The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-21

The millionaires and the society folk Of
New York and half dozen other of the
country's largest cities fly away in the
warm weather. Some country houses are
open already in fact, to remain open
until after the season when nobody is in
town" shall have passed.
So far as New York is concerned this
phrase means no more than that out of a
population Of 100000 possibly 10000. a
quarter of 1 per cent. or one in 400, includ-
ing servants. are out of the city. The real
summer exodus. begun In June, when the
people-the real people-take their vaca-
tons. is another matter. Then so many
New Workers are away from their accus-
toned haunts that you would expect the
big town TO look. empty. but it doesn' l.
simply because the summer visitors are
50 numerous.
Whether what might be termed the cOun-
try house population Of New York really
amounts to 100000 or not, it would not be
easy to find out. The social register con
tains the names OF about 5000 persons.
While not all these, by any means, live in
country houses IN summer, there are
many rich people not named in the social
register who do enough no doubt to make
the total of $500 about right. Al the rate
of three servants for each person, the
grand total would be about 100000
This rate may or may not be high.
Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt ST.. and her
daughter Gladys require about thirty
people. including the coachman and his
subordinates. to keep the tenor of life run
ming smoothly for them in the big house
at Fifth avenue and Fifty-eighth street
and quite as many when in the country
at Newport This Is fifteen TO one; and
the rich New York family Of four. man
and wife, a son and q daughter. requiring
twenty servants. including those in the
stable or garage as well as those in the
house. is not uncommon.
The transfer of d household in ordinary
circumstances from one house 10 another.
anywhere from twenty-five 10 a hundred
miles apart, even il the country place is
ready furnished. is an affair of some mo-
ment and occasionally some discomfort 10
the members Of the family themselves. II
is not so when the typical modern city
family of wealth makes its annual move
from town 20 country. The servants do
everything except transport the persons
OF the members Of the family. The latter
have 10 do no more than 70 step on board
the train, and from the train TO the
motor car, trap. carriage. or omnibus
which awaits them ar the station.
On the day OF the change, breakfast is
served TO the family at the usual time in
the usual way. Luncheon must be taken
in some public restaurant or with a friend,
but dinner at the country house Is served
at the usual hour upon the arrival OF the
family, with everything as trim and com
Portable as if the family lived there the
whole year through. There positively is
no discomfort for the family and not
much for the servants. since there are so
many Of them that each has compare
lively little to do.
Moving Into the Country.
You see. there isn't much 10 be moved
except the horses. the automobiles. the
carriages, the trunks, and the human
beings whose clothes are packed in the
trunks" exclaimed a young man who
acts as personal secretary of "a very big
'magnate" whose family spends its sum
-lItla ia llA AAA-llL NDfA4A klAa4At Ll4e-A
been the subject OF much publicity. The
country house is furnished as completely.
if not as extensively, as the town house,
even 10 the library. The gardener and his
wife live AT the country place the year
round. keeping it in perfect order and
always ready to open and air the rooms
for the famiIys occupation. Notice of
tWenty-four hours, OF even twelve, is all
that is necessary TO insure everything
being i'm order for the family and a
'hOUscful Of guests besides.
There are about twenty-five retainers
in the household of my boss, continued
the secretary. Lets count them up: In
the house. butler and three f0otmen, chef
and three women assistants. housekeeper,
two laundresses, one parlor maid, two
Chambermaids and three ladys maids.
There is also d useful man In the stable
there are "a cOachman, a carriage groom
lWho sits beside the coaehman when he
drivesJ. a pad groom. who rides with
any one of the women of the family when
she cares TO take saddle exercise, and an
unskiued man or Two 10 help round.
grooming horses. caring for harness, ana
cleaning up.
Besides. there is now a chauffeur and
when the boss gets his own garage and
two or three extra machines, il viii take
nearly thirty people to run the place.
have accounted for twenty-fOur, not in
Guiding the social secretary or valet. As
matter Of fact. my employer says he
won't have a valet in the house. He will
put up with all the other English vari-
cites of servants, but he stin is album
dainty able 10 dress himself. There are
three more at the country house-the
gardener his wife, and a handy man
but as two or three Of the city servants
always remain with the city house while
the family is away, its four members
actually do get along with twenty-four
servants-just half a dozen apiece.
when the time comes 20 move out for
the summer, six or eight of the house
staff precede the family by two or three
days They begin preparatory work.
which is completed by the others, most
of whom follow a little later. leaving
only three or four 10 remain in town
until the day of the actual transfer.
Each servant has a trunk. of course, and
is expected 10 have it packed and ready
for the move, and the trunks of the family
as well; but that is all, excepting the sill
yer, which IS packed for transportation.
as il is cared for by the butler and his
assistants. The boss pays the railroad
fare for them all, IS a matter Of course.
There is some extra work for the
house force putting the town house into
shape for the summer, covering the fur
uiture. and the Ike of that, but it's an
easy proposition when there are so many
10 attend to the work. It's my opinion
that the upper servants in the house OF
a rich and swell family in any of the big
cities to-day have a pretty easy and
pleasant way of earning their living, If
they are willing to be servants.
RunninE a Country House.