Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-29

Few people realize the magnitude
and the Importance of the commissary
and laundry built by the Rock Island
road just west of the Thirty-1rst street
depot in this city, and to those who
have had an opportunity to inspect the
establishment since it commenced OPP
erations in September it has been a
revelation indeed. 1t is the headquaT-
tiers and the depot Of supplies for the
dining service of the entire Rock Is
land system. This means that prac-
tically everything used by the dining
cars all over the route is secured by
requisition upon the commissary or
laundry here in Rock Island. AS the
service includes 80 diners operating
throughout the central west out of
Memphis, ST Paul, Denver and FL
Paso, it is evident at once that the
work must be on a large scale and
must be highly systematized.
A tour through the two newly erect
ed buildings under the guidance of
F. H. Plummer. city passenger agent,
and Frank Stewart, head of the COM
missary department and dining car
the best idea of how the work is done.
Laundry We'll Equipped.
The two buildings, commissary and
laundry, are located along the tracks
Just west Of the main depot. OF these,
the second is the laundry building, and
there are about thirty people kept busy
there all day long, laundering the linen
that is used on the dining cars. While
not as varied as a general laundry, the
building is thoroughly equipped for the
work that 1t has to do. The soiled
linen, including table cloths, napkins,
towels. white aprons. walters coats.
and the like, is brought in at the west
part of the building. 1t is almost IN
discriminatory thrown into any one of
the four big wash machines, where it
is cleaned and rinsed. The soaking
wet linen is then placed in a tub
shaped machine which Is whirled about
at such d high rate of speed that the
water is thrown out by the centrifugal
force through holes in the sides of the
metal tubs After three minutes of
This treatment the linen is as dry as if
! had gone through a wriuger. 1t is
machine, which completely dries and
irons il This machine is fitted with
numerous safety devices which pro-
tect the girls who are working at it
and makes an accident almost impos-
sible.
Many Waiter Coats.
SO many waiter coats are received
and washed each day that it requires
the entire time of eight girls to iron
them and get them ready for wear
again. The coats do not go through
the mangling machine, It being useful
only for fiat pieces such as napkins,
table cloths and towels. Each of the
eight girls has a 3O-pound electric iron
which is easy TO handle. and with these
modern devices hundreds of coats are
laUEdcyed each day and sent back into
The service.
In another room IN the laundry
building torn or frayed pieces of linen
are repaired by girls. Pieces that are
so badly torn as to render them use
less for what they were intended are
turned into towels or napkins or into
cleaning cloths. Everything is done
by system and there is no waste.
COmmIssary Clean and Neat.
The commissary department shows
the result of the long experience of
Mr.. Stewart In the first room nearly
all the eatables which are used on the
dining cars are stored. Most of the
goods comes in cans or bottles and
put up for individual use. Cereals,
-four, canned goods, spices, sugar, salt,
coffee, teas are stored in the cases and
bins which occupy a large share of the
floor, and the men in the storehouse
know just where to put their hand on
anything that is wanted. Perishables,
such as butter, cheese eggs, meats,