Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-01
MANAGING SERVANTS.
The Ladies of Washington all Have
q Tale of Woe 10 Tell.
COOKING SCHOOLS ARE NEEDED.
How General Grant introduced Discipline
Into His House.
A JAPANESE MAIDS IDEAS ON BABIES
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPArcH.i


icoRREsPoNpENCE OF THE DIsPArcHI
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-The President
al question, the Indian question and the
Farmers Alliance question are all being
discussed by the men of Washington, but
the question that is nearest to every
woman's heart is the servant girl question.
Not long ago there appeared in the columns
of New York newspaper the following an
nouncement:
And now servant girl society has been or
ganized in Gotham for the protection of mis-
tress and maid. The society demands that
each servant on leaving her mistress shall leave
behind her a reference of character" The
reference shall state whether the mistress has
been mild-tempered or severe, liberal or ''pru-
dent" subject to company" or not, etc. The
mistress also gives reference. In this way
both parties are suited, neither is imposed
upon, ana the world wags harmoniously on.
The fact is that the relations of mistress
and servant are rapidly changing. Tine
servants gain in power every day, and they
seem to also gain in inefficiency and igno.
rance. One-half the talk OF Washington
society, blush to say it, relates to serv-
ants, and the ladies here are discussing
whether it might not be possible to bring
about a reform in the education OF their
servants and in the rules respecting them.
The White or the Black.
The question of colored servants versus
white servants is an important one where
about one-third of the population is made
up Of negroes. and find a general desire
among the leading ladies of the land that
schools for the training OF servants should
be established here and throughout the
country. 1 have spent this week in inter-
| viewing some of our most noted ladies on
| the servant girl question. I have taken the
| experienced housekeepers among the states
mems wives and L find that every woman
| has her own ideas on the subject and that
| many of them are good ones.
One of my first visits was to Mrs. Proctor,
the vile of the Secretary of War, who will
this winter assume hei rightful position
| among the ladies of the Cabinet, as we'll as
at the head of her household, which she was
last season compelled to resign to her niece.
Mrs Carey and her daughter. on account of
her devotion to her invalid son. Mrs. Proc
tor said: "With the exception of my cook
and waiter, both of whom are colored, have
brought with me from New England most
of my help. Last year had an Irish maid
| cured
A Young Swiss Girl
81 find the Swiss to be most thrifty,
| hard-working class. This girl will perform
the dulies of maid, and I have so far found
that servants among the Swiss seem to pos
sess an innate adaptability and quickness of
| perception that is largely in their favor
| above others. You would be surprised to
knew how ambitious the lower classes
among the race are to make for themselves
a home and community in America.
| Their only drawback to the successful ac-
complishment of the desire is the fact that
they have as yet few churches established in
our midst. Being a clannish community.
they find it difficult to mingle with stran-
| gers at their worship. 1 am of the opinion
that it would be as we'll to organize society
for the training Of servants, or any Of the
other accomplishments by which they expect
to earn their living"
Mrs, Senator Sherman thinks tine most
efficient remedy for the present evil of poor
service and dishonesty among those en-
ployed would be the organization of a train
ing school in com junction with the coiored
public schools Of the District. She tells me
that for nearly 20 years she had the same
| COOK, a
Typical Old Virginia Darkey,
whom she secured at the close of the war,
and who. according to the custom OF all
Southern households in ante bellum days,
was instructed almost from infancy in the
essential rudiments Of her art. "Unfortun-
atelv, continued she, sold Fanny has at
length grown incapactated for active work,
and I am compelled to employ younger
woman. I have been busy ali the week
initiating the new cook, but I am thankful
to have accomplished the worst part of the
work in the selection from among th-ong
| OF applicants by whom have been besieged.
1 begin TO appreciate the anaoyances of
those who are less fortunate than myself,
and who have been compelled to change
IRON one month to another.
IT rememb mber,' she went on, what try
| ing experience of this kind Mrs. Grant had
| during her early life in Washington, and
during the time of the Generals command
She was continually being annoyed bv first
| one servant and then another refusing to
perform certain duties in order to shift them
| of upon the shoulders Of other servants. At
| length affairs reached such climax that it
| was almost impossible to obtain any atten-
| tion.
| General Grant Settled Them.
"When the state of affairs became ap-
parent to the General he called the domestics
portioned to each his separate duties, de-
mandng unquestioning obedience in all
respects upon pain of instant dismissal.
| After this the work was harmoniously ac-
| complished and complaints were no longer
| heard.
81 think that an overstrained spirit of
| independence is an American fault, and
quickly influences those who dwell for a
| while among US. As an example of this
recall the time of our home life at Mansfield,
| o There were many Germans living there,
most of whom came over to act as servants,
and very good ones they made, but the Sec
ond generation invariably reaped the benefit
of their parents thrift, and, marrying we'll
to-do tradesmen, would enjoy homes OF their
own. I remember one family of Germans,
nine in number, each of whom upon coming
to the country obtained employment in resi-
dent families, and by careful management
laid by sufficient to purchase large brick
house, af.er which they lived together in
domestic comfort, aud nothing would induce