Milford chronicle., 1907-02-15
WASHING IN FRANCE.
Laundry Work as Fine but Rather
Laborous Art.

Laborlous Art,
Consul Robert p. Skinner OF Mar
seilles writes that large steam laun-
dries are not common in France.
Domestic washing in France is
fine art. in which the tin boiler, the
corrugated metal board, the rubber roll
wringer and the rotary washing ma
chine have no part The clothes go
first to some rural spot where the
laundress, over a fiat board, washes
the clothing in clear running water
pounding it a great deal with wooden
paddle and using plenty Of good white
soap.
The clothes are next rinsed and in
dampened condition returned to the
home of the laundress, where the lye
washing takes place in a tub, prefer
ably wooden. In the middle of the tuD
is a hole closed with a cloth wound
block. so that the liquid contents may
seep away very slowly. In the bottom
are placed the coarse common articles
and then the finer things. The towels
are placed on top. so that dainty lin
gerie shall be protected. Lastly spe-
cial coarse linen cloth IS put over the
surface and around the edges to pre-
vent the wood ashes. which are to
be added. from working down into the
articles below.
On top of the coarse linen cloth Is
strewn a layer Of choice wood ashes.
In the south Of France they prefer the
ashes Of the olive wood or the truIne
oak. Oftentimes the laundress adds TO
the ashes some roots Of the iris plant
or other secret aromatic herbs. Now
the difficult work begins. First IS pour
ed into the tub, very slowly, some cold
clear water. then an equal quantity OF
teDid water. then warm water ana
finally boiling water until from the
tub arise moist clean odors. If TINS
operation begins, say, at ? O'CLOCK anu
If the weeks work is important ana
the workwoman very conscientious, so
slowly does she pour the water that II
is sometimes II at night before she
is through. Then the ashes are remoY-
ed. and the water drips through Jhe
bottom of the tub until the following
morning. when the contents go again
to the riverside, to be second time
washed with soap, but never twisted
or stretched, in clear cold running wa
ter Nothing remains after this but
to dry the linen upon bushes, grass OF
O clean gravel brook bed, to be hnally
sent home white, fresh and sweet
smelling and turned over to another to
iron.
In the cities modern progress has IN
terfered to some extent with these
methods. In the shops there are to be
found large galvanized iron tubs which
do not drain from the middle. Into
these are piled the clothes which have
been first cleansed with soap, and on
top of them are placed the ashes
! Finally cold water is added, and q
fire is lighted under the tub, and the
whole mass is boiled until done. These
metallic tubs are mentioned without
enthusiasm, the best families opposing
them. They are sold in large numbers
nevertheless.
The large city laundries use machin
cry and provide that luminous, gummy
polish upon collars and cuffs called
"glace Americain," because Americans
do not like it. In Marseilles there ar'
many firms operating in this whole
sale manner, particularly for naviga
tion companies. The washers get q
cents to S1.16 per day and the WON
en- who run the machines 4S to 61 cent
per day.-Consular Report.