Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-19
CHINESE LAUNDRYME
Steam Work at Lower Prices Are
Driving Them Out.


From the Chicago Tribune.
Steam and the Cinnamon seem to be
eternally at variance" said a Chicago laun-
dryman, land steam is winning. Not only
is it gradually encroaching on the China
mans home country, but here In Chicago 1t
Is driving him out Of his favorite occupa-
ton Steam laundres are everywhere taxi
ing the white mans washing out of the
hands of the celestials, and are rapidly
forcing them out of the washing business"
A reference to the business directory OF
Chicago for a score of years past verified
the statement. In 1880 there were but 276
laundries in Chicago, and OF these out SIX
ty-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 hand workers OF Caucasian
blood. In a decade. while the number OF
laundries were little more than doubling
the Chinese washermen increased fourfoid
so that in 1890 there were 633 laundries in
the city of which 2fi3 were conducted by
Asiatics In 1882 there were 27S Of the lat
ter, and in the worlds fair year and the
year Immediately following they increased
rapidly to 1888,
That was the limit however. Steam ma
chinery displayed at the worlds fair made
a great impression on Chicagoans. and there
were many new enterprises started as a di-
rect 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 preju-
dice was against them for time The
steam machines were said to tear the gar
ments to do rough work, to wear things
out faster, and to rub the buttons off. They
were even said to be used with chemicals
which injured the fiber and the public was
slow to patroniZe them. When the various
laundries began to fight for trade, however.
and cut the price of washing white shirt
down to cents. and to deliver the next day
after collection. the people came to their
were started. AS 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 over into Chinatown or went
back to the fowery kingdom to spend their
old age in affiuence worshiping at the tombs
of their forefathers.
So rapidly have their numbers fallen off
that in the new directory, while there are
shown 459 laundries conducted by white
people, most of which are steam. of total
of 707 but 249 are conducted by Chinese.
number smaller 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 II the
Chinese recede as 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 mysterious yellow man will be only
traQlLlOn. anu SIraHSe trdQltiOn IL 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 ,.lat is known about them. When
does John Chinaman sleep? That is a
question many ask and few can answer.
Go by his shop at any time Of day or night
and you will 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 do the marks on Chinese laundry
ticket mean? 1t is doubtful If John him
that the only requisite for the checks Is
on each half be alike Meaning Is unneces-
sary But 1t may be that John has a way
of describing in his own language the pecu-
liarities of each Of his customers in this
way. and knows when man presents a
check just what sort of a man he Is and
whether there Is already a grudge against
him outstanding.
And are all Of the workers in the Chinese
laundries Johns. or are some Of them Mrs
Johns? And this will never be answered
unless some law be devised to require that
John wear a label which will enable the
Caucasian 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 big steam machines. and
soon they will have 1t ALL And then Chica-
go may have run of Chinese cooks or NAV
take to patronizing Chinese Restaurants
or may lose her Chinese population alto
gether.