The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-05-27
DlStASE GERMS LURK
IN CHINESE LAUNDRIES

IN reply to an article that appeared
IN the Winnipeg Free Press dealing
with the question of Chine Iaundries
versus those run by white launderers a
laoy contributes the following to the
Quebec Chronicle:
" Fair Play speaks of the unsani-
tary condition of the Chinese laundry
but wonder if the public really knows
now very unsanitary they are. For
one thing, most Cinnamon are more or
less conSumptive; | have seem them
eXpectorating to an alarming degree.
They seem to do it with little cough
ing, too, as though that state of things
were perfectly natural. have been in
many Chinese laundries and never with.
out seeing one of more of the inmates
more less affected in this way. Many
people know that the clothes washed
by the Cinnamon turn yellow after a
time, but how many know what causes
1t. There are very few Chinese Iaun-
dries, either in this or any other city or
town, but have more or less opium
smoked in them. | have smelt it in
garments coming from the laundries
and wondered what it was. Once find
out what it is and you will ever after
recognize the smell rods away. Sooner
or later all white goods in reach of it
turn yellow.
How strange it is that in this en-
lightened age, with our rapidly growing
knowledge of germs, we should so en-
tirely lose sight of the danger of cloth.
ing handled by such people. People
who would scarcely allow hired girl
to bring her clothing into their houses
unless it was fumigated, never think of
the countless myrads of germs brought
in every week with their beautifully
ironed clothes. Have any of you ever
seen John sprinkling his clothes? Let
us watch him. He takes basin of
water Several use one basin), and then
after filling his mouth by some wonder
full engineering blows it through his
nose and it falls in fine mist Oh the
clothes. 1t is beautifully fine, so fine
that he could almost commence ironing
at once. instead of having to wait
several hours as we housekeepers have
to do. But who of us would not rather
wait week, if necessary, when we
think of the method employed. Yet
my lady, fastidous to degree, takes up
her dainty lace handkerchief and in
hales these germs. Bed linen, too,
gives one grand chance to inhale them
Table linen would also show US if we
could only see them with the naked eye
a fine cloud of germs arising to mingle
with our food.
Il have just been told that as the
Chinaman is ironing he sprinkles as he
goes along, especially where the goods
have become little dry; is it not vile,
this ironing of the horrible germs right
into the goods? If they were only well
ironed it would not be quite so bad, but
sometimes garments are very damp and
the customer has to hang up the clothes
to dry after he gets them, and so the
germs arise from them and circulate
through the air. The Chinaman will
not let you see him do this it he is
aware that you are watching him. He
instinctively knows that it is wrong and
the customer would not like it. How
ever consumption is only one of the
disease that is conveyed just as surely
through the medium of clothing as
though you were cheek by jowl with the
one who had it.
People talk and waste time talking
about the edges. | don't want to run
Nm against it if | can help the people
save money that the Cinnamon take or
send out of the country and not word
about the diseases he brings into it. II
n Chinqman has his $50 to pay he can
come. have known one to die before
he ever left the train and with consump-
tioo at that. Fair Play'deals well and
truthfully with the money part OF 1t,
hut it is like walking on the edge OF a
volcano and contending that the land it
takes up might be made use OF while
the real issue is lost sight OF.
"Citizens of Winnipeg. consider your
selves and your children and exclude
from your homes the weekly contrlbu-
tion of germs of various disease that
come in with your laundry. There are
plenty of white laundries in Winnipeg
there is no need of running into danger.