Gilded Age Card Sizes Mattered

A late-Gilded Age gas bill, with its different types of print, colors and handwriting would have looked quite impressive to the Chinese servant, adding to his confusion and the humor of the situation. – Coal gas was something only the wealthy could have afforded in the Gilded Age, as it was a new fuel which was piped into homes for cooking and heating. New ovens, stoves and heaters were available for homeowners and the coal gas, along with electricity, was rapidly being installed in newer homes across the United States and around threw world.

An Honor for the Gasman

In Chinese visiting etiquette, the rank of the caller is denoted by the size of his card. Thus the visiting card of a high mandarin would be an immense roll of paper nicely tied up. The late Admiral Porter once engaged a full blooded Chinese servant, and Mrs. Porter immediately thereafter held “a reception.” John, the Chinese servant, attended the door and received with great disgust the small pasteboards of the visitors and, evidently with an opinion of his own of the low condition of the admiral's friends, pitched the cards into a basket and with scant ceremony showed their owners into the drawing room. 

But presently the gasman called with a bill - a big piece of cream colored paper. The card satisfied John. With deep reverence he received it. With low salaams he ushered the bearer not only into the drawing room, but with profound genuflections, to the dismay of the gasman and horror of Mrs. Porter, right up to the center of the room where that lady was receiving her distinguished guests, and then John, with another humble reverence, meekly retired, doubtless supposing that the owner of that “card” was a person of high distinction. – Syracuse Standard, 1900

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