offensive than slap in the face. It is accepted
sir" ' ~ W '
THE TIPPING CUSTOM.
The old story is still good of the Yankee who
stood on the stern of the steamer as she swung
out of Liverpool, and holding q shilling aloft,
yelled: IF there's man. woman or child on
this blessed island whom I've not tipped. come
forward now. for this is your last and only
chance" 1 remember very well an experience
I had on my first day IN London. / started out
with typical London man to lunch at his club,
and We stopped at adruggists-or chemists 8,
as they say in England, with the en- pro-
nounced softly-to make some purchases. Ny
companion bought few shill1ngs worth o. one
thing and another. and when his change was
brought to him he pushed two coppers toward
the druggist and said carelessly:
"Heah, you take these"
The druggist picked them up with grateful
smile, and muttered. Thank you very much,
SIR" 1t was a fine, large shop on the corner
below Bond street on Piccadlliy, and the drug
gist was handsome, full-bearded and per-
fectly-dressed man Of about 90 years. Fancy
making the proprietor of a snowy New York
drug store present of few cents.
The domestic servants Of England are crea-
lures of remarkable foibles and conceits.
Thackeray immoT talized the funkey's speech
and manner, but it is doubtful whether the
ridicule he poured upon them has had any
effect toward correcting their extravagance, as
it would upon that Of any other class. These
servants Still speak atrocious English, but with
an Enthusiastically aristocratic accent, ana
although their pay is seldom high, they look
down with lofty contempt upon workingmen,
or. indeed, upon any one not holding the social
rank which entities him to treat them with in
science.
SOCIAL RANK.
In England the law assigns to everyone from
the ranks OF gentleman" or esquire" upward
a distinct ranf or precedence on the social
ladder. The servants. Of course, are not in
cluded in this, but among themselves they give
every man or woman his or her place in the
strictest manner, according to the rank Of the
master. A dukes servant takes precedence
over that Of q marquis. and the servant Of
either Of these nobilities looks down upon the
man who Is the servant OF merely gentle
man." A thing which helps them greatly In
maintaining these distinctions Is that under no
circumstances do they ever do work outside
that appertaining to their ,d particular offices;
likely to put a hand to work which should be
done by footman than q duke himself. The
upper men-servants have usually acquired, as
a result frequently Of hereditary transmission,
an air of aristocratic vacuisy or supercilious-
ness. They are not allowed to grow mus
taches, but that only serves to make more
prominent the aquiline nose and half scornful
lip. 1t also makes one think that they must be
relatives or friends Of the great men of the
earlier Victorian period. such as Sir Robert
ington. and that they are survivals Of that Pc
Rod They are almost incomprehensible to the
majority Of Americans IN their intense arro-
gance.
tunity of acquiring great deal of information
about the household Arrangements Of some of
the greatest territorial magnates Of England.
Although they have to descend to the vulgar
servants, whereas their ancestors maintained
an army of hereditary retainers whom they had
merely to feed and elothe, some Of these noble
men still practically live like feudal princes.
The modern duke, however, does not live in
daily fear Of some neighboring duke swarming
down upon him with bis retainers and carrying
q suite of rooms very low down in the neighbor.
ing dukes castle.
THE HONOR FOR PAY.
The small pay of the modern nobleman's ser.
want Is probably due to his evolution from the
hereditary unpaid retainer. A dukes footmau
is in many cases paid much less than girl who
helps in the kitchen in America
England. as everyone knows, is well saddled
with the picturesque but cumberous dignita-
ries known as dukes. Prominent among them
are the Duke of Westminster, who maintains
Cation Hall, two other country seats and a
great house in London, and makes a regular
expenditure of more than q million dollars q
year; the Duke of Devonshire, who owns Chats
worth In De-byshire, an almost imperial pal
ace, Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, Compton
Place, Eastbourne, Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire;
Waterford: Chiswick, in Middlesex, and Dew.
onshire House in London; the Marquis of Sails
bury, who keeps Hatfield In Hertfordshire, one
of the grandest houses in England. q large
house in London, and is now building chateau
IN the South of France; and the Earl of Derby,
with three or TOUR seats, including the famous
Knowsley. near Liverpool. The servants of
these men are numbered by hundreds.
l went down to Hatfield recently to seek an
interview with Lord Salisbury. The Premier
was not there. found man servant of the
conventional type, who was at first naughty
and unbending, and said that wei had dis
,;ncnisbad American with me-could not M
taTsn oyer the house as IL was tben in conree s
"a ,rsnarat;on for the receptiop of the taroi,x
~ % %p,epar sin made him unhend frasIv a,.d ~.
s,,, ,v,,b ns aIi over the grand old
ons;nn A fer wa had done this we fonnS ,La !.
,ns haS nearv an hour to wait for The tra
49,, tha Local railway station and tba the y -
,ran,nded ali idea of taking a WALL in ~
grounds without
srs IN ,aree ante-cbs,nbe a,,d I;stn,,aa uum
to the droli talk OF the dieuified retainer TSs
ftful fiickering of the freIight revealed in.
tho r,I and the nortraits Of hvronn Tsx.,; ~
nnon its walls The servant was tall Old man
sapwewbat bent with hooked nose shaver i;r
snir snd side wbiskers In taIting ha lie,
after q while some of his Affected manner of
sneatinc INT his onyersation on ceneraI md Ui
sfIstor;csSr' tonnes was vnIoar in the eytre,oa U
=
PLENTY OF THEM.
u.h.d haan a butler and was now ,rr.r.,-