Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-13
o LINEN.
How and Where It Is Made Clsan-soue
tnlng About Washdays and Laundries.

SOllED LINEN.
How Where 1t is Made Clean-sone.
tnlhs About Washdays and Laundries.
lhere has been such an increase in
the laundry business in the last ten
years that those engaged in the in!
dustry not only make a good living
but realize such handsome profits
tina they are able to increase their
facilities, and are constantly devising
new machinery for carrying on the
business with ease and dispatch. This
is due largely to the multiplicity of
flats which house innumerable families,
all bent on simplifying housekeeping
even IT economy is lost sight of in some
directions. A great many families
who occupy whole flats prefer to send
their washing out rather than submit
to the annoyance of taking their turn
with other tenants. The clothes have
to be hung On the roof or in a court,
which is usually too small; the old ten
ant lays claim to Monday; and if there
are more than six families in the build
ing 1T is easy to see how conflict would
arise. The easiest way out of the
dilemma seems tel be to have the washing
"done OUT, and even thought it may re-
turn somewhat battered, it is generally
on time the year round. The clothes
are called for Monday morning and
returned Wednesday. It is such a
rare thing to have an article missing
that laundrymsn never hesitate to
make good the value of the garment
It 1T does not turn up in two weeks.
Many housekeepers who have large
washings and keep help have clothes
'dry-washed' outside and do the iron
ing at home. Washerwomen get a
great deal of this work because their
rates are lower-one dollar q dozen,
whether the wash is one handker-
chief and eleven sheets or vice versa.
Laundrymen have stipulated prices,
and only a very small family can be
keptin clean linen for three dollars a
week. ALI the regular laundry work
is done by machinery. The plain
clothes are smoothed on rollers, collars
and cuffs are turned out by the dozen,.
but the shirt bosoms are usually ironed
by hand, Men of exquisite taste who
wear fine dress-shirts have them
laundried through by hand and done
up with the finish of new goods. Such
work takes more time and the customer
days double rates. Prices range from
twenty-five cents to fifty cents. .n
The help in the laundries are pair
by the piece, wages running from foul
dollars to twelve dollars a week, &C
cording to the strength and skill of
the operators. ) Work begins in some
of the establishments at six in the
morning and continues as long al the
hands care to remain. The rooms are,
as a rule, well ventilated, but the heat
and steam are very trying, and, COM
bined with the hard and poor care the
women take of themselves. soon break
them down. The machinery is under
the care of the men, who find the work
less oppressive. The girls often give
up their places and take to kitchen
work for better food and easier times,
although the wages are smaller.
Laundrymen are enabled to do con.
siderable specializing in white goods.
Sransients will frequently leave a bun.
die Of clothes to be done up, and eithe,
forget all about them or are forced tc
depart before being able to recover
them. In this way small parcels, con
tanning collars, cuffs, handkerchiefs.
hosiery, shirts. ETC., accumulate, and
at the end Of the year the list of UNI
called-for articles is reckoned up in the
thousands. 1t is a rule with the large
downtown firms to hold goods one
year, at the expiration of which time
various dispositions are made of them.
Frequently the plain clothes are given
to the nuns and women who are always
about soliciting for hospitals and va
rious charitable institutions. The col
lars, cuffs and shirts are sold to second
hand clothing-dealers who make their
rounds several times a year.
There are plenty of laundrymen who
make quite a profit on. the impecu-
mostly Of a class of customers who
are now quite numerous. Sometimes
ayoung man brings in a big wash and
when it is finished offers to take half,
OF a third, and leave the restii in pay
ment. There is no deception about
the operation; the man is without
money, but stands in need of clean
clothes and finds there is no other way
of getting them. The shirts sell at
never more than fifty cents each, col.
lars thirty cents and cuffs fifty cents a
dozen.
Female garments are rarely offered
in lieu of money, but occasionally a
petticoat or dress-founced, and
ffIed, and tucked and puffed to dis.
traction-will be seen at half mast in a
laundry, labeled ''four dollars" or some
such rate, the actual cost of doing il