The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-13

The Films is a very ma gnitcent proper
~ The land is incload by an ornate
stone wall. The grounds are lain out in
! the formal Italian garden style-that is
/ to say, with geometrical precision. re-
| lieved Ly riot of color. Broad stone STEPS
lead up terraces to the mansion itself.
! big Louis VI. chateau Of white Caen
stone. the central building extending
| beyond the alignment of the two wings.
! tends the whole length of the building.
1t is of cream colored Caen stone, thu
columns being OF breche violette marble.
The entrance doors Of wrought iron and
glass open upon the great hall that ex-
The grand stairway is also of white
breche yiolette supplemented with pavoL-
azello marble. Two great goDelin tapes
| tries are suspended from the walls.
The ball room is in the center of the
building. 1t is in Louis XIV. style, mir
rored, with hangings of rich Lyons
/ broche silk, and mantel of marble and
gilt bronze. The furniture is deliberately
carved and it was the despair of the ser
wants, whose business 1t was TO keep it
in order.
The dining room is Of French oak. with
mahogany doors and panelled oak cell
ings.
The features of the drawing room,
which balances the dining room on the
other side of the great hall, are the cell
ing, a fine canvas by De Witt, a celebrat-
Cd painter OF the eighteenth century,
representing Boreas and Aquilon being
driven from the skies by Spring and
Flora. and splendid panels representing
J a barometer and thermometer a dial
supported by young man surrounded
by flying cupids illustrates the former,
while the other dial is supported by an
old man surrounded by the signs of win
ter
The striking Berwind servants are not
fanciful, but the decorations of the draw
ing room impressed them as prophetic.
1t really does not require a very vivid
Imagination to conceive how they cold
draw a parallel between themselves and
BOreas, who was a hard working person,
according to mythology. And ke the
figures on the panels whether it were
summer or winter, they had TO support
the grandeur Of the mansion.
The Henry II. library, with the terra
Gotta has relief by Della Robbia set in the
elaborate fireplace, and the palm room,
white marble statues representing the
four seasons. also gave them plenty TO
do.
And then there was the work upstairs,
the big hall Of white Caen stone. with
its red lined walls. in whose panels are
tapestry reproductions of portraits by
famous old masters-Rubens. Van Dyck.
Rembrandt Frans halls and others-and
the Louis XIV. bed rooms with the white
enamelled furniture.
So It viii be seen that the labor OF
keeping this palace in order Is very great.
But in aduItion the Berwinds entertain
constantly and on most elaborate scale.
And their functions always have a dis
tinction. gained at the cost Of great effort
as well as money. OF course the burden
Of work falls upon the servants.
The Berwinds opened their Newport
home early and the small army of SER
wants were looking forward to a joyous
work hard in the beginning. but after
things were Strengthened out they hoped
to have an easy time Of it. They were
so many that they thought the labor
would be easy.
When Mr. Berwind summoned a tailor
from New York and had all the liveried
servants measured for afternoon and
evening uniforms of the finest quality
they realized that there would be a per-
manency of their places.
But they found there was far more to
do than they had anticipated and. when
the entertaining began. although it was
on a comparatively informal scale. their
labors were doubled. The housekeeper
was most particular ard she had micro
scope eyes for discovering any short
coming. 1t was plain that Mr.. Berwind
expected full value for the high wages he
paid.
The servants say that they were given
no time for recreation and too little time
for sleep. They declare that they were
kept busy for eighteen hours a day and
they maintain that no human beings can
work eighteen hours a day for seven days
a week without impairing their health
They grumbled and then protested. The
protests came TO nothing. The COM
plants were made as individuals. Then
they held a conference.
When Dooley was graciously pleased
to intimate that he considered the claims
of the other servants TO be just. and that
he himself was the chief sufferer from
the hard work imposed upon the ser
wants. the others were delighted.
Head buffers do not often place them
selves on the same plane as other serv-
ants Head buffers are great sticklers
for the aristocracy Of their positions.
1t was decided to make an appeal to
Mrs Berwind. She was told that the
servants felt they were worked TO death.
They didn't object to working hard. but
they thought they should have more time
for recreation. They had carefully stud
led the matter and found that they had
not thirty consecutive minutes 8 week
they could call their own.
But Mrs Berwiad really didn't see how
she could change things 1t was true
that the servants were expected 10 be
on duty in he house. Already they had
q greater number of servants than were
10 be found in other houses Of the same
size, and she was sure the work was not
too hard.
lit was intimated to Mrs. Berwind thar
Il conditions were not changed SO that
the servants would have more time TO
themselves they would be under the dis
agreeable necessity or leaving the house.
That of course meant a strike. and Mrs.
Berwind has not had much experience
with strikes. she didn't think it was her
business to settle strikes. She referred
the servants TO Mr Berwind.
Mr. Berwind had had a long and va
ried experience with strikes. Fer many
years they had been Of frequent occur
renee In - coal regions. where ne has
large interests. And he has had strikes