The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-22
SERVANTS OF MANY KINDS.
An Old Employment Agent Tells How
Help is Being Paid.
From the Nero York Press.


Help Is Being Paid.
From the Nero York Press
A Communicative and affable member Of
one of the Oldest employment agencies in
the city, in Fourth avenue, tells a goodly
number of the ms and outs of the servant
question, especially as regards the wages of
walters and porters at hotels, and of cooks
and nurses and coachmen.
Head WATERS" said he, get all the way
from $50 to $75 month, that is if they are
cool ones During the summer season they
often engage for the whole season. some of
them getting as high as $500, although 1925
is a fair average. Colored walters seem to
be preferred. In private families here in
the city the butler gets from $40to $50
month. Here you can run over my books
and see how the prices run"
A glance at the book showed that the
butler in one particularly wel-known house
in Fifth avenue got $50 month for his SER
vices. Others ran from $40 to $50. The
second walters received wages from $50
to $35.
Walters in hotels" the proprietor went
on, "get about the same as the second
walters in our wealthy families. At Del
monico's the price averages about $35. You
didn't think they got so much and that they
depended almost wholly for living on tips?
No. But you see the walters have to fur
nish their own dress suits, and that is an
item to be deducted. They are a thrifty
lot though, most of them, and they are as
smart as steel traps They learn the art of
being slow when they have a customer who
is known to be chary of his tips, and they
manage to make life SO uncomfortable to
such a man that he is either driven away
or changes his habits to more liberal ones.
In this way, of course, the hotel waiter,
like all others, for that matter, manages to
swell his Sc or SO week to from twice to
five times that. The wages remain about
the same as they have teen of late. Are
there many walters idle? "Weu yes, a
good many. There are many servants of
all kinds idle now, but more among the
women than the men. There are
so many young girls trying to get posi-
tions that the number of unemployed is
greatly swelled | don't know the cause,
am sure, unless it is the slow year we have
had in business which has made it neces sary
for them to seek some kind of employment.
''How do the wages of porterS average"
"Well they run from $25 to $40. You
see this requires strong mel and pretty ac-
tive service. These prices remain about as
they have been.."
do cooks get as good wages as hey have
been receiving the past few years."
"Well, yes, the cooks hold their own. You
see here here in my book how it is. Here is
lady in Connecticut whom | supply reg
ularly. You see, she pays pretty high, S45.
That is unusual, but she has to have an I'M
usually good cook. Here they run, you OBJ
serve, at $50; here's one for $25. As we
supply some of the best people in the city,
as you will notice from the names, it is nee
essary for us to send good cooks. OF course
there are some good cooks who gradually
drop down in price as they learn to drink
more and more; but we carefully avoid all
such. From $25 to $35 is the average price.
Her is a lady, a leader in society, VINO pays
$40 for her COOS and here is another who
has been giving S35; here's one at $50, and
$25. You see, they jump back and forth
here at $25 $50, S35, etc, with occasionally
one dropping to $50; but none below on this
list. This book is confined to servants sent
to or coming here from well known people
of wealth.
The subject next took in coachmen, and
rapid turn of the leaves of the book showed
what some of New Yorks well-known men
pay monthly for their family jehus. There
were great many $50 and $40 entri IS,
with a goodly sprinkliug of $45s. Here
and there a $50 entry came to view.
''That $50" the agent explained, "stands
for e cd coachman, such as leading
family of this city must have. There is
nothing mean about that kind of a coach
man. He is fine looking man, carries his
head well up, and handles the whip and the
reluS IN SUyle. lD6Se Lnen WHO SeG SOU are
generally married men who sleep at home.
The single men generally have a bedroom
fitted up over the stables. They don't get
as high wages, probably $40 or $35, or Yen
as low as $50 A real swell coachman,
however, would be shocked at the mere
mention of $50 month.
NOW, out in the country a coachman
can be hired for less. You can get a real
good one to go there, if he will go at all,
for S25. You see he has his board and
lodging both there, and that makes all the
difference"
When it comes to nurse girls the i1dica-
lions are that they can be had for almost
any price, and for this reason they
were not scheduled in the book of
reference kept by the agent
"A girl is never so young" said the agent,
''that She does not think she is old enough
to mind a baby. Consequently the market
is flooded with nurse girls. can't give you
any price Well, say IS or $40 month. If
they can get their board and lodging and a
few dollars extra a month they jump at the
chance For S.! presume you could get
one for that, They are as plenty as leaves