Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-08-25
CHINESE LAUNDRYMEN.
woNo CHIN roo TELLS or THE
BUSINESS m NEW YORK.

The Almond Eyed Journalist shows How
His Ccunsryncn Are Set Up Financially.
The Mysteries Of the whey or syndi-
oate-Ths Laundrynens Iaw.
The question has frequently been asked
by Americans. do these Cinnamon wash
clothes In Chinay How Is II that nearly
all who come here enter the laundry buS-
ncssf Do they love itf' No, they do not
love IL any more than any other kind OF
labor. They did not evnn know what the
'.Melican mans" shirt looked like, much
less how 10 dress one, before they came
TO America. Laundry work In China Is
invariably done by women. and when
man steps into Q womAn's occupation he
loses his social standing.
They become laundrymen here simply
because there Is no other occupation by
which they can make money as surely
and quickly. The prejudice against the
race has much TO do with It, They are
fine cooks. neat and faithful servants.
and above all. very skillful mechanics at
any trade they have . mind to try. In
the western states, N~hero their value Is
better understood, they are used In a.
foreigners, and the laundry business Is
OoSuHACO OAAiy W thu5O VIM AuA w hhN
other employment.
no OTHER ALTERNATIVE.
But here In New York ss yet there Is
no other alternative. Many an able
minded man as well as skillful mechanic
who came to America to better his condi-
tion may be found welding the polishing
irons in o New York Chinese laundry.
Il takes from seventy five dollars TO two
hundred dollars TO start one Of these
Chinese wash houses, and the way most
Of these laundries are started would give
valuable tips even to an American Wall
street deacon. The main expenditure In
a Chinese laundry is stove and q trough
for washing, and partitions for dry room
and sleeping apartment. and sign.
AS a rule it requires 800 to open q
laundry In New York. But this amount
is fortune to a newly arrived China.
man, and unless he starts immediately
into the laundry business, he would bc.
come q burden TO some of his friends.
The Chinese immigrant. unlike his Euro
pean compatriots. never comes here unless
he is safely surrounded by friends or
diately initiate him into the mysteries Of
the laundry business. In some friendly
laundry the newcomer is placed under a
six months apprenticeship, beginning at
the wash tub, until he reaches the ironing
table. and lastly the polishing board
These apprentices begin with &3 per week
and board, and O gradual addition Of 81
per week after the first months, until they
are able to take charge Of q laundry them
selves. Then II he has money he hires q
place and hangs out his sign. II not, he
goes to one or two friends, and they will
call whey" or syndicate for bis benefit
in the following manner.
MYsTERIEs OF THE WHEY"
Suppose have an established laundry,
and want to borrow $500 at a certain per
centum premium, but I cannot find any
one Chinaman who is able to loan me tho
amount. l put up q notice In Mott
street that upon such and such day
wish to make "whey" Of twenty men,
who all are supposed to be situated like
myself, each wanting TO borrow $500
When we twenty borrowers all come to-
gether we each put down $40. Then each
one secretly writes upon slip of paper
the amount of interest he Is willing to
give to get the $200. These slips are
carefully sealed and thrown into q bowl
At given time they ars opened, and to
the highest bidder goes the $500, less tho
interest. which is invariably deducted
Immediately from the principal.
Frequently as high as 81 Is offered for
the use Of $40 for single month. In
such cases each Of the nineteen other bor-
rowers gives to the lucky one only %
apiece for tho $10 apiece which they
make him pay next month. Then the
next highest bidder gets tho $500, less
tho interest he offered, and 30 on, until
the entire twenty, at twenty different
times, have obtained the use Of this $500;
but the one that comes the last, having
offered the least interest Of them al,
reaps the harvest Of tho whey" This
method Is adopted by most Chinese laun-
drymen in New York and other large
cities to open new laundries. 1t partakes
of the gaming flavor which is cantivating
to every true Celestial.
No Chinaman can transfer his place OF
business into the hands of another with
out at least thirty days notice in China
town." on Mott street. and the buyer is
not required to pay him more than half
of the purchase money until the legal
thirty days are past. This Is the laun-
drymen's law, made four years ago In
this city, to prevent laundryman from
absconding from his creditors. Upon the
completion of the thirty days creditors
and debtors must meet at the transferred
laundry, and when all Of the old debts
are liquidated a clear title of the laundry
is given to the new owner.-Wong Chin
q