The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-25
TAKE TO WASHING.
WHY THE CHINESE LIKE THAT BuSl-
NESS IN THIS COUNTRY.

For Very Small Pay.
Among the thousands Of Cinnamon
in this oity 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
millions are iaundrymen, who, when
not squirting water through their teeth
upon shirts and linen, spend their time
eating rats and puppies or indulging in
the questionable enjoyments of the
flower boats" The truth is that the
Celestial Kingdoms 400, 900, 900 Of tea
drinkers do.a smaller percentage of
washing than any other large country.
What little washable clothing they wear
ls oIeansed 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, is reduced to minimum in
China, where the Europeans 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 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, he appreciates the one hundred
and one conveniences that he could not
afford Ill China. Tubs, hot water, self
acting soaps and washboards have not
yet been introduced in his native home
and have mover been thought Of by the
poor beggars doing up shirts at three
quarters of cent apiece. There they
stand on the low shores of a paddy field,
ankle deep i'll the mud and ooze, and
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 arc 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 i'll the hot spells being
boiling hot tea without milk or sugar
Since the advent of tho foreigner the
Chlnaman 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 layers
OF salt hay, with the floors raised slight
~ above the level Of the water.
Adhering to his general rule of doing
everything directly opposite to us Char
barians," John Chinaman does not be-
Eeve in allowing the ice to form three
or more inches, but as SOON as thin
skin has formed he breaks it up and
pushes it all through the narrow open
ings of the storehouses. The breaking
OF this thin ice makes it necessary for |
the poor natives to wade up to the hips |
in the water of the ponds and with |
rakes and hooks manage the ice SO that |
it can reach the storehouses
But to return to the workmen, who |
must work and live in winter as we'll |
as in summer. Not having hot water |
boilers and other luxuries, he must re- |
sort to the dirty ponds no matter how |
cold the weather. Tho ice, broken in the |
center Of the pond, is allowed to get |
quito thick along the edges, making it |
necessary very often for tho washman |
to cut through it before he can immerse |
his washing. The stiffened linen is then |
slammed up against the smooth stone,
which soon turns into small mound |
of ice as layer after layer of water is |
thrown upon it. The native keeps his |
feet incased i'll covering of old cloth
ing, rags and hay, while around his |
body are wrapped one or more blankets. |
AS he goes through his cherries as well |
as soapless operation he is gradually |
covered by the ice, which forms as soon !
as the water reaches his clothing. TAX /
ing into consideration all the trouble, |
hardship and Inconvenience the laundry |
man in the Flowery Kingdom is com
PEELED to endure while rendering white |
the foreign DEVILS linen, ne does it |
much better than his more fortunate |
brother in this country, who returns our |
laundry i'll such II careless and independ- |
ent fashion, and who receives, after de- |
Quoting rent and all expenses, eight |
times more pay in return -Philadelphia |
Times
Ills Hat Smoke