The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-09-12

wagons. The wagons bring tn + pack
ages back to the depot when the laun-
drying is completed, and the owners
call and get them. The delivery wag-
ons also call at the homes of the regu-
lar customers of the laundries. Each
laundry keeps book containing the
names of its regular customers and the
day and the hour at which each custom
er wants ''his laundry called for. Each
driver of each delivery wagon has, OF
course, his regular daily route. The
laundries will, as rule, call for and de-
liver goods all over the city TO regular
customers. Some of the big laundries
have several sets of deliveries" one
set OF delivery wagons for such a por-
ton of the city and one set for another
the different sets not all reporting at
a central branch, but having centers Of
their own, which, in turn, communicate
with the main Offices.
When the package OF goods to be
washed finally gets into the laundry the
person who receives it-who is ufuallya
good-looking young woman y writes
plainly on it the name and address OF
the person to whom it belongs, as well
as the time when it must be ''done"-if
such time is specified she also makes
out the "ticket," which contains the
list and number of the different articles
in the package If no time for the work
is specified blythe customer-and none
usually is = the person leaving the
laundry ought to expect to get it again
In three days, that being the time in
which laundry work is usually done"
by the first-class shops. The packages
are allowed to accumulate indiscrim-
inately in the laundry until sufficient
number-called a lots on hand.
The lot varies in size, according to the
capacity of the laundry, from twenty
five pieces to two hundred. Then q
marker" puts the lot numbero on all the
packages. Next, q book-keeper puts
down in a regular form in a log ledger
the name and address of the customer,
the number of each kind of the different
articles, and the mark orpeculiar India
ink stamp that is on each piece OF goods.
If a piece of goods is found unmarked
an appropriate mark is put upon it and
the record made.
The goods then 90 to an ''assorter. :"
he puts the shirts, collars, cuffs, etc.,
each by themselves. lie has large
table with board fence" around it in
front of him, and underneath hole in
the center of this table hangs q big bag
into which the assorter throws the col
lars and cuffs. lie puts the shirts in
big basket, and re-cxamines each piece
of goods to see if it is properly marked.
Finally the ''lot" is sent TO the wash
room. Throughout the progress of the
cleaning process the different pieces of
the lot are kept together and the lot
comes out as it goes in. Thus idcntif-
cation of the goods is systematized, and
the time of delivery is made certain.
First the goods are marked. I'll y are
not rubbed over board or rasped by a
machine. They arc placed in queer
| looking affairs called wood washers. !"
Each washer consists CT two oval cylin-
de~s one within the other. They are
both made of cypress or Georgia pine.
/ The inner cylinder is fixed SO that it can
revolve very rapidly. The inner cylin-
/ der is full OF holes, and both cylinders
have big trap-door openings on top, as
shown in the cut. The clothes are
placed in the inner cylinder and the
trap-door closed. Then soap and warm
water is put in the space between the
inner and outer cylinder and the outer
cylinder door is closed. BY means OF
1 power from an engine the inner cylin-
deris made to revolve at a great rate,
and the soapsuds. starting through the
holes, wash the clothes inside finely.
Thus the clothes are subjected to no
tearing and grinding, as is commonly
imagined. The washing cylinders are
j of all sizes, and some of the larger will
4 wash at one time either $50 dozen collars
andcuffs or $50 shirts. The big laundries
j of course, have each q good many of the
! washing machines.
Tho washing process proper takes
4 good while. The man in charge of il
y puts upon each machine a chalk inscrip.
ton stating the exact time at which the
washing began. Sag that the clothes
sYare put In d lnchinsiat 1880 O'clock p
q ID. They are washed In ttlie 8 frst scup
rrdan I'll I'll 3. and IN the ssseceud soap