Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-12

cook, who must be equal in ability to the
chef, and who receives e20; two additional
assistant cooks, or kitchenmaids, at ETA; and
two scullery-maids at 912.
Stands Around and Looks Awful.
The head butler is sort of generalissimo
of the male servants of the household. A
majestic bearing is fortune to this fellow.
He is the general -stand-around-and-lo look
awful of the house; but must have an eye to
the welfare of guests and the character and
behavior of his interiors. He is also the
head waiter. He attends to the table and
its proper setting and service at all times;
presiding at the carving and other mysteries
of the sideboard; for all of which he rec1eyes
e75 per year. The under butler, at e35, has
entire charge of the silver. It practically
never leaves his hands or sight; as he not
only delivers to, and receives from, the
hands of the butler all pieces used, but
washes, polishes, and sleeps alongside their
receptacle cases in the pantry. During
seasons of unusual entertainment, he also
assists the head butler at meals. There are
generally also q first, second and third foot
man. These receive about the same wages
as the under butler. They clean milord's
clothing, which valet scorns to do save
when his master travels. assist at meals as
walters, wash glass and silverware, are re-
garded as general help under the buffers;
and are, properly speaking. only footmen
when on duty as such with the carriages
Among the other male servants Is milord's
valet with well-known duties. A bright
one receives e70 per year and will easily
manage to secure as much more. Then there
are the head cooks, to none of whom are
paid one-fourth the price given by the
American nouveau-riches to their recently
imported chefs, who receive from 9125 to
e150, with perquisites of about $50 from the
sale of drippings and fats. There is also a
head coacnman, at EGO to $50, under whom
are a second coachman at e25, stud groom
at EGO, and grooms, stablemen and helpers
at from 9l0 to e20 each; and one or two
"odd men" who attend the servants hall,
carry baggage, clean boots and are sort of
everybodys' men to all below stairs.
The Upper and Lower House.
The whole number of servants at one Of
these princely houses is therefore very large.
have only enumerated those directly serv-
ing the household itself, whose members
sons of entertainment will not average more
than two dozen souls.
Among all these house servants there are
what might be called an upper and lower
house. Precedence Is as severe a master
and scourge here as with the nobility them
selves. The hours for servants meals are:
Breakfast, 8; lunch, IL; dinner, /; tea, 8,
and supper from 9 to 10. The upper house
includes the steward, butler, housekeeper,
the head cook, the Wallets and the ladies'
maids. These usually take all their meals
by themselves, in either the stewards or the
housekeeper's room, where they occasionally
lounge an do their necessary correspond
ing.
The lower house comprises all other serv-
ants, of whom the under butler, or assistant
cook, takes precedence. In some houses
all the servants dine together; the upper
servants assembling in the housekeeper's
room, from which they solemnly march
to the servants dininghalI. the lower serv-
ants remaining standing until their bet
tiers are seated, the butler at the head of the
table. No conversation whatever is per-
mitted while the joint is being partaken of.
The lugubrious silence and austerity of this
gathering are inconceivably ludicrous.
When the meat course is finished, the upper
servants rise. The lower servants follow
with military alacrity. The former, in their
proper order of precedence, like automatic
puppets then march back into the stewards
room, where. in the gseatest punotillio, pud-
ding and dessert are served. Meanwhile
the lower servants, relieved Of the presence
of these their severest masters, fall to small
talk, cheese and small beer to their hearts
content.
Rank Of the Guests Servants.
Other grotesque forms among these folk
are noticeable. Guests servants invariably
take the rank of their visiting master or
mistress. The valet of lord is seated next
the butler, and ls often housed and ''enter-
tanned" by the steward. The maid OF
countess, or duchess, is "handed in to din
ner" below stairs with all the ceremony
which her titled mistress may receive one
story higher. But an ordinary servant or
footman must accept rigorous "pot-]uck"
the upper servants must always be ad-
dressed by the lower as "Mr., Mrs" or
"Miss." But among footmen and house,
maids in general. dignity often gives way to
alacrity, which. In turn, imposes the high
est honors. For instance. above the clamor
of morning bells will be heard such startling
ordinations as: "Dunraven, there's yer
mans bellp Marlborough, be lively
nowl' Manchester, yer OIL boys movingI"
or. "Tweedmouth, yer vally wants ter
groom yel'
Besides the % to 40 servants employed
about the household and stables, the larger
establishments require an equal number out
of doors In various capacities about the
demesnes.
In England, servants are precisely what
ten centuries of masters have wished them
to be. English servants, in America. are
miserable beings. giving the worst of ser
vice. They are outside of England; they
have lost the pose and poise Of their rock
rooted home regime; while they are be-
wildered by the eccentricities of many of
our amateur nobility who import them, who
will require some little time to accustom
themselves to the attentions of any manner
of servants. EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.