The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-03-05
TAKE TO WASHING.
WHY THE CHINESE LIKE THAT BUSl-
NESS IN THIS COUNTRY.

1t Is So Much Easier Here Than at Hume
In China Washing In lee Covered Ponds
and Beating Out the Dirt With Stones
For Very Small Pay.
Among the thousands of Cinnamon
in tbs ETY. few, besides the store and
resaula5ti keepers ON Race street, follow
any other calling than that Of laundry.
man. Consequently many Americans
believe that the majority of China
millions are laundrymen, who. when
not squirting water through their teeth
upon shirts and linen, spend their time
eating rats and puppies or indulging IL
the questionable enjoymeuts Of the
Flower boats. The truth Is that the
Celestial Kingdom doe, 600, 0OO Of tea
drinkers do smaller percentage of
washing than any other large country.
What little washable clothing they wea1
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, is reduced TO minimum in
China, where the European 5 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 fer 10 cents per
hundred. This viii partly explain why
our Chinese residents prefer - do cur
laundry work Ia waiting on our tables
or sweating on farm, rs the money re-
ceived for ironing and finishing IA single
white shirt will support him two days
i'll 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 in China. Tubs, hot water, self
acting soaps and washboards have not
yet been introduced i'll his native houa
and have never 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 are several ponds filed with from
two to four feet of raiuWater. In sum
mer these ponds are used by the wash
mud +i1ati,,,, ai-.l,I,ri,,t.
paddy aud rice fields. while III winter
tho ice accommodating is carefully pre-
served
The Chinese themselves do mot use ice
for any purpose, the most refreshing
drink to them III 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 layers
of salt hay, with the floors raised slight
ly above the level Of the water.
Adhering to his general rule of doing
everything directly opposite to us bar
barians, . John Chinaman does not be
lieve 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 sturehouses. The breaking
of this thin ice makes it necessary for
the poor natives to wade up to the hips
in the wafer of the ponds and with
rakes and hooks manage the ice so that
it can reach the storehouses.
But to return to the worlInen, who
must work and live in winter as we'll
as in summer Not having hot water
/ boilers and other Injuries, he must re-
sort to the dirty ponds no matter how
cold the weather The ice broken III the
center of the pond is allowed to get
quite thick along the edges, making it
necessary very often for the 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 a. layer after layer Of water is
thrown upon it The native keeps his
feet ineased in covering of old cloth
ing, rags and hay, while around his
body are wrapped one or more blankets.
AS he goes through his cherries rs well
as soapless operation he is gradually
covered by TIE ice, which forms as sooD
as the water reaches his clothing TAX
ing into consideration all the trouble.
hardship and Inconvenience the laundry
man i'll the FloWery Kingdom IS com
PEELED to endure while rendering white
the foreign DEVILS linen he does il.
much better than his moro fortunate
brother in this country, who returns our
laundry III such cmr.ess and mdepend-
emit fashion, and who receives, after de
Quoting rent and All eSporsa>, cieM
times more pay IL return
A Napoleon Mot.
A new bon moi Of Napoleon III is
just reported When Nicholas | ef Ru
STA congratulated him On coming to the
throne, he addressed him rs my
friend instead Of my brother, the