The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-11-26
CHINESE LAUNDRYMeN
Steam Work at Lower Prices Ia priv
Ing Them Out.

| ing Oui.
Steam and the Cinnamon seem to
| be eternally at variance" said a Chi
! cago laundryman, land steam is win
ming Not only is It gradually en-
croachipg on the Chnaman's home
country. but here in Chicago it is
driving him out OF his favorite occupa-
ton. Steam laundries are everywhere
taking the white mans washing out Of
the hands OF the celestlals and are
rapidly forcing them out of the wash
| ing business"
\ reference to tho business directory
OF Chicago for a score OF years past
! verified the statement. In 1899 there
We're but 2T6 laundrles In Chicago. and
of these but siXty-six were run by
cinnamon John caught the popular
Fancy right then. however and. as he
was beginning to come into Chicago
IN large numbers he began to drive out
| or business the hard workers of eau
caSlan blood. In a decade. while the
number of laundries were little more
than doubling. the Chinese washer
men increased fourfold. so that In
! 1890 there We're 633 laundries in the
city. OF which 2G3 were conducted by
Asiatics In 1892 there were 27S of
the latter, and In the worlds fair year
and the year immediately following
they increased rapidly to $50.
That was the limit. however. Steam
machinery displayed at the worlds
fair made q great impression on Chi
cagoans, and there were many new en-
terprises started as n direct result
of the influence of some exhibit on the
! spectators. In no branch was this
more marked than in the laundry ma
chinery, and after the fair steam laun-
| dries began to be started Popular
prejudice was against them for time.
| The steam machines were said 10 tear
the garments, to do rough work. to
wear things out faster, and to rub
the buttons Off. They were even said
| to he used with chemicals which in
| jured the fiber and the public was
| slow to patronlze them When the
various laundries began to fight for
trade, however, and cut the price OF
washing n white shirt down to four
| cents, and to deliver tie next day
after collection, the people came to
| their doors in hocks and more new
laundries were started AS n result,
| John Chinaman's trade fell off. One
| by one the Celestials took in the red
signs that had kept the devils away
! from their front doors, and either
moved into Chinatown or went back
TO the towery kingdom to spend their
old age in aftluence worshiping at The
tombs OF their forefathers.
| SO rapidly have their numbers fall
en- off that in the new directory. while
there are shown 459 laundries con-
! Quoted by white people, most OF which
are steam, of total OF 707 but 249 are
conducted by Chinese, a number small
or in itself and in proportion than
that of ten years ago and greatly less
than that Of half decade ago.
1t is figured by laundrymen that if
| the Chinese recCde rs fast as they
! gained they will in another ten years
/ have practically disappeared, and the
! white laundry will again be doing all
! the washing. The shop of the mys-
FERROUS yellow man will be only a ira
dition. And a strange tradition it will
| be for even now, when everybody goes
past a Chinese laundry some time
during the day, there is much that is
unknown and little that Is known
| about them. When does John China
man sleep? That is question many
| ask and few can answer Go by his
| door at any time Of day or night and
| you VIII see him busy over tub or
washing board. or seated on the front
! steps gazing at the same stars he used
| TO gaze at in his home 10000 miles
away.
what 60 the marks on q Chinese
laundry ticket mean? 1t is doubtful
! If John himself can answer that. Ira
| dillon asserts that the only requisite
for the checks is that they be red and
| that the hieroglyphics on eacn half
| be alike. Meaning is unnecessary
But it may be that John has way
| If describing in his own language the
| peculiarities o. each OF his customers
| IN this way, and knows when n man
| presents check just what sort OF a
| man he is and whether there Is al
ready grudgc against him outstand-
! ing.
And are all Of the workers in the
| Chinese laundries Johns. or arr some
| Ct them Mrs. Johns? And this win
never be answered unless some law
be devised to require that John wear
| q label which will enable the Can
casian to distinguish between the two
when they are clad in the same style
of suits of loose blue STUFF.
with all the questions, however.
John is doomed Already the bulk Of
| the business is handled by the bic
steam machines. and soon they will
have it all. And then Chicago may
have a run of Chinese cooks, or may
take to patrOnizing Chinese restaur-
tnts-or may lose her Chinese popu-
lation altogether Chicago Tribune
Fatality Among Presidents.
The Republican Party, i'm It's Presi-
/ dents elected by the people may be-
| called party OF martyrs There is no