Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-10-02
Dirty Linen.
A JOURNEY THROUGH A STEAM LAUNDRY

JOURNEY THROUGH A STEAM LAUNDRY
WASHING AND DRYING CLOTHES By MA
CHINERy.
The process Of washing clothes in mod
ern laundry is really interesting, and is to-
tally unknown except to the few engaged in
the business. The perfection to which the
business has been brought is readily shown
BY the statement that in any steam laundry
a bundle Of dirty clothes could be thrown in
at the door Of the mark ing room, entered on
the books, marked washed, dried. starched
ironcd. polished, sorted. wrapped in paper
and delivered to the wagon at the door of
the distrlbuting-ro in fifteen minutes from
the time they first entered the building dirty.
Of course this would be rushing things, and
the way would have TO be cleared for the
work, but it could be done. The regui Ar
routine is for clothes brought in one evening
10 be returned clean to their owners the
second morning thereafter.
The process of laundrying commences
with the collection Of the dirty clothes BY
the laundry drivers, who have regular
routes, some laundries employing as many
aS dozen wagons, which make collections
FIVE days each week When the driver has
got through with his DAYS collections he
dumps all the clothes, neatly tied in bundles,
into the marking room. where the lots OF
each driver are kept separate. In case the
bundle belongs to a regular customer, bat
little work need to be done in the marking
room. The bundle Of a new customer has
% have the name, address, day Of collection
and driver on IT, These are copied into the
dov-h book. and the bundle is opened. \
man. known as "caler, spreads the dirty
clothes out on the floor and with few dex-
trous witches has them assorted. This
done. he calls out the list 10 the head mark
er. who enters them on the day book check
ing back 10 zee no mistake is made. The
caller always makes ii point to look over
shirts to see no valuable studs have been
left therein, and j. j. a treat to see an old
hand at the business 20 through the pock
cts of white vest to make sure that neither
dime, car ticket nor five dollar piece turks
there. No trouble is ever taken TO save
common bone or pearl studs. They are
thrown into box. free TO all corners, but
valuables are carefully entered on the book
and returned. Dishonest markers are al
most unknOwn.
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