The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-18
CURIOUS LAUNDRY MARKS.
Methods Employed in Different
Lands to Trace Washed Linen.

Strange and wonderful are the methods
adopted by foreigners for Identifying the
contents Of the weshtub In parts of east
ern France the linen is defaced with the
whole name and address of the laundry
stamped upon it, says the St. Louis Globe
Democrat, and an additional geOmetrlcal
design to indicate the owner. Complaint
is useless as in GRANGE the laundrieS have
all-pOwerful unions, which dictate to the
residents.
In Bavaria every patron of the washtub
has a number stamped in large characters
on his linen. This system was devised by
old established laundries to prevent per
sons removing their custom to rival firms.
In other parts Of Germany a small cotton
label is attached by hot waterproof ad-
hesive.
In Bulgaria each laundry has a large
number of stamps engraved with designs,
such triangles. crosses and so forth.
These signs are stamped first on each ar
ticle to be washed and then IN book
opposite the owners name.
In Russia the laundrieS mark linen with
threads worked in arrow shapes BY ar
ranging each of half dozen arrows hOri-
zOntally. vertically, diagonally and so on.
hundreds of different combinations may
be obtained.
Names marked on Russian linen are
never written in the Russian alphabet,
but almost invariably in Latin charac-
ters This is a survival of the time when
Russian dandies sent their linen for wash
ing to Holland.
In some Russian towns the police peri
odically issue regulations for laundrieS. In
Odessa books of marks are furnished an
nually TO the laundry prOprietors, and
these marks and no others may be used.
BY this system criminals and revolution
airy agitatOrs are often traced.
In Greece small safety pins. each bear
ing little plaque stamped with number,
are attached before. and removed after
washing The owners mark is generally
written il red indelibIe ink
Country laundries in Austria mark each
article in patent ink which defies soap
and water. but is removed by a bleaching
powder before the goods are sent home
Austrians of rank have their creStS and
coronets worked on their undergarments.
\ case was tried in the Niennese courts
not long ago in which swinding self
STYLED count had his linen marked with
the initials and cOrOnet of the Austrian
premier. Count GOlOEchOwSki
In Finland the laundry mark is made
with light brown ink. leading strangers
to believe that the mark had been
scOrched in with heated stamp.
In PORTUGAL each article washed bears
three sierS. the owners name, his laun-
dry mark and the laundry'S own mono
gram. which appears most prominently.
The laundry mark is certain definite
number of stitches which are left in after
washing. Towels are marked with stem
ciled figures. often inch long.
SerVianS have carried linen marks into
the domain of high politics. After the
murder of King Alexander the Obreno-
witch party put black crosses after their
names on their linen. whereupOn the ad-
herents Of the new king retorted with
his ma iesty's cipher.
In Egypt all MOhammedan laundries use
a secret mark TO distinguish the linen Of
believers" and keep it from polluting
contact with '-infidel'' garments. This
mark is carefully removed before the
linen is returned