Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1886-07-08
In A BIG LAUNDRY.
WASHING AND IRONING DONE EN-.
TiRstY ~. MACHINERY.
New York Timesl

New York Times
Like everything el'e, washins and ironing
have developed into q business Of consider
able size and Importance The washer.
woman nowadays has TO compete with ma.
eoinsry and steam power The wsshtcb be-
comes huge revolving drum, the wringing
machine Centrifugal dryer. tho clothes fins
In the backyard a frame In drying box,
and the fatiron an iron roller SIX feet IN
length. In buildings rising story upon story
an entire foor Is devoted TO each branch Of
the work. The bualiss g gathered by
covered wagons, AMI huuir,ds OF women
aud girls are employed in the various
branches A days stock OF linen In big
hotel can bs va he'd. dried, and ironed in
six hours Every week day is wash day In
big laundry, and in the middle Il the
summer season wurk Is carried on during
half OF sualsy. Ia a big laundry on the
west side Of town the nanager's ONCE Is ss
eonsfestAbls saA nsaftpAsarsi<hsAr <hAt@sf
wholesale dry goods merchant. The man
aser Is man OF bus!nc -, having dealings
H!th hotel prcpriet II and TIE agents OF
steamship and sFamboas lines a palace
car companies. The plant cost m DO than
Sl0,Oo0 and the concern u under the control
OF stock company. Il has faciiit es for
turning out rs, 900 pieces OF linen In q day
The company has built tail dep, we'll
iichte !, aud well ventilated building Of
brick with stone Trimmings. Ons i0l-horse
power engine and two 2Jo-horse power boil
srs furnish the power aud to tssn N aad hot
water.
a Laundry is the pooreS. plac. "a the
wirti 20 SOW tho u-e Of mo,ier, the man
ser rou1rasi ia the course OF a general
talk about the bu mess aMore than SI00,-
600 in hari money have been spent in this
Laundry, but II should take a busi,,ess man
through here and tell him what IL cost he
would not believe me, The cot Of the steam
pipes that are out OF sight In boxes was i'm.
mense, and wood was not a small item We
must have the best OF dried lumber for the
drying boxes Then come the washing ma.
chimes and ironing machines or course we
are not working up 20 our limit all tie time,
hut we must be ready for rush any day In
summer, We do the work OF city hotsls
ocean teamships, river and sound steam
boat., and the Pullman Palace Car COM
pany Our biggest Job lately was the linen
OF the sleeping cars that took 10 and brought
from Washington the inauguration crowd.
With trains going out every two hours ws
had to be lively in order TO furnish stock
OF clean linen. Besides using our own
wagons we had T. hirs wagons 70 collect AMI
deliver the bundles We do little piece
work, but we don't cater TO that trade
"Doing up new linen is another distinct
branch Of the bu mess and We do nothing
with that Some laundr1ss do that and
nothing more and they havc bu..t up fine
business with furniSh.n.: tea ~ There are
other big laundris, tast have only riece
work. They get tSe .lsrt GAYS anI shirts
supposed 10y many per>ons q ia sort 20
Troy. The Troy launtry tGat yJu SEQ Oh
toe sign i.oariS OF furnishing AMI soms dsy
goods stoTs. IL rcaliy in New York Years
q 20 collars and cuffs ssrS se1t = Troy.
Several large mlnu &C o-iss Of cellars sni
cuffa are there, and wae1 IL L el to cot Is
c.nts q dozsn to have { liars and cuffs
washed and iru,ei hers ihey got the WORK
because they could do it cheaper. But that
work is dons hsre now.
In the rear Of the Office, half OF the door
was given TO the receiving and delivering Of
bundles, and the sest 10 washing maohinss
Ol tho -four were ptirs Of dirty linen, SONS
comparstively clean and othsrs ofYsnstvoly
dirty. They were collected in big canvas
bags marked with the name Of the hotel or
Steamship The linen is assorted and piled
according 10 the degree Of uncleanlinssS
Tho dirtisst pies como from the kitchsns
Each collection ID washed, dried, and ironed
separately, and each assortment Is washed
separately, q special washing machine tax.
ing the dirtiest Along the sides Of the
room were big wooden iron strapped drums
reaching nearly 20 the ceiling, with lines Of
iron pipes on top and underneath In the
middle o: the room were several smaller
washing machines, and back Of them
were three centrifugal drisrs revolving at
the rate OF 800 times . minuts In
the big drums arc two revolving cylinisrs
with arms that work In opposite directions
Soap Is bought In casks by the 100 pounds,
AMI when ready for use Is rielte1 and In
condit on % be Immediately taken up by the
water. Through openings 10 tbs big drums
pieces Of linen are thrown as o farmer
throws hay. One set OF arms catches them
and throws them about When they fall
another set catches them and shakes them.
About $50 sheets or I. 300 napkins and towels
can b washed In each drum. For tho
dirtiest linen special soap and sal soda ara
used. The pieces tumble about and the dirt
falls out and Is carried away through pipes
In the smaller washing machines the pieces
ere thrown into q cylinder Of perforated
iron that turns few times ons way and then
reverses. The revolutions mus q be ot . GER
tain sp,ed TO insure thorough washing
When washed the pieces are packed In the
upright centrifugal drying niachioes. from
tho siiel to the axle. When the machines
are In motion the water files out ami tho
clothes gradually shrink away FROM the CEN
tre aud pack themselves solidiy against the
sides The machines can bs run up 70 1000
revolutions minute. but It Is not considered
pccessary. The pieces are not thoroughly
3ried In the machines, but sufficiently 40 TO
be handled. They are sent up in elevators
b the drying boxes. The noof Of the wash.
room Is as vet as the deck Of ship, and the
plank, have TO be laid and calked like those
Of ship In the stories above are fifteen
ironing machines, with rollers from I've 20
six feet in length, heated by steam and gsA
In the drying boxes the heat Is so great that
pieces OF linen are dried In eight minutes.
The pieces arc put on long frames, that are
run through the boxes, and by the time ous
md Of . frame Is reached the pieces on tho
other end are ready 70 be taken OF.
sCon cussion does the washing tho man
sger explained. ~There must be some fall
10 clothes to knock the dirt out I. cannot
30 thrown out by centrifugal force and II
cannot be beaten out The constant tuu.
q the longest part Of the work, because each
piece has to Be- handled separatsly. Collars,
cuffs, and all plain pieces ars ironed by ma
but shirts arc ironed by hand.
There are some men who iron shires. but
most OF them are graduates Of state prison.
Il 10 easy enough TO keep track Of all IL
pieces by having q system. We give an sn.
ire floor 10 the work for the Pullman com
pany, and by making separate job Of each
ot that comes from hotel or . steamship
we know where we stand We charge y.
much for 100 piece. for a Dig lot, and every
bundle that comos in this morning gsss evi
70 oinorrow morning