The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-03-25
TAKE TO WASHING.
WHY THE CHINESE LIKE THAT BUsI-
NESS IN THIS COUNTRY.

II IL 80 Much Easier Here Than st Home
In China Washing In Ice Covered Ponds
and Beating Out the Dirt with stones
FOR Very small Pay.
Among the thousands Of Cinnamon
In this city few. besides the store and
restaurant keepers ON Race street. follow
any other calling than that Of laundry
man. Consequently many Americans
believe that the majority Of China's
are laundrymen. who. when
not squirting water through their teeth
upon shirts and linen, spend their time
eating rats and puppies or INDUCING in
the questionable enjoyments Of the
flower boats The truth is that the
Celestial Kingdoms 450, 900, 900 Of tea
drinkers do smaller percentage OF
washing than any other large country.
What little washable clothing they wear
is cleansed in the paddy fields near the
wearer's home, and only the Europeans
and richer class Of natives require the
assistance of washman.
That important item Of expense. the
wash bill, In reduced to a minimum in
China, where the European clothing is
eagerly sought by young and old male
natives, who are glad to do up in first
class order white shirts, white waist
coats or anything at all for rs cents per
hundred. This will partly explain why
our Chinese residents prefer to do our
laundry work to waiting on our tables
or sweating on a farm, as the money re-
ceived for ironing and finishing single
white shirt will support him two days
in his native country. Another reason is
that when at work behind his ironing
board, breathing the close air Of his lit
tie shop. be appreciates the one hundred
and one conveniences that he could not
afford in China. Tubs, hot water. self
acting soaps and washboards have not
yet been introduced in his native home
and have never been thought Of by the
poor beggars doing up shirts at three
quarters of a cent apiece. There they
stand ON the low shores of paddy field,
ankle deep in the mud and ooze, ind
after soaking the clothes slap them
against the smooth stones put there for
this purpose until the dirt becomes
loosened and can be rubbed out with the
hands.
Within the limits of the American
settlement of the treaty port Of Shang-
hal are several ponds filled with from
two to four feet Of rainwater. In sum-
mer these ponds are used by the wash
men and for irrigating neighboring
paddy and rice fields. while in winter
the ice accommodating is carefully pre-
served.
The Chinese themselves do not use ice
for any purpose, the most refreshing
drink to them in the hot spells being
boiling hot tea without milk or sugar.
Since the advent of the foreigner the
Chinaman has found that it pays to pre-
serve the scanty ice Of Shanghai during
the short winters The icehouses sur
rounding the ponds are low structures
formed of wood, mud and thick layer:
Of salt hay, with the floors raised slight
" above the level of the water.
Adhering TO his general rule of doine
everything directly opposite TO us "bar
barians," John Chinaman does not be
lieve in allowing the ice to form three
or more inches, but ne soon as thir
skin has formed he breaks it mp ant
| pushes 1t oil through the narrow open
| ings of the storehouses The breaking
| of this thin ice makes it necessary TO
| the poor natives to wade up to the hip
in the water of the ponds and will
rakes and hooks manage the ice so tina
| il can reach the storehouses.
But to return to the workmen, WHIT
must work and live in winter as vel
as in summer. Not having hot waite
boilers and other Injuries, he must re
sort to the dirty ponds no matter how
| cold the weather. The ice, broken in thu
center Of the pond, is allowed to &c
| quite thick along the edges, making /
| necessary very often for the washmaI
| to cut through it before he can immers'
| his washing. The stiffened linen is tbel
| slammed up against the smooth stone
| which soon turns into small mount
| of ice as layer after layer Of water j
thrown upon it. The native keeps hi
feet incased in a covering Of old cloth
ing, rags and hay, while around hi
body are wrapped one or more blankets
As he goes through his cherries as wei
as soapless operation he Is gradual.
covered by the ice, which forms as sool
as the water reaches his clothing. TAX
ing into consideration ali the trouble
hardship and inconvenience the laundry
man in the Flowery Kingdom is com
PEELED to endure while rendering whit
the foreign DEVILS linen, he does i
much better than his more fortunat
brother in this country, who returns on
laundry in such careless and independ
ent fashion, and who receives, after de
Quoting rent and all expenses, eigh
times more pay in return. philadelphia
Times.
Love For the ZlgxaR.
| Tho straight line is an abominntion