Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-01-03

Ita1l in the housekeeper's realm. that II
would be impossible. probably for a
maid TO survive in one Of these public
establishments such an experience as
that OF the servant whom Queen
Victoria reprimanded by writing the
royal cipher in the dust oa polished
cabinet each morning for three DAYS
until it was discovered by the offender
An enormous responsibility rests on
the shoulder of the hotel housekeeper
responsibility for the health and com
fort OF 500 or thousand people and
for the reputation of an establishment
that represents, in many cases, millions
Iof dollars invested. Take, for ex
ample, the woman in charge of the in
ternal economy of such a hostelry as
1.-THE new Hotel Aston here, typical OF
great notwithstanding houses OF its
kind. She has under her supervisor
NEARLY 200 servants; to help her in the
mere work Of administration requires
two assistants; the army which she
| commands includes a corps of men to
do cleaning and another OF women
Ecleaner, one of parlor maids, one of
Echamber maids, and one OF maids
maids, these latter. to look after the
rooms of their fellow-employes In the
Ihousekeeper's charge are the linen
room, the house laundry, and the fur
initure supply rooms, all the six hun
Idred and odd guests rooms 40 or so
lparlors, and the Is or 20 semi-public
dining rooms. Her servant problem Is
something that would appal the head
lof even the most luxurious private es.
Establishment
Every morning, the first thing, she
makes a tour of the supply rooms on
leach floor to see that the maids are all
ION duty, that everything is in perfect
order, and that nothing is lacking to
make the days work go smoothly.
This is only preliminary inspection
however, and must be accomplished
with the qdickness of a trained eve
.an6 experience, for a multitude of
duties press upon her thick and fast.
If furniture is to be moved anywhere
about the house, the housekeeper must
be on hand to see that proper care IS
exercised and that everything is ar
ranged exactly right If one Of the
state suites" or other specially gor-
geous apartments not constantly in
use is engaged she personally superin.
tends its cleaning and the setting
right of its furniture ana bric-a-brac.
She keePs count of the linen issued
many hundreds of pieces a day--thn
reserve blankets, mattresses, pillows,
and SO on, and is back and forth in
the furniture store-rooms to order the
work when an extra bed, or chair OF
# may be. is needed.
1t is in this-the maiing OF the
hotel a perfectly ordered home TO-
very guest-that lies the chief test OF /
her ability, and in this her tact ann
patience must never be found wanting,
Some of her experiences would put a
severe strain on the patience of Jobs
own housekeeper too, were they Lot,
after all, just the things that make her
so important functionary. Such a
hotel as the Astor purposes meeting
the slightest within Of any OF its guests
and perfectly" Perhaps the
electric lights on the dressing table
have red shades ami the occupant Of
the room wants blue or white. Per
haps there is a green curtain over the
transom, while black is the only color
the temporary monarch can survey
without shuddering The towels are
too coarse for one. too soft for an
.her' or the light in the hallway out
side her room must be removed so it
.all not shine through and disturb my
ady's repose. Every request imagtn
able, some very sensible, Others quite
must be met promptly,
and it is the head hOIsekeeper's duty
to see accomplished the somewhat diff
fcult feat of removing the rose Leaf
under the forty mattresses so a prin
cess may sleep.
Like other housewives this one in
the Astor has her troubles in keeping
things in repair. In the linen room |
there are half a dozen clever sear. |