Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-08-15


and library. and as these rooms are
often filed with rare and almost in
valuable ornaments (many of them so
frail and Observation-Disclosures that "a
breath Of wind would blow them
over''), there must be no swishing OF
a feather buster among these treas
ures. Upon some must be used a
chamois, and upon others the finest
softest silk busters, and all must be
handled with the greatest care. The
parlor maid wears a black dress and
plain linen collar and cuffs with a
small cap and white apron. She,
sometimes helps in the buffers pantry
after dinner, and to her lot also falls
the pleasant duty Of arranging the
flowers throughout these rooms and
often in the dining room.
The second chambermaid, after as
slsting the first, has the care of the
servants rooms. which Is in itself mo
light task. as the provision made for
the comfort of the servants in these
luxurious American homes is again a
matter OF surprise to foreigners and a
revelation to the serving class who
have never known any more comfort
able sleeping apartments than dark,
badly ventilated attic, approached BY
a ladder, where three and four women
must sleep in one room, If it may be
called a rcom. The fourth floor OF
the house is generally given over tol
the servants, although it is considered
safer to have the butler sleep near the
pantry and Que man in the basement.
In most cases each maid has a room
to herself, carpeted and FURNISHED 10
house with bedsteadS of white
enameled iron with brass trimmings,
a wash stand and bureau, and a ward
robe where there are closets for their
clothes. These, with white curtains
and rocking chair are far and away
more comfortable than are to be-
found in the thousand boarding houses
where one pay 81 week. A bath
room on this floor, arranged with two
or three basins and hot and cold
water, is for the servants exclusive
use.
Most fashionable people employ al
chef, although some prefer woman,
who Ii often as good cook as Il
man and in many ways more desr
able, as they keep better order in the
kitchen and as rule are not so eX-
travagant as men A professional
woman cook can often command 500
a month. When chef Is employed he
seldom sleeps in the house, but comes
in the morning in time to prepare the
family breakfast, the kitchen maid
having cooked the servants breakfast
and having everything as nearly ready
as possible for his majesty when he
arrives. The life of a kitchen maid
under a chef is not an enviable one:
as lie does nothing but cook, She must
do everything else--prepare the vege
tables, scrub the floors and tables ana
clean the cooking utensils. Woe be-
tide her IL she brings that gentleman
a saucepan not spotleSsly bright. She
may he thankful If she does not have
ii thrown at her heat accompanied byI
a yolley OF French oathS, which, hap
NY, she does not understand. Yet
any girl who has ambition to becomeI
a tirst-class cook will put up with al
Most anything from a chef because Of
what she can learn from him. A chef
receives not less than ST5 month and
half as much more from the enormous
commission he leyies upon all the
tradespeople with whom he deals.
Not one escapes, not even the iceman
or course, this comes out of his EN-
ployer's pocket eventually. Not long
ago fruit dealer wrote to the lady of
the house that he would not be able
to supply her with fruit any longer
as her chef had extorted larger and
larger commissions from him until he
had no profit left for himself
The monthly expense Of keeping upI
fashionable household of, say, six IN
the family is never less than $4,000
month, Of which fully 5000 is paid in
servants wages. This estimate does
not include the stable expenses, as
they are always distinct from the
house service. The coachman, VINO Is
generally a married man. has very
comfortable apartments over the sta
bic, and boards the grooms. The
stables are often several blocks away
from the house, in streets where prop
erty is less valuable, and they are
connected with the house by tele-
phone.
All the work of the servants is as
play when compared with that done
by their mistress and her daughters.
From the hour Of waking one morning
until or the next morning their
work goes on without interruption.
The first hours after breakfast are oc-
cupied with answering invitations,
making out dinner lists, looking over
cards and family consultations, for
that is about the only time they meet
n. 4 ~ J,.sN.-e