The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-11
BOSTON WOMEN TO SOLVE
THE HIRED GIRL PROBLEM
New Nursery Maid May be Called
Thomas" and "Sam" Be
the Chambermaid.
MEN BETTER SERVANTS

BOSTON, Jan. los the man servant
taking the place of the maid servant or is
he merely bridging over the so-called fam
Inc In the land of Bridget and Kate?
The troublesome but extremely popular
question which women discuss all day In
the privacy OF their homes and then take
with them 10 banquets and dinner parties
by night and which their children. too.
love 10 regale themselves with when play
ing mothers" seems about to be solved
For 81 the servant girl has gone into
eclipse the man servant has arrived, and
great is he.
There are in Boston to-day more men
servants than ever before.
They are swedes. negroes. Japanese. Ar
menians Chinese, French and even Fill
pino two
The majority of them apply for situa-
lions through regular employment agencies
and their services are in good demand.
'Why?" asks Miss Curious.
Because they more tidy IN their gem
eral appearance, break fewer dishes are
usually good housekeepers. can take care
of furnaces. beat heavy rugs run lawn
mowers. shovel off snowy sidewalks and
on pinch look out for the baby.
tbt get 40 III On ~ ana thenr ooa ara
her place through the medium of a good
agency. and they are well liked
Then. too. every one is complaining and
has been for ages that ii was quite I'm
possible To get good cook.
If one got good cook she either had
too many beaus or her relatives were al
ways dying or she suffered from neuralgia,
or she wanted six nights a week out and
two whole days.
A cook who really could cook haI to have
something the matter with her personally.
IT seemed, in order to be a good cook.
At least that is what many a woman
ha Hvrfr n for d,
These novels about the servant girl prob
lem are 20 blame for good deal of It,, said
d Boston woman who employs many serV-
ants, the other day.
ONE OF THE FAMILY.
why. my girl read one of them. It was
all about a girl who went TO live In cler-
gyman's family. They made her a member
OF the family. and had her sit at their own
table, and introduced her to their
friends as Miss Jones'
We'll. that story just finished Maria.
She was bad enough before. but still a
pretty decent cook. who could make fine
bread and the loveliest desserts. but when
che began to act as If we were all living
down on farm and she was an adopted
sister OF ours decided TO quit
Now we have a negro and he is the best
yet. He IS our handy man. He is a far
better cook than Maria and he is Just az
quiet as he can be. Never has company.
minds his own business and is always try
Ing TO please In every way. l believe We'll
never go back to women servants"
So far the negroes are fayorites as gen
eral servants over the other nationalities
but the Japanese are not far behind
There are many of them now employed i'm
Boston as buffers, and their virtues as
cooks. I'm households where there are one
or more servants, are being recognized from
day 10 day
They are excessively polite, neat and
quick, remarkably expert cooks and
all the time picking up new dishes I'm a
way that Is the marvel OF their mistresses
out West the servants on the big ranches
are usually Chinese with an occasional
japanese. and IN New York State men are
driving the fair sex into a corner, as well
as here in Boston.
Not so very long ago. when work was
scarce and there were many poor homesck
Armenians I'm Boston vainly trying to earn
living, Miss Alice stone Blackwell made
an earnest plea that they be given a chance
She spoke good word for them and put
courage into the breasts of those women
who. while desiring TO better their kitchen
regime. feared 20 appear ridiculous by try
ing Armenian men hired help"
The result was that quite few of them
got places as servant girls" and their
employers say that they have yet TO re-
pent their departure from customs old
There are not as yet many Fflipinos who
have taken the place OF the lady OF the
kitchen. but they are being brought over
I'm ones, twos and threes TO learn for them
selves how an American household is run
and TO give US their ideas on Filipino
methods.
They are very bright and quick to learn.
too. reporter met one OF them not long
ago
Although he was eighteen. he looked not
over fourteen. II shy from being I'm a
strange country, his brightness was marked
and his sunny chiidlike smile won every
ones confidence at once.
The people who run employment agencies
cannot explain the dearth OF female serv-
ants. unless IL II that every one il taking
q commercial school
III these strenuous days OF what Mary Liv-
ermore calls too much lore" but they are
not complaining, for there Is the man serv-
ant. No longer let any one dare make
little OF woman, call her mannish pushing
1ostlins and even unsexed because she
may nave taken mans place at times.
For answer there will be held up 20 him
Thomas. the nursery maid: James. the
cook and Sam fba obor. h.s,.s, "a