Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-04-22
aganansaker's.

Year by year we gather our
knowledge and linens. Some
times we bring this; sometimes
we bring that; sometimes we
bring both; sometimes we
skip both. The reasons are
not to be got this side of the
ocean. There is no wholesale
source ofsupply on either side
of the ocean where merchant
can go and get the choice OF
all the linens, and have his |
choosing done for him either
wisely or safely. He must
do it himself or take his
chances. We do it ourselves.
All this implies knowledge
of linen. If one knows linen
thoroughly he can pick up
linens after a fashion at home;
and, if he pays a little more,
he has some comfort at least
in staying at home.
Do merchants know linen ?
No; neither merchants nor
statesmen. Not one in a hun
bred can tell a halfcotton
handkerchief. Half the so.
called linen" handkerchiefs,
taking stores as they run, are
cotton-and-linen. Sometimes
the merchants and statesmen
know it; sometimes they don't.
You never know it. You
wouldn't buy halfcotton hand
kerchiefs. They look as white
and smooth; but a washing or
two brings out the yellow and
fuzz.
Why do we harp on these
things? Just this-The linens
are here-good linens-the
pick of them abby careful
planning and watching. The
: stores that buy their linens Of
New York importers take
whatever the New York i'm.
. porters happen to have. They
get both good and bad.
: Our linens are chosen witt
= all the world before an exper,
3 in linens. Theirs are picked
3 up unskilfully. That's the
n general difference.
n The moral for you is
3 Avoid hap-hazard, and buy
/ |. where linens are chosen witt
3 knowledge.
q AS to prices: Perhaps ou
prices are higha We sell one
q fortieth of all the pure linel
y that comes to the country
e. q how can they be high? The,
. are not. They are steady
y We play no tricks. We bu,
e e Of the maker and save tn
e e middle-man's profit. There
II nothing like seeing the make
- at home. There's nothin,
like steadiness. We can a
ford to undersell the market
ID Nevertheless now and then
~ dealer, who doesn't keep
e fixed prices, sells a triAe fo
y little enough to catch you
bS s transient confidence.
t. One of the things to b
j. said with all possible plainnes
X now we are on this subject
sa this: Don't judge a merchar
he 3, by any single price. Iii is on
w of the commonest tricks
to tS catch your trade by a singl
s 81. price. We steadily underse
nd the linen market; but an
At dealer can make a price as
,OV trick.
On. On The care Of linen after 20
,sS get it.
Oa Good linen is spoiled in I'll
a, laundry. Says one OF the "Ol
Oh Bleach" makers: "What is tt
use of our expanding time an
I. money to spread our liner
Y; out on the grass if you al
Of going to spoil them in wasl
i iSt ing?" Chemical bleaching
re- quicker and cheaper.
in Bad soap and washing-sod
*, destroy the linen fibre and
n, d. course the lustre. A lump
his his soda will eat a hole in linel
to not in a minute; not in a da,
io Il but the damage is done, an
1Sa the hole will come with a littI
the wear. If a lump of soda Kill
lie outright, an excess of soda il
'oy jures. The best you can do
to use good soap and no sod
are are rinse thoroughly, spread @
"A the grass if you have it, an
ios hang in the sun.
but but The best method of was
ne, ing, so far as preserving liner
ter goes, is the old-fashion poun,
81. GE1 ing-barrel. The more goo
md linen is beaten the better.
rge Managing is better tina
red red ironing. Use no starch. N,
ore Ci that starch is injurious. Stare
ion only replaces the body take
. out by soap or soda. Goo
linen needs no starch.