Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-07-16

| IL IL so Much Easier Here Than at Home
In ChIna-washin. In Ice Covered Ponds
and Beating Out the Dirt With Stone.
For Very Small Pay.
Among the thousands Of Cinnamon
in this city few, besides the store anG
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 laundrymen. who, when
not squirting water through their teeth
upon shirts and linen, spend their time
sating rats and puppies or iDdulginQ In
! the questionable enjoyments Of the
flower boats. " The truth is that the
! Celestial Kingdom 400 000 600 Of tea
thinkers 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
J and richer class of natives require the
assistance of washman.
That important item Of expense, the
wash bill is reduced 70 minimum IN
China, where the European clothing is
eagerly sought by young and old male
natives, who are glad 10 do up In first
Glass order white shirts, white waist
coats or anything at all for IS cents per
hundred. This will partly explain why
our Chinese residents prefer 10 do our
laundry work 10 waiting on cur tables
)r sweating on farm, as the money re-
,eived for ironing and finishing a single
| white shirt Will support him two days
! IN his native country. Another reason is
! tina; when at work behind his ironing
! board, breathing the close air Of his lit
| lie shop be appreciates the one hundred
and one cCnveniences that he could not
afford in China. Tabs, hot water, self
acting soaps and washboards have not
ret been introduced in his native home
aud 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 paddy field.
ankle deep in the mud and ooze, and
after soaking the clothes slap them
against the smooth stones pot there for
,his purpose until the dirt becomes
'oosened and eau be rubbed out with the
! Yauds.
Within the limits of the American
settlement of the treaty port Of Shang
hai 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 neiahboring
paddy and rice fields. while III winter
IN 1ft M 10 f1ll 10
,erved
The Chinese themselves do not use ice
for any purpose, the most refreshing
drink 10 them in the hot spells being
boiling hot tea without milk or sugar.
Since the advent of the foreigner the
Chiuaman has found that it pays TO pre-
serve the scanty ice Of Shanghai during
the short winters The icehuuses 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 bar
barians, " John Chinaman does not be-
leve in allowing the ice TO form three
II more inches, but as soon as thin
.kin has formed he breaks il up and
pushes IL al! through the narrow open
lngs Of the storehouses. The breaking
If this thin ice makes it necessary for
,be poor natives 70 wade up to the hips
in the water of the ponds and with
rahrs and hooks manage the ice so that
il can reach the storehouses
But to return 10 the workmsn, who
must work and live in winter az well
rs in summer Not having hot water
boilers and other Injuries, he must re-
sort 10 the dirty ponds no matter how
/ cold the weather. The ice, broken in the
center of the pond is allowed to get
quite thick along the edges. making il
necessary very often for the washmap
20 cut through it before he can immerse
| ais Washing. The stiffened linen is then
slammed up against the smooth stone,
which soon turns into a small mound
If ice as layer after layer Of water is
! thrown upon il. The native keeps his
| feet incased in q 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
~ soapless operation he is gradually
1Overed by the ice, which forms as soon
rs 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, he does II
much better than his more fortunate
brother in this country, who returns our
laundry III such a careless and independ
ent fashion, and who receives after de
1ucting rent and all expenses, eight
times more pay in return. Philadelphia
! Times.