The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-15

and the old slave
,rstom. In the balmy climate of the
syorthern states the houses are built for
tbe comfort of nine months of warm or
lid weather and have wide halls
.,opv roomy piazzas and numerous win
dows All these require extra care on
the mart of the homekeeper to remain
IN order and attractive cleanliness. The
majority of the southern homes, even
IN the populous cities, are surrounded
with more ample grounds than is usual
ar the north, and the kitchen, store
bouse or smokehouse, servants quar-
ters we'll and dairy are in separate
bindings at some distance from each
other and from the main dwelling.
This necessitates larger force of serv-
ants than would be needed in more
compact establishment. The grounds
are beautified by broad avenues and
sanded walks, defined by evergreen
hedges These walks must be kept care
fnlly swept free Of fallen leaves and
the hedges trimmed in ornamental
forms. All this takes the oversight Of
man. who may also be dining room
servant and general butler. 1t is his
duty to keep the grounds in order and
the lower part of the house-that is,
the parlors, dining room, piazzas, halls
and buffers pantry. He it is who wash
ca windows and verandas cleans and
oils the halls, looks after the table and
silyerware and serves the meals.
In the old times the bare halls and
piazzas were scrubbed daily to spotless
brightness, then laid over with wax,
which was rubbed in with corncob
until it assumed a CLASSY smoothness. 1
once visited at stately plantation man.
sion where an ablebodied woman serv-
ant spent her whole time in this work,
known as "dry rubbing" The number
of servants necessary even in the present
time in family in the south of mod
crate size and easy circumstances is a
butler, cook, housemaid, nurse If there
are small children and carriage driver
if horses are kept. Added to these will
be q laundress, who usually does not
live ION the lot" but does the family
washing on her own premises and keeps
day night. The respective wages for
these servants are: Butler, SO per
month; cook, $40 to $12 per month;
housemaid, So to SO per month; wash
ing, about IS.
AS rule the house servants do not
room "on the lot" though comfortable
quarters may be furnished them free OF
cost. Since Emancipation" they prefer
to hire rooms apart from their employ
ers' homes; it makes them feel freer
and prevents their being summoned for
untimely services. So it is not an I'M
common thing for family employing
four or five servants to be left in the
lurch after 8 or 8 O'Clock at night to
wait on themselves and answer the
doorbell.
Now, in q similar family in the north
the butler and coachman will be in one,
in many cases the nurse will be also the
housemaid, and almost invariably the
cook and the housemaid (the latter
known as "the second girl'o will az
the family washing. On these wash
days" the cook undertakes the brunt o.
the laundry work, assisted by 1.-THE sec
ond girl" who is expected to prepar'
the dinner, the cook going into TIT
laundry after breakfast and remaining
there until evening.
In the north the wages are somewha
higher than in the south. They are pai'
there by the week, in the south by tn
month. The perquisites falling to do
mestio servants are much more consid
cradle south than north. The negro ma
no prejudice against cast off clothing
In fact, revels in it, and frequently DC
speaks dress or suit Of clothes be1or
the makers folds are out Of It, The
never refuse to either accept or wea
any article of discarded clothing. 1t
marvellous to see how they accomme
date themselves to the clothes OF Others
They seem to shrink or expand accore
Ing to the demands of the garment.
Negro maidservants dislike to wea
caps 1t is regarded as kind OF bade
OF servitude, and the old time brlgi
hued bandanna turban, once universal
ly worn by the cooks and other midd
aged servants, has almost entirely Oh
appeared Now and then an old "ma'
ma" we'll up in the sixties or SEVENTH
will be found nursing the grandchlidre
OF "ole miss and she still clings
the turban, either in colors or VIM
null, the long white apron and u
snowy kerchief crossed over her iovli
and faithful old breast
The southern housekeeper "looke'
well to the ways of her househoid'
She always has key basket kept
the sideboard or some convenient piac
which contains all the keys OF u
household, pantries, storerooms, Inv
closet and smokehouse. just AT
breakfast the cook appears with shi
ing array Of pans, plates and cups al
the housekeeper goes on her rounds al
gives out" the meats, -four. lard &C
fee, rice. hominy, cornmeal, bacon al
such staples to last until the next NOR
Ing. Previous to this, while the dew
yet fresh upon them, the cook has ga!
cred the vegetables for the days al
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