Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-06-14
THE LAY OF THE DUMB WAITER.
From Morning Till Evening II Interests
New York Flat Dwellers.

The dumb waiter, like the feathered
portion of that part Of creation which
we are also pleasedto designate dumb, y
begins its lay before the dew is off the
heather, so to speak. The milkman or
the baker causes it to emit its first faint
blast. There are heard a rafting and
creaking Of ropes, a rackety slamming
and banging along the sides Of the
shaft, as the dumb waiter is aroused
from its perch near the sixteenth fiat,
and then the uproarious rush Of the
dumb creature descending toward the
cellar. Next follows the sharp, insistent
tinkle Of the electric bell, and the dumb
waiter has fairly started on its vocifer-
Gus daily career.
This overture is repeated, with varia-
tions, until all the jewellers in all the
flats, from the oneth even unto the six
tenth, are served with their daily
modicum Of bread and milk from their
daily contingent Of bakers and milkmen.
Next comes the electric bell again,
followed by the strenuous voice OF
James, the elevator boy.
Coal"
The creaking and banging and rat
Ting performance is now varied. Pans
and scuttles and boxes are severally
hauled, cast, thrown and pitched upon
the shelves Of the waiter, and the groan-
ing, Gathering dumb thing travels loud
" up and down until all the flats are
served with their morning supply.
At this point a different element en-
tiers into the dumb walters noisy work.
There is a Irritation, with many tender
passages-dumb waiter shaft passages-
in progress between the elevator boy i'll
the cellar and the cook in the twelfth
story. A playful morning struggle be-
tween the twelfth floor coal scuttle and
the ropes Of the dumb waiter is one Of
its manifestations. A gentle message
floats down the shaft.
Fill it good and full now, James.
It's for mel ~
"And why should fill it fuller for
you than for Maggie:"
At this Maggie, whose door on the
eighth floor is always open, gives shrill
laugh at the discounted rival on the
twelfth.
Her triumph is short lived.
"Ah, Jimmy, now"
"You know I'm foolin, Molliel Let
go the rope, there's darlin. The second
is in duce Of hurryp
IDo,i,o,..- NT.rvCia ic NOT tho u Ora
whose composure is disturbed at the by
play.
One after another, the butcher, the
grocer and the iceman arrive, and each
butcher and grocer and iceman is null
tiplied 16 times to suit the various tastes
of the fiat jewellers.
Then there are the G. o. d. dry goods
packages, whose bills cause animated
discussions over the matter Of change.
There is the blinking of milk bottles
sent down to the dairyman, and there
are the swelling differences Of opinion
between the dairyman and the cook, the
cook being confident that the dairyman
is trying to cheat her and the dairyman
nlAbbS W NdAC OaAh tlldt NAC NoOh HoS
broken or secreted at least two bottles
since he was last there. All these do
mestic problems are waited up and down
the dumb waiter shaft, and are distinct
ly audible on each and every floor.
The evening strains Of the dumb wait
er are but diyersifcations Of the same
theme There are hurried deliveries Of /
forgotten or suddenly needed butchers !
or grocer supplies The portion Of even
ing cream for the ninth floor invalid |
and milk for the seventh floor baby are !
slammed and thumped up to them. NJ
merous orders for breakfast are shouted |
down to departing trades people, and |
each floor becomes cognizant Of what
each other floor expects to eat at its ma
tutinal meal
The last sweet words of Mollie and |
Jimmy are bawled up and down, and |
each floor breathes easier to hear that |
Jimmy has to leave hastily that he may
be in readiness to meet Mollie ION the
corner at half past sharp"
And then for some inscrutable reason,
tho dumb waiter is Justify hoisted up to
the sixteenth floor, from which advan-
tageous position it may thunder out its
dumb" protest in the morning. New
York World.