Wichita eagle., 1888-08-10
TIE DANGEROUS wasHERWoMAK
How Disease Germs Are Distributcd-A
Timely Eins to CITY Peonle

low Disease Germs Are Distributcd-A
Timely Eins to City People.
To the ayers ge American housekeeper the
weekly wash day is a constantly recurrinr
trial of patience. Every domestic arrange
nlent must give way TO il. OF course in those
families where several servants are employed
and there are convenience for laundry pur.
poses the day is one of less hardship The
great majority of the middle classes. how
ever, are forced to be content with one ser
want girl, who is generally assisted by q
washerwoman. That humble and very use
ful individual deserves greater consideration
than is usually given her. Where she comes
| from is, n general thing, matter of alb
solute Indifference to the housekeeper, as long
as her charges are as low as possible. That
she is very poor all know, for no ore would
do washing" unless in needy circumstances
! Very probably she lives in q cheap tenement
Or IN the cellar Of some rookery ia the sluns
| of the city. Now. it is these very places
which are the hotbeds of Contagious and in
| fectious diseases, and consequently the center
! Of distribution of disease germs.
An instance Of the truth of this staternen.
viii be given, one which will also show bow
such diseases may be attributed to tie wrong
source. At the south end, On SWEET street.
there is row of rarnshackle houses. called by
the neighbors 'ButterInii1 block The ID
habitants are mostly ragpickers, who ply
their vocation on the neiShboring dump"
where the ashes and refuse collected by the
city wagons are deposited The health au-
thorities have condemned the block time and
time again as unfd to live in. Somehow or
other, however, it is still occupied Some
four years ago family living On West New
ton street regularly employed washer
woman who lived In this BGt:e-milk block.
The eldest daughter was frs. attacked with
typhoid fever and died. Teen the secoQd
daughter had it and died The father also
fell a victim to the fever, but fortunately 70
covered The physician in attendance az
cribed the trouble TO defective drainage, and,
although the work had been done by com
potent plumber. al the piping in tho house
was torn out and replased At On expense OF
several hundred dollars,
In the worry incident 70 the sickness in tho
house, the fact that tbs washervoulan had I
stopped coming every week, as was her won't. /
was not noticed; some months later is was
learned that she had died Of typhoid foyer 4
Further inquiries Developed tie fact that Z
while she was washing for the unfortunate
family there were three cases Of fsver Ia the
Houss HHere fEe lived, 6rsd two cg them
proved fatal Vow tbers Is no doubs bot that
she Wa In the early stare Of s.e disease when
she came TO her enpoyerAs bo1ss for the last
tine, and thar shs Iess tocre the germs from /
which sp2-usg tie fever that coz. two lives Ia I
his family This u but o,e instance q too
danger which is incurred By bring washer
women Unfortunately. K Is safe 70 say
Tia. II tie housekeeper m question had gone
10 the place where the woman lived, and had
ven the filth and sQaaJor with which sbs vu
SIZE would cot have employed
osr. All these possibliiiies Of danger are
s.lzaly oreriooksd by ths majority who
pssroraze tasse people. aid Still, By pairing
ben aT.asscn wages for their work, taey
compel them 70 1--we "a wTsrcaet psacez, AID
%. almost froen necessity, become tie bar
.rz cf disease The who's thsnx Ia ~-oas.
For very little more than b paid 10 tie WASH
'rrozssn tbs hsavy family waaaing can 10
lone 81 q steam laundry, add ozly tAss Smaller
nd csiicafe pieces nesi 10 washed AID
rSzset u Tie koase-Bossca He-asd-