New-York tribune., 1896-10-25
puNNING FOOTMEN.
.rrpF OF COURT PAGEANTS
e' r1-RoPE AND UNDERSTANDABLE
' w THE ORIENT.

IN, occasion of some great State
F." o"' as those which have taken place
tseean' .ou weeks in Vienna. Breslau and
% the los NJ the visit Of the Car and
YaHs !" a, Moscow las, spring, on the oc-
cssnnA' a." CT coronation that the public has
saslon -,,,ni,v =. Of apprecating the true reason
~ aomestics attached TO what may w
Why u0 ,hs carriage service are styled foot
1nasmuch as in orolhar! '''"''
pen- s,..,auals who constituted so favorite
...r,e for the satiric pen Oh "f '''"P'
theme ~. hov NJ the vehicle beside the coach
s,se. holding in their hahos long s"Ver
rAH' oanos stand either singi!- or d! 'wos ana
hsa"'. ..r.es on the footboard behind the word
eve" seems al first sight to be somewhat
'.I.nomar 'io''-r They are never TO he seen afoot.
GS NE riding. But at very grand court
pu' IN Europe such as those referred TO
'uHe ,,e rootmen are compelled To descend
,ns,r elevation. and as IN o'oeh '''"eS. 10
f'n' w., toot al the heads of the horses and at
""'s of the gala carriages containing 'he
'n' rso,agas. ambassadors and high digni-
..,;ss ~ the Government
'".'N, os the beginning Of the reign oi queen
walking and running footmen were
wv :. o,.arv-dav use They were regarded
po"' ,.aisneosable accompaniment even 10 the
O. a" ..,,;,,aees of the rich and Of the great.
o'un''' 49,, ora in these present times in all
!u'' aor,tries. from Turkey and Egypt 10
o. The celebrated Marquis of Queensberry'
f.,,rlv known as odd O., who may ne saio
vf constituted kind of living LANDMARK
10 "A a. ~ the early portion OF the present
)" NJ, Was a great employer Of running foot
hon, h.
H., NV" o.re subiscting them to the same amount
:, criticism and trial as ne eXpshoeo Oh MS
s,,..s When a candidate presented hinisen pe-
.o,s him the fellow was arrayed IN HNei! ana
..,.,sa n show his action and pace up ana down
u,c.a,,,v "Old O." standing on his naicony 10
..,ou far both satisfied him. Ii is related mat
49,. occasion A man had made capital run.
"a or coming before the Marquis the latter re-
..rred "You will do very well for me. Ana
"., ,,ve-v will do very well for me-" replied the
s..n srd gave a last proof OF his quality as
runner by then running away with H.
WHEN FoOTMEN HAD TO WORK.
roo,men in those days. however were employed
,ro,. for actual service than for mere show ana
.rement There were no pavements, ana II was
.,sre,ore necessary that when carriage drove
through the crowded stleets ~ NV 'Ni''N'
domestics should run in front of the horses' clear
ing path for the latter. and warning people out
NJ their way. Moreover, the country roads ana
even many Of the streets Of the towns ana cities
were 50 full Of ruts and altogether IN such de-
porable condition that not one but seVeral root
men were needed 10 keep the Nenicle from
,oppling over Indeed. il is on record that when
Peter the Great visited Petworth House The num-
Der OF running footmen escorting the equipage
was not sufficient to preserve the imperial car
rage from turning over on some Of the Sussex
roads. 50 that dozen stout aborers were also
engaged and ny their united efforts the illus
trious visitor was able 10 reach his destination
without having been capsized more than half
dozen times.
The long slaves with large silver tops which
IRE now borne by footmen only on State occa-
q n formerly pmDlONe1