The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-09-20
BATHS FOR
BABIES

Directly under it there hangs a
card upon which the same is in
scribed in German. The remaining
space in the window is occupied by
six large cages, and in them sport
about canaries and finches of all
sizes and gaudy colors. On perch
in the corner sits big, rather un-
healthy looking cockatoo, who
seems to mourn his fate and impris-
onment, and long for the delightful
tropical times he once enjoyed.
In a doorway sat a short man
reading his morning paper, and at
short intervals he puffed on big
meerschaum pipe. He wore a heavy
pair Of eyeglasses, and looked in
quiringly over them when the re-
porter entered.
"Ya," said he, in answer to the
query, "me und meme frau here we
keeps badts to de leetle bapies vot
doand know how to wash demselfs,
und also dem what mutters doand
haf no time to wash dem"
The big-hearted proprietor then
went on to tell how he had come to
start this very peculiar and yet be-
aevolent business.
His name is Jacob Trauitwein, and
he is by profession a bookkeeper.
Several years ago his eyesight gave
out, and, although he can read, he
can no longer write. AS he had al
ways earned his living by his pen,
he hunted around for some time to
find employment whereby he could
support his wife and himself. He
had always been lover OF birds,
and had, among his possessions a
large family of canaries, the rearing
and care of which both himself and
wife had made study. Then he
decided to devote himself to the
raising of the birds and live by his
sales. He saw the little store and
hired it.
In the rear room of the place,
however he found that the Chinese
laundryman who had formerly occu-
pied the premises had built against
the wall a row of six big washtubs.
His business had proved an unprof-
table one and his anticipations of
wealth and had not been realized.
Most of the people who live in the
vicinity wash their clothes at home
when they wash at all. Conse quently
the unsophisticated son Of the Flow
cry Kingdom had moved to fields
more green, where the aigh colors
and the festive cuffs bloom more
regularly. As the tubs had been
built into the wall they could not be
taken away, so they remained to be
used by the next lessee.
For the first few months that Mr..
Trautwein and his wife ran their lit
tie bird store washtubs were a drug
in the market. The compile man
aged to make living from the sales
of their sweet songsters, but they
were both trying to think how they
could make some money out of the
washtubs. The idea naturally sug-
gested was that Mrs. Trautwein take
in washing, but the Chinaman had
failed and her husband would not
hear OF such thing.
But Mrs. Trautwein, who is a
kind-hearted, motherly-looking wo-
man, one day hit upon the idea of
having the bath for babies. A man
couldn't get into one of the tubs,
and besides there were lots of baths
in the city and a river on each side
if he wanted to take the advantage
of them. Half an hour later the two
little signs we're hung in the window
and they have been there ever since.
For a week Mr. Trautwein went
around to all the houses in their
neighborhood and told the people of
the bath he had started and as fast
as the babies were brought around
his wife would wash them and send
them home again. In short time
everyone within a radius of seven or
eight blocks had heard of the novel
bath and now Mr.. Trautwein simply
sits and waits for the trade to come
his way.
The charge of the bath is 10 cents,
and that includes the undressing and
dressing of the child, and a thorough
wash at the hands of the gentle wife.
Where parents want their little one
doused every day they can have it
done at the reduced rate of so cents
a week, payable IN advance. While
the hot season is at its height the
bathtubs are kept pretty busy the
greater part OF the day, and on Sat-
urday, when it is hard parent that
will not allow babe its weekly
wash, Mrs. Trauitwein is assisted by
! Lor rn;cn n nrett,, darl, haired c III