, 1886-11-04
SOILED LINEN.


How and Where It is Made Ciean-soms-
thing About washdays and Laundries.
There has been such an increase in
the laundry business in the last ten
years that those engaged in the in
dustry not only make good living,
but realize such handsome profits
that 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
fats which house innumerab'e families,
all bent on simplifying housekeeping
even if economy is lost sight Of in some
directions. 4 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 court,
which is usually too small; the old tan
ant laws claim to Monday; and ii there
are more than six families in the build
ing it is easy to see how conflict would
arise. The easiest way out OF the
dilemma seems to be to have the washing
done out", and even though it may re-
turn somewhat tattered, it is generally
on time the year round. The clothes
are called for Monday morning and
returned Wednesday. 1t is such
rare thing to have an article missing
that laundrymen never hesitate to
make good the value of the garment
if it does not turn up in two weeks.
Many housekeepers who have large
washings and keep help have clothes
'dry-washedn outside and do the iron
ing at home. Washerwomen get
great deal of this work because their
rates are lower-one dollar a 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
kept in clean linen for three dollars
week. All the regular launIry 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
twenty-five cents to fifty cents.
The help in the laundries are pair
by the piece, wages running from fou-
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 as the
hands care to remain. The rooms are,
1-1,la wall I-antilafol ht,f tha haaf
| 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.
Transients will frequently leave a bum
| die of clothes to be done up, and either
| depart before being able to recover
| tanning collars, cuffs, handkerchiefs,
| hosiery, shirts, etc, accumulate, and
| at the end of the year the list of I'M
ID lOShOuou lIlc
| 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 profit on the impecu-
| mostly of class of customers who
| are now quite numerous. Sometimes
young man brings in big wash and
when it is finished offers to take half,
| or third, and leave the rest in pay
ment. There is no deception about
| the operation; the man is without
money, but stands in need of elean
| 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 q
petticoat or dress-founced, and
frilled, and tucked and puffed to dis
traction-will be seen at half mast in q
laundry, labeled -four dollars or some
such rate, the actual cost of doing it
up Chicago Tribune.