Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-28
A SONG OF A SHIRT.
The Ravnges Made by Laundries Upon
Mems Underwear-ChemicaIs Used by
the Chinese Which Rot the FnbriJ-A
Remedy Wanted.
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH.


WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATCH.1
Those poor unfortunate individuals who,
like myself, are reduced to the dire necessi-
ty of sending their white shirts to the laun-
dry believe someone called it the
"foundry''-may have observed the dilapi-
dated condition in which they generally re-
turn. For some time was wont to send my
shirts to the steam laundry. They usually
came back sitter than buckram and of a
lively cerulean tint, strongly suggestive of
Prussia. Had this been all could have
endured it. But they also came back as
circumstances might determine with the
one ivory button wrenched off and the
cloth to which it was sewed torn along with
it,or else one or both sleeves were dislocated
at the shoulder and left hanging by one or
two stitches; or else the back of the shirt
was split, as sailor would say, "from clew
to earing;" or else the wristband or necks
were frayed out in such a manner that the
stiff, rough edges cut my hands or neck like
a saw. All this, be it observed, with shirts
new out of the shop. So much for washing
by machinery.
Disgusted with the above state of affairs
bethought me of trying the natives of the
Celestial empire. I have no prejudice
against the Chinese. For considerable
time my shirts came back in a state of
tolerable preservation, and I began to
imagine that my troubles in this direction
were at an end. Rainbowsl Too bright to
last. Like all dreams of happiness on earth,
1 found this also vain. The Chinese find
are becoming civilized, that is to say they
have acquired the capacity fer looking after
their own interests, to the exclusion of those
of the outside barbarian" Civilization to
them means supreme selfshness. This way
of looking after their own interests may be
somewhat short-sighted, but that is of no
consequence. After two or three washings
found that my shirts became so tender that
they would tear when the slightest strain
was put on them. They were like the
Irlshman's shirt, "tinder as chicken for as
ould's It is" How was this? Mirabile
dictu-the Chinese were actually bleaching
my shirts with hvpochlorite of lime,
commonly called chloride of lime! How did
find it out? 1 sent white handkerchief
strongly marked with silver marking ink.
When it returned the mark was obliterated.
On examining the spot, I found the mark
converted into chloride of silver, easily re-
moved by an appropriate solvent. The
marks on my shirts had disappeared in a
similar way. The chloride of lime had so
weakened the fiber that it had no tensile
strength. White shirts are usually made of
cotton, all except the breast and wristband,
which are made of very sleazy linen filled
up with starch. The cotton is more easily
disintegrated by chloride of lime than the
linen. Hence the cotton goes first.
Is there no remedy for this state of af-
fairs? Must I wash my own shirts or en-
ploy a washefwoman? Or must get
wife? If the latter, of course shall have
to get cheap one, since cannot afford to
purchase an expensive one. Or perhaps
there is some other way out of the difficulty.
DR.. G. HAY.