The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-01
vICToRIA's DOMESTIC FORCE.
ExPeRses and Duties Of the Army of
Employees Who Attend Her Mai

From London Answers.
To the tradesmen who enjoy the prlvi-
lege OF supplying her majesty with goods
the clerk Of the kitchen is the most I'M
portant parsonage in the household. For
tunate is the firm which basks in the
sunshine OF this officials favor. for the de-
partment over which he presides not only
decides whether the goods sent are Of the
requisite weight and quality. but gives
out the orders as well.
Seeing the temptation to which the
holder OF this Office was exposed, the
prince consort. when he reorganized the
household, attached to Il a salary of s. 800
year in addition 20 the board and lOdg-
Ing. That the Office has never since been
tainted with even the faintest suspicion
of corruption speaks volumes for the WIS.,
dom Of this policy.
The clerk OF the kitchen has the as
sistance Of four clerks, who keep the ac-
counts, a messenger and a necessary wo-
man"
There must be something extremely
peaceful about the concoction Of pastry,
for the two yeOmen Of the confectionery
department. with salaries respectively
1900 and 81, 25O, fnd as little difficulty with
their three female assistants and coffee
room women IS the pastry cook does with
his two female assistants, or the baker
with his three lady helps.
FROM the ute OF the once il might De III
ferred that the lot of the errand man is
not an enviable one. II is easy to imagine
such an official rushing breathlessly about
intent on the speedy execution of some
mission. But not in a palace. There the
spectacle Of an errand man darling about
royal corridors would be so destructive
OF the stately repose in which such
abodes are stepped that an errand man of
more than usual activity would be abso-
| lutely disqualified for the post. In roy
al palace the bearing most favored is a
gentle dignity Favored with heavy re-
| spOusibility
The office OF the hereditary grand al
| moner, which Is vested I'm the Marquis of
! ENeter's family, is a sinecure except at
| coronation time, when he distributes the
| aims he has collected in a silver dish. re-
| tanning the dish as his fee. The Bishop of
/ Ely Is the Lord High almoner. Nearly
| but not quite a sinecure office this, FOR
! all this prelate has to do is to be present
/ at the distribution of the royal aims on
! Maundy Thursday and twice a year at
| the office in Scotland Yard.
The salary OF her majesty's chief butler,
| who looks after the beer, wines and spir-
/ It's. is s., 500 year. This functlonary must
| have a palate Of exquisite delcacy, as I'm
/ him is vested the purchase OF the wines
| drunk by royalty itself. He is also expect
ed to superintend the decanting of the
wines, which he accompanies to the roy
/ al table with an air of affectionate solicit
| tude, and sees that they are partaken of
| at the proper moment. The present holder
/
| of Rhine wines IN the world. Her majesty S
| chief butler Is also responsible for the lay
| ing OF the table, the actual work being
/ performed by two principal table-deckers
| with 1000 year each.
| The queen Is extremely proud of her
| state band, and not without cause. I'm
! less reinforced, 1t consists OF master,
with a salary Of $1,000 a year; conductor
! at $500 and twenty-five instrumentals al
| 500 each. There is also a sergeant trum-
| peter at $500 year, and nine household
| trumpeters, costing $500 each. The drum
! majors of the brigade OF guards, being
! household drummers, are also on the pay
list. Altogether the state band costs 50, $50
| a year.
One Of the most important officials In
the Lord Chamberlains department Is
the keeper of her majesty's privy purse
| This gentleman signs all checks on her
| maiesty's bankers, and advises the SOW
| ereign as to how her benevolence should
! be exercised. He receives 900 year.
| The only people residing In the royal
! palace not under the control of the lord
| steward are the mistress OF the robes
generally a duchess, who receives a sal
airy of $500 a year. the groom of the
robes, salary $1,000, with a clerk, a mes
| senger and a furrier as assistants, and
eight ladies of the bed chamber.
The eight maids of honor also take nc
| orders from the lord stewards depart
| ment; neither do the pages of the back
stairs. who are paid $3.50 a year apiece
| The six pages of the presence, who, fol
| salaries OF SlOO0 a year COuueSCeHu lt
wait on the lords and ladies and maids
of honor at all meals, are also free from
the interference of the lord stewards
people. Indeed, the pages of the pres
ence have cause to rate themselves very
highly, as each of them has his page
man. to whom he delegates his duties.
The eight sergeant-at-arms have now Sc
little to do that they may consider $3.50 g
year apiece very handsome remuneration
The master Of ceremonies, who Is sup
posed to be perfect storehouse of infor-
nation on all questions pertaining to Ell
quette and state ceremony, probably
thinks that he is very much underpaid
Considering that IL requires years of Spe
cial training before master of ceremonies
is able to display the traditional grace as
ISOLATED with the uShering OF am bassadOrs
and other distinguished personages into
the royal presence, $500 year is not {
large salary.
costs nearly $4,000 year. Although eacf
of the forty gentlemen who constitute this
corps receives $50 with an additional $l5.7
a day when on country service, and, al
though the corps has a great reputation
the members as a rule are not OF aristo
cratic birth. being mostly half-paid Off
GERS. The captain and gold stick ha:
a salary of s. 900, that of the lieutenant
and silk stick being half that amount.
The captain of the beefeaters, who mus
be a peer, receives 5000 per annum, thu
salaries of the yeomen themselves beins
$3.50 a year The wages of royal house
maids rise from SEQ to $50 a year, but a,
they are not warranted servants, they
are not entitled to pensions. Tn,
wages of foetmen rise from $500 to $40
per annum, besides an allowance of $35
year for their peruke bag and silk stock
ings.
Footmen have to pay for their Owl
washing and dine in the servants hall
They are, however. allowed to partake o
tea and breakfast in their own rooms. II
the royal news all men are lodged out
but they have pay for their own food.
! Besides all these eminently useful per
sonages the sovereign has a number o
attendants, whose offices were more i'm
portant 200 or 500 vars ago. perhaps thar
they are now. The royal bargemaste
$500 a year, can have but little work t
do. but the keeper of the swans (Sl5O
Year, is on duty at beast once year
| There are 101 other unimportant Off
| cals and expenses. but the limits of thi
article do not admit of further reference
Suffice 1t to say that stationery cost
S. 1879. chimney sweeps $3.50, soap, 81. S95
coal and wood S4,770 besides other item
too numerous to mention.
-"Dah's only one ting wuss'n de no
weather" said Uncle Eben, "an' OATS d.
l al 5,,t 81.