The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-10
A WASH TUB EXPERIMENT.
An AMERICAN WOMAN TESTS THE
LAUNDRIES OF LONDON.

stressed Like White Chapel "Miss-
Ms" She Took a Bundle of SOiIed
linen and With tho Grimy Fe-
males of the East End She Washed
Them in One of the Public Houses.
Four Hundred Thousand Poor
FoI<s BENEFITED by This Charity in
one Ycar-The Good Work Origin
ated by Liverpool Lady During
a Cholera Epidemic-FOr Six Cents
n Is Possible to Wash, Wiring and
JangIe the Family Laundry.
London Sept 6.-I had often heard of
me great municipal wash-houses of Lon
don. and what blessings they have proved
10 the overwhelming slum element of the
erinv east end of the biggest city in the
world With the true spirit of the Amer
lean abroad. l resolved to ask no ques-
tons. but. on the contrary, arrayed myself
in an old dress, did up bundle of clothes.
and after the manner of a bone-fide Lon
don missus," 1 too disappeared into the
Vlsh-house.
Passing a turnstile, which registered
what number of washer I was, 1 found
ulNSGH al tHt DoA OlACG Il6IG "a sup
Of paper was given me stamped with the
time of my entrance. 1 also bought with
nv best cockney accent "a PEN orth of
soda and a bit of soap. for added to the
horror of Londons filth is the hardness
of the water which renders 1t useless with
out a liberal supply of softening. Then l
entered a large room clouded with steam
and reeking with the concentrated odor
OF inuumerable wash days. An attendant
took my time slip, and discerning that my
Old clothes were a degree less dilapidated
than is usual followed me to the cloak
room with warnings in all Keys:
That's a good jacket. don't leave 1t here.
They'll steal it, num-" pointing out to
the washers. They'll tyke everything
70 uave, the flowers out of your at. hev-
en- your at pins. Youll tyke 'em all with
you, if you tyke my hadvice."
A GOOd-Natured Neighbor.
was then assigned a section in Dong
row of washers and found myself in pos
session of d large zinc tub separated from
my neighbours by half partition. 1t was
divided crosswise into two, and there were
many faucets and discharge pipes, the
working Of which 1 did not understand.
accordingly turned 10 my neighbor for in
formation. Although time meant very
precious pennies to her, she Willingly
stopped TO help me- and did so from time
10 time as it was necessary. This Illus
traes the good nature characteristic of the
London common people, and 1 could not
help contrasting it with an experience in
the same position in Paris wash-house.
The response given when information was
asked was Go back TO Germany and find
out Thus I discovered that the front
tub is for washing, the back for rinsing,
and when these processes are over by en-
ingenious device steam may be introduced
"a DFfn oil min fIaa n1a4h ~.e
boiled. 1 then repaired to the steam
wringers Here the women stood with
arms akmbo waiting their turn and Cos
sping meanwhile, their garrulous voices
rising above the din of wringer and run
ming water: Il sy, Dolly, I'm in love- or
Dysie think of a lydy's keeping a byby
out tin yght o'clock at night"'
Rags and JagS.
What queer figures they were! could
not help thinking of the old nursery
rhyme:
The beggars have come to town,
Some in rags and some in jags,
And some in velvet gowns
On shelf was a hat covered with roses
and ostrich plumes getting limp In the
clouds of steam, and near me a woman
was wearing a dirty velvet waist with one
sleeve dangling ripped from wrist to
tween the English and French working
woman. French workers in the same po-
suon would be dressed in neat black
skirts with clean bodices of blue jean or
PRINT, when they went away the washing
would be wrapped in a black bundle hand
kerchlef, a black crotchetted cape thrown
over the shoulders, the hair brushed to al
most Japanese gloss and no hat at ALL
Ing .ish women, on the contrary, like those
saw around me, wear clothes trimmed
VITA silk and velveteen, dirty and slouchy,
tne skirts almost Invariably dragging on
the ground, and the poorer the woman the
more preteniious the hat with its elaborate
architecture of feathers and flowers. In
summer instead of folding away the win
Yer cloak, they wear 1t through the hot
test weather. principally as a screen to
hlde the rags beneath. A French friend
seeing for the first time a crowd of girls
touring OUT of London factory took
tnem to be beggars; but her surprise reach
"a the maximum when she saw the char
woman on her knees on the front walk
eiay-ppeing' the steps in black dress
Whltened with dust and a white apron
Uackened with dirt, her slovenly figure
Sutmounted by a bonnet trimmed with
velvet
In laundry work. as wen 1 could not
uu' remark the infcr.ority of the English
woman, whose pathetic bundles of filthy
rags emerged from he wash in about the
s,aIe where French woman would plunge
tn4ln into the tub
IN three minutes my clothes were wrung
eHu ! pulled out the wooden horse which
i"u been acarded with my name, and
hanging he clothes along the ribs. 1 push
" II pack into the hot air chamber. Here
o54n a disinterested parry" warned me
keep a sharp lookout list "hey' steal