Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-27
Is the Cleanliness That Pittsburg
Workingmen Would Like to
Have Chance to Secure.
4 CALL FOR SOAP AND TOWELS,
-1s Well as Dressing Rooms, Where They
Can Make Themselves Presentable
When They Quit Work.
TRET DON'T WANT TO SPOIL DRESSES,
And They Are Tired Enough When They Ride Home to
Wish for Seats in Cars

A question as 20 cleanliness was yester-
day raised by nolder in a Twelfth ward
foundry, who, ia conversation with s DIS
PATCH reporter, asked: "Why isn't the
subject OF washrooms and dressing or toilet
rooms for the workers in our industrial es-
Establishments given more attention than it
is? II ali factories were supplied with
these necessary adiuncts we workmen might
clean up and change our clothes at quit
ting time instead of being obliged
to parade the streets or ride
onsthe cars, on our way to and from work,
with hands, faces and clothing covered with
grease and dirt For my part, I am a
molder by trade, and am not ashamed,
either of my business or of the dirt that be-
longs to it; but am not so much in love
with the dirt but that I am glad to shed my
working clothes and clean myself up as
soon as possible, after my days labor is
over. No one knows better than I that
clothes that are ut for the foundry are not
fit for the streets and the cars; and it is a
wonder to me that public complaint has not
been made before now against men
heing forced to ride in the cars in
their working clothes. Only the other day
one of my own daughters had good dress
ruined by having grease-eovered machinist
scat himself beside her in the car, and
think, for my part that it is about time to
try to remedy the matter. 1 am not an
Overly-polite man, but 1 often ride nding
all the way home, sooner than sit down by
well-dressed people and run the risk of SPOIL
ing their clothes for them.
DOESN'T WANT TO BE A NUISANCE
81 don't care to make a common nuisance of
myself and there is not decent man IN 10, 600
that does Idon't believe there is workman
about Pittsburg, but would be glad to leave
the dirt and CRIME behind him at the mill
when he quits work, if means were pro-
vided to enable him to do it. am told
that in Eastern cities many of the big shops
and works have washrooms in connection
with them, fer this very purpose, and that
each workman is provided with box or
closet, with lock to it, to keep his clothes
In. Now, what l want to know is, why our
employers do not provide such things here?
We are no fonder of appearing in
public covered with dirt than our
fellow-workmen of other cities, or
than our employers themselves for that
matter; and it is an outrage, both upon the
public and upon us, that we are obliged to
do so. hope THE DISPATCH will agitate
the subject, as by doing so it will no doubt
bring about an improvement and win the
thanks of thousands of people 1t certainly
seems very unjust that washing accom-
nodations should be provided for Office
employees, and not for workmen."
A LITTLE INVESTIGATION.
A young fellow, muscular and with arms
like iron bars, was hammering the rough
edges off cast iron moIding in the foundry
of Mcintosh, Hemphill & Co., on Etna
street, when DISPATCH reporter dropped
In there yesterday afternoon. Several
scores of men were working around him,
their bare arms and faces begrimed with
the fine black dust that filled the atmos-
phere of the foundry. Seating himself on
the iron moulding. the reporter opened
conversation with the hammer-and-chisel |
manipulation by inquiring if there was any |
drinking water to be found there. TN the |
barrel in that corner, near the engine" re-
piled the workman, pointing his brawny /
right arm toward the northwest.
There were two hogsheads of river water
there, which were kept filed by an iron /
pipe. That was all. There was no sink, no
towels, no soap. no cup, no cupboard. Moth
ing but two barrels of water.
Where do the men wash themselves /
when they are through work?" queried the
reporter, once more sitting down on the iron
moulding, with the chipped-off filings flying
all around him and nice, black, powdery
dust sitting down under his collar. The
workman stopped hammering, poised his
hammer aioft and looked in astonishment at
the inquirer.
Don't the men ever wash?"
"Yes, in the barrel"
DO you have soap and towels?"
"No."
''Do you have closets to change your
clothes In before you go home?"
The hammer fell from above, and the iron
filings began to fly around the investigator
thicker than ever. ave don't have any of
those things" spoke the workman, bending
his head over his chisel.
Across the street was the foundry Office,
and the reporter there inquired for Mr..
Hemphiil. He was not there. Nobody
knew where be was.
UNDER THE RED DUST.
Further up on Etna street are the i'm
mense foundry works Of Schoenberger,
Speer & Co. There was dust everywhere,
only this time it was red dust. Several
workman were there spoken to before one
was found who understood the language of
the country sufficiently we'll 10 comprehend
what was wanted. Finally two men were
reached who were lowering derrick.
"What facilities have the men for wash
ing and cleaning themselves alter work?"
was put to one of them.
"Oh, We go down to the run"
'Do you have towels and soap, and any
closets to hang up your clothes and make a
change when you get through work."
The two men locked at each other and
then one inquired: "Who are you? Do you
want to sell some to wells"
ANY such errand was discIaimed, and
then the men denied all the points contained
in the last question put to them, repeating,
cob, we 60 down to the 'ran.'
What was the "run?" After lodging
around several huge boilers, and picking
his wSy cautiously among great moving
iron bars, at the imminent point OF sustain
ing serious injuries, the reporter found the
'Tua." It was dirty little stream that
came from somewhere under the foundry
and went toward the river.
Above Shoenberger s. Speer's is the
foundry of Howe, Brown & Co. There were
fouad tive small troughs which were origin
ally put there TO get water for cooling the
ashes taken out OF the furnaces. No towels,
no soap, No closets. The mea used the
troughs to wash in, whenever they felt dis
posed TO do SO.
REFERRED TO THE FOREMAN.
At Marshali's foundry, on Diamond
street two blacksmiths were hammering