Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-11-25
CHINESE LAUNDRYMEN
Gteam Work at Lower Prices is Driv'
ing Them Out.

cago laundryman, "and steam is win
| ming. Not only is it gradually en-
croaching on the Chinaman's home
country, but here in Chicago it is
driving him out of his favorite occupa
| tion. Steam laundries are everywhere
| taking the white mans washing out of
| the hands of the celestials and are
rapidly forcing them out of the wash
| ing business"
\ reference to the business directory
| OF Chicago for score OF years past
| verified the statement. In 1889 there
were but 276 laundries 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
| of business the hard workers of Cau-
| casian 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 were 633 laundries in the
| city. of which 263 were conducted by
! Asiatics. In 1892 there were 21S of
| the latter, and in the worlds fair year
and the year Immediately following
they increased rapidly to 333.
That was the limit. however. Steam
machinery displayed at the worlds
fair made great impression on Chi
| cagoans, and there were many new en-
| terprises started as a 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 We're 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 be used with chemicals which in
iured 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 n white shirt down to four
cents, and to deliver the next day
| after collection, the people came to
| laundries We're 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 into Chinatown or went back
to the fowery Kingdom to spend their
old age in afliuence worshiping at the
tombs Of their forefathers.
So rapidly have their numbers fall
on off that in the new directory, while
there are shown 459 laundries con-
ducted by white people, most of which
are steam, Of total of 707 but 249 are
| conducted by Chinese, q number small
er 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 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 mys-
terious yellow man will be only tra-
dition. And n strange tradition it will
be for even now, when everybody goes
past n 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 a question many
ask and few can answer. Go by his
door 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 a Chinese
laundry ticket mean? 1t is doubtful
il John himself can answer that. Ira
dition asserts that the only requisite
for the checks is that they be red, and
| that the hleroglyphics on each half
| be alike. Meaning is unnecessary.
| But it may be that John has a way
of describing in his own language the
| peculiaritles of each of his customers
in this way, and knows when O man
presents a check just what sort of
man he is and whether there is al
ready grudge against him outstand-
| ing.
, 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
label which will enable the eau
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 big
steam machines, and soon they will
have it all. And then Chicago may
have run Of Chinese cooks, or may
| take to patronizing Chinese restaur-
| ants-or may lose her Chinese popu.
lation Chicago Tribune.
Fatality Among Presidents.
The Republican Party, in its Presi-
dents elected by the people. may be
called party OF martyrs There is M