The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-12-31
KEEPING HOUSE FOR a
FAMILY or 4 THOUSAND.
The Hotel Housekeeper Among the Busiest Of the Busy
Women of Great City-Just How She Is Making the
Holidays Cheerful for People Unable to Go
Home for Chrstmas-U po-Date Wrinkles
81 Which Aid in Her housekeeping and
busting With Compressed Air. S

, sfsthnt5; Tie army which she commands
includes n corps OF fncn to do cleaning
and another OF women cleaners, one Of
parlor maids, one of chamber maids and
one Of maids maids, those latter to look
after the rooms OF their fellow en-.
ployes. IN the housekeeper's 3 charge are
tile linen room, the house laundry, and
the furniture supply rooms, all the six
hundred md odd guests rooms, DO or 10 !
Iparlors, and the Is or 20 seml-public din
|slng-roonls. Her servant problenisis soma
thing that would nppall the head OF even
the most luxurious private stnblisiment.E
Every morning, tho first thing, she
makes n tour OF lle supply rooms on
encli floor to SEQ that the maids are all s
order and that moth Is lacking TO
mako the day'a work 90 smoothly. This
Is only a preliminary inspection. however,
and must be accomplished with the quick
ness OF ID trained eye ard experience, for
q multitude OF duties press upon her
thick ana fast II furniture Ia to be &
moved anywhere about the house, the
houselteeper must be on hand TO see that
proper caro- Is exercised. and that every
thing is arranged exactly right, II ono
OF tho state suites'' or other specially
gorgeous apartments not constantly In
use is engaged. she personally s,1nerin-s
tends Its cleaning and tho setting right
OF Its furniture and bric-a-brac. She Y
Keeps count OF the linen issued many
hundreds Of pieces day-tho reserve
blankets, mattresses, pillows, and 30 on
and Is back and forth in tho furniture
storc-rooms to order tho work when an
extra bed. or chair, or whatever 1t may,
DO. Is needed. N u, n Il 5S 5 lsI5
! It Is IN this-the making OF the hotel
a perfectly ordered home for every guest
that lies the chief test OF her ability
and In this her tact and patience must
never be found wanting. Some o. her
experiences would put a severe strain on
tho patience Of Jobs own housekeeprr,
IStoo, wero thoy moi, after ALL inst the
things that make her so important ii flinc-
tionary. Such n hotel as the Astor pur-#
poses meeting tho slightest whim OF any
OF Its guests Instantly and perfect y.'ss
Perhaps the electric lights on the dress-i3
!, Ing table have red shades and the occu.&
pant OF tho room wants blue. or white.
Perhaps there Is a greene curtain over the
transom. while black IS The only color
tho temporary monarch can survey with
out ahuddcrlng. The towels are too coarse
for one, too soft d for ano ther; 81 or. tho
Hight In the hallway outside ter room
must be removed so 1t shall not shine
through and disturb my lndy's repose.is
Every request Imaginable. some very sen
slble, othcrs quite unreasonable, must be-
met promptly, and It Is the head house,
keepers duty to see accomplished tho
somewhat difficult feat Of removing tho
rose leaf under the forty mattresses so
a princess may sleep. Il AZ!
Like other housewives, this ono { IN the
Aston has her troubles in Keeping things
in repair. In the linen room there 4 aro
half a dozen clever seanstrcsses, who darn
tho lace curtains when they get torn
make the maids caps. receive the linen
as 1t comes In from the laundry ad3 join
Ing. keep a check on It and give 1t out
ns II IS reqnisitioned. Every sheet. pill
low case and napkin that comes IN or
goes out is noted in account books, and
three times q lay a gang OF mon replenish
from the main linen room tho supply
with which each foorSi Is provided, go tho
maids need never leave the special part
J OF the house to which they arc assigned.