The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-22
AN INTERVIEW

With II Roanoke Enterprise That Moves
Along in II Quiet Way, Yet Does Large
Business of the Kind.
A REPRESENTATIVE of TIE TIMES
walked into tho Roanoke Steam Laun-
dry. The first man he encountered was
MIR. j. w. Ammen.
''Where are you from, Mr.. Ammen?"
81 am from Botetourt county, near
Fincastle."
How long have you been in Roam
oke?"
II came to Big Lick in 1876, and have
been here ever SINCE"
'How did you come to go into the
laundry business?"
"Well,a laundry was started here and
the people were unsuccessful, and l
bought out their plant and have con-
tinually added to it, until now have
all the machinery necessary to run
filst'class laundry"
"Mr. Ammen, do you object to show
ing me through your establishment"
mo, sir; como this way. Here are
two washing machines of twenty-five
shirts capacity"
What is this machine?'
THAT is a rinsing machine, where
shirts, collars, ETC., are put in wet, but
come out nearly dry. will show you
how it works. Now, you SEQ me put the
clothes in like this and start the machine
in notion"
"How does the rotary motion cause
the machine to rinse the clothes ?"
why it is done by centrifugal force.
They go from the rinsing machine to
the starch machine, where they are
dropped in with bucket of starch and
then the machine is started in motion"
"What machine is this?"
why, that is my collar and cuff
ironer, and YOU see how Systematically
it is done. This small machine is tho
are dampened before going to the
ironer. That barrel is starch"
"What machines arc those over
there?"
"Those are two now machines l have
not used at all as yet. One is new
body ironer, the other for ironing neck
bands and wristbands, Now walk up
stairs and will show you what 1 have
up there This is q st. Clair shirt
front ironer, and this one is the Palmer
ironer. The little, machine is shirt
press"
How many hands do you employ"
about Fifteen"
"Who are the principal ones?"
"Daniel X. Ammen, my brother is my
book-keeper; w. L. Black, manager,
Tommy McFall is my young man that
drives the wagon and attends to calling
for and delivering clothes, and e. n.
Black attends to the engine room.'
"What is that frame over there?"
THAT is for curtains. can wash all
kinds of curtains and get them per-
tectly clean, and they look like now"
NNlr, Ammen. yOur machinery Saams
new, at least most of It,"
hundred dollars in machinery and
other improvements in 1897
What about outside work? Do you
get much work to do from the adjacent
towns?
II don't know what you cali much
work. will give you the different
places, viz: Bramwell, w. Va; Free
mans. w. Va; Richards, Va; Graham,
Va; Dublin, Va. pulaski, Va. Radford,
Va. l have regular customers in all
these places. and great many send to
me irregularlY."
"You send for and deliver clothes
free. do you not?"
oh, yes; my telephone number is
116 and my place of business is l29
Kirk avenue s. W., and I guarantee
satisfaction every time, and anyone
that is not suited will do me o great
favor to report the same. My engine is
fifteen horse power one and claim
that no laundry can do any better work
than do. And you can say to the peo-
pie in Roanoke and out of Roanoke if
they wi send me their work that /
guarantee prompt delivery and the
WORK to be executed in the best manner