The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-08-29
BROOKLYN LAUNDRIES.
CONVERSATION WITH John CHI
NAMAN" AS TO THE BUSINESS.

A Woman's Opinion ON Hand Work and
Steam work-Hcat q tho Drying Room
Visit to Steam MISUNDERSTANDING
Work.
CHANGING one day to be passing Chinese
laundry which had ths name James L. Yu on
the door, the thought suggested itself TO the
scribe to step In and see how the laundry
business is carried on.
Hello" said the reporter, chow Is BUSH
nessr
"Oh, business no good. People all gone to
country; no make much now"
"Wil you tell me how much you average
Of q week and how much you pay your assist
antln
''Make about SIS week In winter, some
times 500 or s25. Pay him (his assistant) $40
week. Then have to pay $50 q month for
house, and coal and wood, light and rice,
vegetables andmeat costs
win you let me see the back roomi'
Eyes, let you see, but no stay long here
now; want you go home"
The reporter started back into the kitchen,
which was so hot that nobody but China
man could stand It any longer than five min
utes. There was nothing in 1t but few
pans, rack, table, two chairs and redhot
stove. Between the store and the kitchen, In
a sort of passageway, were two hunks, very
much on the plan Of stateroom berths, one
over the other.
Cinnamon, generally speaking, live on rice
and vegetables-yery little meat They eat
the rice with chop sticks, and when eating
they never sit on chair properly, but place
their feet on the chair and assume sort OF
doubled up position. In writing they use a
long reed with camel's hair stuck in one end
in the shape of brush. This instrument Is
called "bid."
..Do you go to Sunday schoolr' asked the
reporter.
Eyes. 60 to Methodist Sunday school in
Atlantic street. No burn Joss stick no
more, no worship him no more Now you
GO homel" said he suddenly.
Walking up Fulton street the reporter
came TO a laundry kept by native. Would
she give any information2
s'Oh, certainly; with pleasure.n
'Will you tell me how long you have been
In this business, and II 1t paysY'
"Well, I've been in IL about three or four
years now As to its paying, think 1t does.
manage TO make good living out Of it, be-
side giving employment to eight women not
counting two girls who stand behind the
counter to do up the clothes and wait on the
customers. And 1t is all hand work, too.n
"Do you not find 1t very warm In the sum-
merf
sob, yes, il is warm all the time, winter
and summer, In the drying room:n here she
showed a small room in the back OF the store
and opening the door, said: "This is the dry
ing room. As you can see We have stove
red hot all the time, and this room Is lined
with sheet iron, SO that there Is no danger
from II and all the heat remains within.p
sDo you think this business is Injurious to
healthf'
mot bit of IT, It would be probable IL
we had TO be over that hot stove all day but
you SEQ I have another stove going down In
tho kitchen, and that Is where the irona are
heated OF course, II Is hot, but not nearly
SO hot as the drying room.n
"What do you think of the steam laun-
driessp
II don't think much Of them, to tell the
truth. | suppose It lightens the labor a good
deal to have rollers to iron with by steam,
but then you'll find that the collars and cuffs
and other things will eventually be worn out
before their time by that SYSTEM
"What do you think of the Chinesef'
"The Chinese, is It'll Well never look at
Chinaman but what he puts me In mind OF a
dried up monkey. But as for them washing
and ironing any Christians garments, / tell
you If / never had anything washed
wouldn't get Chinaman to do It. Fudge,
can't bear them"
The next visit was TO a steam laundry.
"Do you employ many handsf'
"Well, between twenty and thirty, l think.
4
winter we will have to employ more, as this
kind of work Is constantly increasing.
People don't care TO have their white goods
done at home. Whether II Is because they
are not done up nice enough for them. don't
find that all tho white goods find their way
to the different laundries in the city,
what do you mean by white roodsY,
ooh, collars, cuffs, shirts, ladies' collars,
skirts, etc. OF course, we do moro of a bust
ness in mems collars, cuffs and shirts than
anything else.n
i'In your opinion, does IL injure clothes
any, this steam workp
sWhy, bless your heart, moi How could
it. Some people have an idea that we merely
souse the things once or twice in the water,
starch and dry them and then put them
through the ironing rollers. But we don't
do anything Of tho sort. The clothes In this
laundry are thoroughly and carefully wished.
and as carefully finished off before they
leave our hands"
oHow MANY driving rooms have youYv
1--WE have only one driving room. but IL
contains no less than Ave medium sized
stoves. and il extends nearly the full length
of tho cellar. Do Won know 1 think wo have
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