Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-26
.SOCIETY'S SERVANTS.
Beautiful Rooms for Them in the
Houses of Millionaires.
PARLORS AND BILLIARD ROOMS
For Their Use in the Mansions of the Van.
derbilts and Others.
THE DIGNITY OF FRENCH DOMESTlCs
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.

| part OF the great domestic problem. On
this subject among mistresses there is a
vast discrepancy Of opinion. I know of
| an amiable and opulent couple who always
choose their town house with reference to
the servants rooms. They argue that in
every house they and their guests can be
made comfortable, but not in every house
can each of the five servants have room
alone. So lar they should be treated as MEM
bers of the family. This is a necessity for
for their self respect, and self respect is an
element in faithful service.
When it is impossible to give each servant
room, said the lady talking on the subject
not long ago, there should be large screens
provided separating the rooms, for it is every
human beings right to have one spot secure
from all intrusion.
On the other hand, a cook on rampage
will not be deferred for a moment by the
fact that she has an airy, sunny room, and
at her next place she may have to sleep in a
| dark hole off the kitchen with the other
servants At this moment house in which
the servants are superbly lodged is in the
throes of a domestic cataclysm because the
cook insists on baking the fish without the
head and tail, and the mistress declares that
the servants are simply spoiled by good
treatment.
WIDELY DIFFERENT IDEAS.
In servantdom, the conditions of living
are as widely diverse as between Eleventh
avenue and Fifth avenue, only in this case
the conditions of Eleventh avenue are found
|; ;l-a1ry ~ of
servants in some of the crowded fashionable
| boarding houses, and especially in English
basement houses, is nauseating. The top
floor is too valuable as rented space for SER
wants, so they are packed away in the base
ment. The basement Of an English base
ment house is below the level of the street
| and midway between the small front room
and the kitchen; the servants sleep in win
dowless rooms, and not infrequently have
folding beds in the kitchen-a fact which is
discreetly kept from the boarders at break
fast.
In the new houses, those which represent
the latest and best things in architecture
and domestic luxury, the provision for
servants is in keeping with everything else.
The staff of servants is necessarily large,
mands In the Willard house these
rooms were in the top of the house.
formidable and unbroken partition separat-
ing the men and maids. The rooms are
fitted in hard woods and tastefully fur
nished with furniture of light wood. Two
bath rooms, quite as comfortably appointed
as those of of the lower floor, made part of
the servants suite.
In Mr.. W. K. Vanderbilt's house the
social life Of the servants has been consid-
cred even luxurious. The basement is
theirs exclusively. The entrance is by a
special door. In front is billiard room
for the men and parlor and sitting room
for the maids. Their sleeping rooms are in the
mansard. These are finished in hard wood
and attractively furnished. In the man
ssrd also is large room given over for
their entertainment, where at times they
may hold servants ball.
ELEVATORS AND BATH ROOMS.
In Mr.. Marquand's house the humanities
are still further regarded. A servants ele-
vator extends from the basement to the liv-
ing rooms on the top floor. Here they have
prettily appointed bed rooms and bath rooms
lined with enamel tiles and answering to
the most scrupulous demands of cleanliness.
The housekeeper has here her suite of rooms,
including parlor. The square hall in Mr..
Marquand's house is carried to the roof, and
gives place on each floor to a balcony and
corridor. This is not omitted on the serv-
ants floor, where through perforated carv-
ings they can look down on any gala scene
below. Another instance of Mr.. Marquand's
thoughtfulness is in a stairway leading to
the roof, which has been terraced. Here
in the cool nights, instead of hanging over
the area to catch q breath of air, the serv-
ants can sit and enjoy the famous southwest
wind that so seldom fails and look down on
the myriad-lighted town, view in every
season full Of beauty.
These, it must be confessed, are excep-
tional provisions, and only possible in an
unusually large and specially constructed
house. The general standard of servants
comfort, however, is higher. Many mis-
tresses take pride in their servants rooms
and make show places of them. In this
case the servants are obliged to keep them
tidy. I was in servants room the other
day in one of the magnificent apartments on
Central Park. A velvet carpet covered
the floor, and the furniture was in keeping.
This degree of luxury was merely incident
al The tasteful but cheap ash bedroom
sets are chosen for servants rooms, and the
clean and comely bedsteads of black enam-
eled iron. Some mistress go further and
add book shelves and possibly few books,
according to their zeal. The prints from
the illustrated papers and attractive supple
ments of the Graphic and Illustrated NeloS
are saved for their adornment. Young
housekeepers particularly take delight in
giving their personal attention to establish
ing their servants. In this case their shock
at the ingratitude of servant who walks off
in the midst of the ironing or dinner is pro-
portionately great
APARTMENT HOUSES.
The problem of servants is increased in
apartment houses. In those houses in which
rents are over 81 900 year the servants
quarters are on the top floor. The rooms are
not large, but are we'll supplied with light
and air, not to speak of the more aesthetic
aspect included in views and sunsets. In
the smaller apartment houses the servants
rooms are diminutive holes on wells. No
raw of sun discovers them and the air is re-
ceived from the Easements, with such addi-
tions as it collects from the inhabited rooms
on the way up to the roof. Often the effect
on the health is perceptible. In some
houses it is worse than others. A doctor
from Roosevelt Hospital not long ago said
of certain apartment house that 1t always
furnished at least one hospital patient.
''There is no use of my doing anything for
you ifyou go back there he said to SER
want whom he had just repaired.
In the smaller apartments it is rarely nec-
essary, and never convenient to keep more
than one servant The shifts to keep two
are sometimes ingenious and amusing: The
device of one mistress consisted of placing
two iron cot bedsteads one on top of the
other like steamer berths. One servant
crept in and the other mounted. They had
wire bottoms and nice clean mattresses, and