Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-04-14

comprise a head laundress at thirty pounds
and two or three assistants at twelve
pounds each per year; an assistant cook,
who must be equal In ability TO the chef
and who receives twenty pounds; two ad-
ditiond assistant cooks, or kitchen maids.
at fourteen pounds. and two scuIlery maids
at twelve pounds.
The head butler Is a sort Of fgeneraIissimo
Of the male servants Of the household A
majestic bearing ss fortune to this fellow.
he is the general-stand- nd-around-and-l 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 bead
waiter. He attends TO the table and its
proper setting and service at all times, pre-
siding at the carving and other mysteries
| OF the sideboard, for all of which be re-
cetves seventy-fve pounds per year. The
under butler, at thirty-ive pounds, has en-
tire charge Of the silver Il 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 be also
assists the head butler at meals. There
are generally also a first, second and third
footman. These receive about the same
milord's clothing, which a valet scorns to
do save when his master travels, assist at
meals as walters, wash glass and silver
ware, are regarded 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 milor,i's
valet, with well known duties. Albright one
receives seventy pounds 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
el25 TO ESQ, with perquisites of about ffty
pounds from the sale Of drippings and fats.
There is also a head coachman at sixty 70
eighty pounds, under whom are a second
coachman at twenty-five pounds, a stud
groom at twenty pounds, and grooms,
stablemen and helpers at from ten TO
twenty pounds each, and one or two "odd
men" who attend the servants hall, carry
baggage, clean boots and are a sort of every
body's men to all below stairs.
The whole number of servants at one of
these princely houses is therefore very
large. l have only enumerated those di-
rectly serving the household itself, whose
members may not number a half dozen.
and in seasons Of entertainment will not
average more than two dozen, souls
Among all these house servants there are
what might be called an upper and a lower
house Precedence is as severe a master
and scourge here as with the nobility them
selves The hours for servants meals are;
Breakfast, s; lunch, IL; dinner. l; tea. 5.
and supper from to 10. The upper house
includes the steward, butler, housekeeper.
the head cook, the valets and the ladies' |
maids These usually take all their meals |
by themselves. in either the stewards or |
housekeeper's room, where they OCCASION |
ally lounge and do their necessary CORE |
spoDdence. The lower house comprises all |
other servants, Of whom the under butler. +,
or assistant cook, takes precedence. In !
some houses all the servants dine together.
the upper servants assembling in the house /
Keepers room, from which they solemnly /
march to the servants dining hall. the /
lower servants remaining standing until /
their betters are seated, the butler at the /
head of the table. No conversation what
ever is permitted while the joint is being
partaken of. The lugubrious silence and
austerity Of this gathering are inconceiv-
ably ludicrous. When the meat course is
finished the upper servants rise The low
er servants follow with military alacrity.
The former, in their proper order of pre-
cedence, like automatic puppets then
march back into the stewards room,
where, In the greatest punctillio pudding
and dessert are served Meanwhile the
lower servants, relieved Of the presence Of
these their severest masters, fall 20 small
talk, cheese and small beer TO their hearts
content.
Other grotesque forms among these folk
- I
ably take the rank Of their visiting master
or mistress. The valet of lord is seated
next the butler. and is often housed and
entertained" by the steward. The maid
Of countess or duchess is handed
in TO dinner" below stairs with all the
es-emOny which her titled mistress may
receive one story higher. Bot an ordinary
servant or foOtman must accept rigorous
pot luck" with members of the lower
house. Again, the upper servants must
always be addressed by the lower as "Mr. (.
Mrs" or Miss" But among footmen
and housemaids in general, dignity often
gives way to alacrity, which in turn i'm
poses the highest honors For instance,
above the elamor Of morning bells will
be heard such startling ordinations as: .
'Dunraven, there's yer mans bellI'' MARI
borough, be lively nOwi' Manchester, yer
= a.
Eally wants ter groom yel" |,
Besides the thirty to forty servants en-
Dloyed about the household and stables.
he larger establishments require an equal
number out of doors in various capacities
lbout the demesnes. First there Is the /
agent" who has general charge Of the es- ,
ate, indeed often the eptire control of the
property. Frequently with MIN are a half :
loBen accountants and clerks. The next {
nan below him is the bailid His provinces I
; TO look after the home farm and cattle. :,
host OF hangers-on find lazy employment
lere- Then upon a demesne Of several '
thousand acres there win be a head game
Keeper, who viii be allowed a dozen men .
o assist him in breeding and caring for :
he game and In protesting it from thein-
'oads Of poachers. Some Of the finest for c
sts in the world are upon these estates. \
Each requires head forester with = half
lozen men under him. New trees are be-
ng constantly planted. Too heavy growths
ne thinned out. Every sound tree trunk