The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-28
SERVANTS IN NEW YORK.
THINGS SAID TO he WORSE IN
OTHER CITIES THAN HERE.
u,shcr rrniuips Required OF Servants .. View
York Than In some Other scctions-Triais
That Employers Endure In Phiiaaeiphis
nrd HrooLI, n-One kdncated servant Girl.

"
Although wocful tales about the worthlossness
Of New York servants in general and Of their
own In particular are an undying topic among
New York women. people who have tried living
IN o,hct cities say that here the best servants.
=, swell as the best OF everything else, are to be
found. That is. VI course, the best servants OF
any American city. Some New York families
ara. indeed. served in u manner not surpassed In
the household Of any crowned head OF Europe,
accept as regards mere numbers OF at
rndanis, for their service has been brought
A near perfection as human nature will
10. Even in New York, though, the average
/, far below tho standard In England, and
especially France and Germany. as regards
peoulc In moderate circumstance, and II is
likely to rem tn 50. The universal desire TO i'm
move one, condition Is fatal to tho state OF
mind whicH In France enables q woman to cook
like an artist, besides doing all the household
work aud looking after the children. for 50 n
month. or In Germany makes her willing to do
with a cheerful face at inhnitessimal wages
work about a house left here by common consent
10 men. The demarkation between a mistress
and a servant is so broad and deep In Europe
that they are felt to be Of distinct races. and this
condition Is not likely to ever prevail here.
New York woine need to have experience
WIN y hAAo AZ OhbNA Nhthto NAotV hNl an ap
prscia.e their good fortune. With servants, a.
with everything else. every improvement bcgets
new requirements. Every year numbers OF high
" trained and delightfully."- efficient servants arc
imported from Europe. and their influence is felt
upon 10th the employers and the other servants.
With both the standard OF service 10 raised. Tho
New York standard In good houses will no longer
tolerate various easy going ways which are 40
copied as a matter Of course In other cities and
do much toward making the household machin.
cry run smoothly. II many requirements not I'M
usual here in the details OF department, dress,
and service were insisted upon In the houses Of
well.todo people in other cities, in the South,
say. they would cause immediate rebellion. both
ss i~nyoIving unnecessary trouble and rs empha-
sDing the idea o. mental employment. Yet they
are becoming more and moro common In New
York, and good servants, In conforming them
selves 10 the state OF things. develop increased
Hltrespect. New York women can congratulate
themselves upon another matter besides this
higher standard OF service. They do not have TO
pay much more proportionately, II any more.
than women in other cities pay for less efficient
service. This refers to good servants, not to the
best. The best always command a fancy price.
Some years ago many u New York woman
picked up wonderful servants. male or fe-
male, in Europe. and brought them here
at wages that excited the envy Of all her less
fortunate friends, SO ridiculously low were they.
Those days have gone by to u large extent, and
servants in Europe have formed q fair idea, as q
rule, Of the scale OF prices here. The story OF the
$4,000 Vanderbilt chef went every where. and
1t has worked enormous injury 10 other Ameri-
Can purses. Nevertheless well.trained, faithful,
good'tempered servants may be obtained, when
they are found at all, AZ not exorbitant rates.
About I've years ago, Just before the hard times
adj in Thor US IN ana ~ NNN n,A
movement. among servants to demand higher
wages. " course every servant girl asks as high
t Tiass s ss So. sc, i asass, ihS oa aSo sS'i sst t a, that
OF their particular grade and stuck to their de-
nlands. The last four lean years have checked this
demand for an advance, keepers OF intelligence
oiices say, and now rates in general are about
the same as they have been lately. The constant
demand for servants, caused by the rising stand.
ard. the growth OF New York. and the chronic
dissatisfaction between mistress and maid, all
help to Keep wages up. II has been estimatod
wants have been out OF employment, but that
TACT, although doubtless true, does not seem TO
maze .ne serV;nts any less cxaeting in their do
hyetting suited.
New York women do not have to put up with
endure The matter OF days out is far less for.
midAble here than elsewhere. In many cases,
. .ao1 1E,s ssr y; no,S Of the h, dssifrbls sr.ae, they dS
fnles as TO the hour at which they must return
hCne arc observed closely and without friction.
3~Ay wOLucu Ia DEOOklyu, LOT Instance,
tbs may well seem like u dream. To thes,
Women each recurring Sunday and Thursday
looms up IKE a nightmare and Is fraught with
uAhEer OF Reorganization of the household
economy, The maid goes out In. the after
noon and returns. home when she pleascs,
wei rscosntis 3D. s condition Sdaiftiiy OF III Ire H@G in BrooEis s %
mas this become that many families do not en-.
pest 70 cine AT home on Thursdays, The Mon
!by serving a table d'h6te dinner on this day OF
Ie week. The women OF the families OF mem.
sse brooklynite dimes in the evening ON week
Ga!s, out In tho middle Of the day on sundays,
asighls matters are .tiIi ; sorss. for there there
servants have an additional day out every
, %ssss. and making three dsys out in two
van. Of the Quaker City. who are mostly
York women dream OF. There they have the
sSItiiss.m which prevails in Boston and other
hat :e e.! @es.iy r.. p-y tRsn The sonseG1sn' 70 is :
household than they are when they are paid by
me month. II dissatisfied, they have only . few
Or Sfi ,srse w ws.s ssF s sIsssd iSa,, in sissd Of 3s. perhaps 3: two NU'
might otherwise have thought Better OF il. Il Il
ment: make them irresponsible. It is not lincoln ins
mon ioI a Fh4.ddelphia housewife to meet a ser
= : coming downstairs with her bundles on
tes.ihs The house without going through the
tOrna,ty OF giving the slightest notice or warn
rs; indeed, II sometimes happens that the
hst animation that the housewife has that her
ss,p mas peeh Cherishing thoughts OF resigninK
N"ueh sue wakes up on Sunday morning and
ssoovers 10 her condemnation that there is not
sses,aht III the house. The callousness shown
SnIeninies "a this matter is remarkable, as, for
IInsanue, when a house where there is serious
nn, ~ Is deserted by the servants without
IT, ~ Hr opportunity OF appeal.
llSler The grade OF the servants the more
hs..A mas been the Improvement referred to
ysnv' Dut inc rich have their troubles with ser
rn,n .o Just the same as those In moderate cir
,Astahees, Indeed some rich woms n say that
sulsnet training develops a keener, more out
nasoous Observation-Disclosures, they call IL. In
!. Instance "A woman Who employs half a dozen
nNahts discovered thaC for days, II rot for
49, her servants had been brooding over fam
Tss longs ana nursing a longing for vengeance.
nan, P;"t't!s concealed their purpose under their
~. p'atil demhnor, and waited patiently TO
esn.s uhli The moment anne when they could
treS. me mos, annoyance to their mis-
H.. II Is unpleasant TO have 10 record
sery,es afe . succeeded admirably, quitting her
dav "v "a a toi! Oh the afternoon OF the very
viii nen she was TO give Il dinner party In
AaStipn 10 hopes we're peculiarly interested. In
Lay ~, 20 lAls higher tiendishncss, rich women
$50, nOpe With The lazincss, the laxity, the
n,iF""tI ana the other evil attributes OF human
On 4, 'Nhi are encountered In other households.
given ~ olhrr hand, they have the advantage
ds.r", y! lao Tact that good servants with a
lnv,., " "'tcr themselves gravitAte naturally