Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-02-16
WASHING IN FRANCE.
Laundry Work as Fine but Rather
Laborious Art.

Laundry Work as a Fine but Rather
Laborious Art.
Consul Robert p. Skinner Of Mar
settles writes that large steam laun-
dries are not common In France.
Domestic washing In France Is a
fine art, In which the tin boiler, the
corrugated metal board, the rubber roll
wrlnger and the rotary washing ma
chine have no part. The clothes 90
first to some rural spot, where the
laundress. over a fat board, washes
the clothing In clear running water
pounding 1t great deal with a 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 iye
washing takes place in a tub, prefer
ably wooden. In the middle Of the tub
IL a hole closed with a cloth wound
block, 80 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 truftie
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
tepid water, then warm water ana
finally boiling water until from the
tub arise moist clean odors. III tnis
operation begins, say, at 2 o'clock, and
II the weeks work Is important and
the workwoman very conscientious, SO
slowly does she pour the water that II
Ia sometimes IL at night before she
is through. Then the ashes are remov'
cd. and the water drips through the
bottom OF the tub until the following
morning, when the contents 60 again
10 the riverside, to be second tme
washed with soap. but never twisted
or stretched, In clear cold running wa
ter. Nothing remains after this Du
to dry the linen upon bushes, grass Of
a clean gravel brook bed. to be finally
sent home white, fresh and swee
smelling and turned over to another u
iron.
In the cities modern progress has In
terfered to some extent with these
methods. In the shops there are to b
found large galvanized iron tubs which
do not drain from the middle. Int
these are piled the clothes which have
been first cleansed with soap, and OF
top of them are placed the ashes
Finally cold water is added, and
fire is lighted under the tub, and tn
whole mass Is boiled until done. Thes
metallic tubs are mentioned withou
enthusiasm, the best families opposing
them. They are sold In large number
, nevertheless.
The large city laundries use machin
cry and provide that luminous, gumm
polish upon collars and cuffs calle'
"glace Americain," because American
do not like 1t. In Marseilles there ar
many firms operating in this whole
sale manner, particularly for naviga
ton companies The washers get Z
cents to S1.16 per day and the won
.. an who run the machines 4S to CT cent
, Der day.-Consular Report.