New-York tribune., 1907-10-01
MEN GUST BRIDGETS.
Girls So Saucy Brooklyn House
aiUes Hire Male SerUantS.

Brooklyn is always so quiet about things that
nobody has suspected that she was lhllauIe,
great reform. Nevertheless, she was ana Is.
Out of the town across the bridge is coming a
reform TO which anything that may be done at
The Hague viii be as nothing. The conferences
al The Hague may bring ABOUT peace between
the nations, but the Brooklyn reform is going 10
bring about peace in the kitchen. When the
world learns what Brooklyn is doing il viii GER
tainly follow suit and happiness will spread its
wings over the hearths that inefficient BrldgetS
have nearly shattered.
1t seems the innovation has come about grad
ually and noiselessly. Nobody outside of Brook
1yn dreamed that the Bridgets over there We're
mostly Johns nowadays, Williams or Pat
TICKS, until a day or two ago something leaked
out about Mrs. Harold JeWetts new cook man.
Mrs. Jeyett instantly hailed path
finder, but when questioned by a Tribune
porter yesterday she warmly denied the charge.
i don't see why such a fuss Is made about
my having man to do my housework," she re-
marked from the doorway of her home at No.
1912 Bergen street, TO the reporter on the steps
outside. Many of my friends have them.
You think it's unusual? Well. it is not. Over
here on st. Marks avenue there ever
many people / know who have men doing
their housework. Read the Brooklyn papers
and you'll find plenty of advertisements for
male domestics. It's the commonest thing in
the world-at least in Brooklyn.
why did 1 change? Did have trouble with
my Brldgets? No more than other women do. -
said Mrs. Jewett looking hurt. But l found
girls very unsatisfactory They are saucy and
inattentiVe, and they take TOO many liberties.
Men know their place. when they're working
I have-he's a German-does everything about
the house except the washing and ironing. He
cooks splendidly, and keeps the house clean as
you see"
The part the reporter saw through the crack
of the door did look clean.
Does he have followers" the reporter asked.
No said Mrs. Jewett.
May 1 talk with hm2"
No; he's getting luncheon now. couldn't
have him bothered"
Does he wiring out the dishCloth or just
squeeze il outH'
But the door had closed, gently but decsively
At one Of the Brooklyn intelligence offices the
manager said that men were certainly mounting
the rungs of household service and the
porter actually ran down one man who was
starting out to 90 to new place with his
little suitcase just like oldtime Bridget
why shouldn't I do houSeWOrk for a living?"
he asked detiantly. Girls are doing every
thing men used TO do. l had some thoughts of
getting work : salesman in a store, but
every place 1 went to ask for job there
line of ninety-nine girl applicants ahead Of me,
and no chance for me. Same way with every
thing ] tried. I took to domestic service as
competition.
was green about it at first Well, maybe.
a trife," he admitted, shifting the suitcase
from one hand 10 the other. But the lady [
took my first place with had just discharged
raw immigrant girl who left the cores in the
apples when she made pie and put powdered
stove backing in the cake TO darken il when
she ran out OF spices. SO the family was patient
with my little mistakes. I soon got TO be a
good cook I used to like to be in my mothers
kitchen and watch her do things when I was
boy, and what ] learned then came back to
me. I'm good cook now. Why shouldn't men
cook Well2 They do anyhow. The great chefs
IN hotels and royal palaces are men, and the
pancake turner's you see in restaurant windows
are all men. AS TO neatness, I'll back myself