Morning journal and courier., 1886-09-16
NTID SOAP AND STARCH.
Washing and Ironing Clothes by Mechanical Means.
 

From the Pioneer Press.l
 There is an expression current that the nations using the most perfumery use the least soap. Carrying out this inference to individuals would be, perhaps, going too far, but there may be something in the soap question when applied to laundry work that will be of interest without being personal. The growth of improvements in methods Of laundrying during the last twenty years has been marked. Indeed. it is the opinion of some that the real laundry work proper dates from about ten years ago. Supposing all are familjar-at least by observation, if not by experience-with the wash day appliances of the kitchen, let us take look into of these modern laundries, and see what mark ed change there is in methods, if not in results.
 On entering the wash room sense of semi suffocation comes to the newcomer, due te the great change in the atmosphere from the dryer air without, though this soon passes away. The clothes as they come in soilet are taken from packages, carefully marked and then separated and put to whirling il immense wood-lined cylinders, which art kept revolving first in one direction, then il another. These cylinders are supplied witt soap, and the clothes are cleansed by the movement back and forth From one o1 these-cylindezs the clothes are changed to 2 similar one full of foaming soap suds, and then to the wringer, or more properly, "ex tractor" This consists of hollow water tub of meal, the sides of which are punctured with holes, the whole being on 8 piv- ot and placed inside of another tub o1 case.
 The wet clothes are dumped into this receptacle and it is set to whirling at the rate of 200 revolutions minute. The centri- fugal power thus generated sends the water ying out of the clothes and nicely fits them for the drying process. This latter consists of long bars on rollers, which are filed with clothes and run into place supplied with many steam coils that give rapid and thorough drying. When the water disap- peared, ouk come the garments and they be- gin their ironing journey. The smaller arti- cles, like handkerchiefs, are put between cloth covered cylinders-all the machinery practically being run by steam-and the collars and cuffs subjected to high polish ing pressure. The starching is done in cy- finder similar in construction to the washer though smaller. The shirt fronts-anp wha, man doesn't like a shining one whether it's seen or nota-are not subjected to the old fashioned hand-ironing process, but are stretched upon a f1at-iron about two feet long by one wide, slightly beveled and cov cred with cloth, and then, by aid of lever, the shirt is raised up on the iron until it reaches and is run over by slowly revolving cylinder heated by gas on its inside. The re- suit is beautiful gloss
 Care has to be taken, however, to keep everything moving just right, as the roller is kept so hot it would easily burn the shirt front if left upon it any length of time. The collars come out of the cylinders polished properly and then, in case it is turn down." a neat little machine runs moist ened roller along where the bend is to be, and thus, if proper care is exercised, the col lar is bent to shape and is not cracked. Starch and paper are two supplies much used and the former comes in by the barrel lots, while the paper comes by the carload and goes out in small quantities tied up around your weekly laundry package. The work is largely done by girls, who are paid from five to ten dollars per week, and their work and the hot air they are obliged to stay iE much of the time entitle them to all they get Fans used, however, to keep the rooms as pure as possible.