El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-24

large wash tubs of the heaviest and
most expensive porcelain The Is
faucets in the laundry are silver plat
e6 The other appliances are equally
elaborate and all of the latest design
There are electric irons, patent clothes
lines, hot air dryers ana many new
wrinkles which even the best laundries
nave not vet installed, but there is no
washing machinery. Mr.. Rockefeller
doubtless being still of The opinion
that it can best be done by hand.
Negro Wash Women Passing.
To the woman who depends upon out
side agencies for her laundry work
there are many annoyances Inc talth,
ful old negro laundress who appeared
on Monday morning, or perhaps sent
her workhating husband for the
clothes is gradually vanishing from
49, 80 most of those who nov tai
work in that way have increased their
prices so that if their work is good it
equals that of the steam laundry IN
price. While some OF these women
bring home beautifully Numbered
clothes there have been known to be
so many unsanitary conditions in
some of the homes that many women
fear to send their clothing to them
Where one has d good, reliable negro
landress, however, there is usually
much less worry, because generally she
gives the proper attention to each ar
ticIe and the results are good, even
though the conditions under which it
is done might not come up to all of
the modern sanitary standards
Chinese Laundries May Go.
The Chinese laundryman is not
competitor for family work in the ma
jority of towns, and yet many women
have had more or less experience with
him in handling the mems work of her
household. If the organized laundry
men have their way, John Chinaman is
soon to vanish, and in some towns they
have succeeded in crOwding him out
completely. Despite their antagon-
ism, however, the little Chinese laun-
dry is often a serious rival The
charges of unsanitary methods, such
as sprinkling the clothes from the
mouth, are not often to be found now
for the Chinaman is in touch with the
progress of the times There are
many American men VINO still prefer
the finish the Chinaman gives to their
linen to anything the steam laundry
produces. Some of these Chinese
laundries do quite elaborate Women's
garments better and cheaper than the
French hand laundries supposed to eX-
ist exclusively for this class of work
While there are always a number of
the latter establishments to be found
in every town, their prices put them
beyond the consideration of the aver
age housewife except for some article
of exceptional value
The number of families in America
who depend each week upon the steam
laundry is constantly increasing and
there are several kinds of service
which this establishment renders to
as the wet wash service, by which
the clothes are taken to the laundry,
washed and starched, and brought home
to be hung on the line This removes
the annoyance of the steam of washing
in the home. although it necessitates
the handling of wet clothing. This
process was quite popular in many
towns a few years ago. but is losing
favor both with the laundries and
their patrons. The rough dry" meth
cd is preferable, by which the clothes
to be dampened and irOned and in
most cases all of the flat work is
ironed- This is the service rendered
by the laundry 70 the majority of its
family customers.
Prices Not Excessive.
The prices differ a little and may
orally, the rough dried articles are at
the rate Of five or six cents a pound
and flat work by the dozen or at
varying prices Usually sheets are
three cents, pillow cases and bath
towns two cents and hand towels and
napkins one cent each Under any of
these methods it is possible to secure
a reasonable amount OF clean clothing
for the family for a weekly expenditure
of from IS cents to $50, which is less
than laundress can be hired ITO come
with the cheaper grades of laundries,
occasional losses and exchanges an
noying to the housewife, but these are
less frequent than formerly
One of the first persons to advocate /
the economy Of the use OF the steam |
laundry to the average home was Mrs /
:. L. hOrer. the well known uOmeSI1c !
science teacher. Under the patronage !
of several Women's clubs. Mrs Rorer /
conducted an experiment in hOmemak- !
ing for number of months in small i
house rented for the purpose She /
demonstrated that all of the living ex- !
penses for a family of five could be J
provided for the sum of SIS a week. a !
fair average WOrkingman's income In 4
this experiment. she demonstrated !
that it was really an eXtrava gance to /
have the washing done in the. home. |
even by the housewife herself. She
deducted the idea that the menace to /
the health of the young children from
the dampness of the washing being /
done in the living room, as well as (
the fact that the work was so labori- /
Gus that il took from the mother vi
tally which could be more prOfitably
expended in other work for the good (
of the family. called forth an expendi-
ture of greater economic value than ]
the 4 cents maid ont weakly to the