The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-15

WASHINGTON, D. c. Aug. 15.-
Before this cruel war broke out Wash
ington had many fine laundries that
the townsfolk Dragged on. 1t still has
them. But instead of Dragging on them
they are roundly cussing them out.
Send a bundle Of clothes in, and may
be you get them back in month or
two, and then again maybe you will not
get them back at all. The trouble is
that summer with its light apparel
everybody in Washington dresses in
white unless his laundry has lost his
Phoebe Snow trousseau-and the war
have combined to swamp the laundries,
undermine their heretofore systematic
organization, and make their owners
riotiously rich and nonChalant. The
laundry business was already booming
when Bosn Daniels pulled an order
from the clear blue sky that every Ma
val man must wear a uniform for the
duration of the war. AS the mercury
was tangoing between 80 and 100 de.
grees at that time, and Is still at 1t, 1t
meant just one kind of uniform, and
that all white duck. Within the day
Of that order 5000 men, heretofore re-
garded as just folks engaged in VarI.
GUS business pursuits by their neigh
bors, showed up Navy men in white
duck uniforms, That number has
been added to daily ever since. Now
white duck uniform is good for just
days wear, then it must 90 to the
laundry, and that's the answer to the
opulence and insolence Of your laun-
dryman, who last winter was SO pala.
verOus over you to get your business,
With every officer of the Navy sta
toned in Washington, sending white
suit to be washed and ironed every day,
1t is plain to be seen why the fortunate
laupdryman has joined the I.should-
worry club. The Navy men have COM
planned about this extra expense, and
promptly asked that an allowance be
made them for 1t, but their request was
promptly turned down. Now, every
one Of them is praying for winter to
come with romp and a rush, so that
they can get into uniform that can
be worn right along every day and only
has to be sent out to be pressed occa-
sionally. When that time comes may
be peace-loving, modest little civilian
person who sent the last shirt he had
to his back to the laundry may be able
to have it returned to him.
Another class Of mere tradesmen in
the Capital who are threshing har-
vest are the merchant tailors They
are all making uniforms for newborn
army and navy officers, who are as
thick hereabouts as - and getting
thicker. The trade is working day and
night, and orders placed today cannot
be made up and delivered short of
month. This is hard on the new Off.
GERS, who, quite naturally, want to get
their uniforms on as soon as possible,
and HE themselves at once to photog.
rapher to have their pictures taken to
send to the good wife and the children,
or more often to the sweetheart, deari.
est, onliest girl there ever was, left
behind at home in Squash Center, Nor
gantown, Marietta or some other inter-
esting inland seaport. And the pho
tographers, whew! They are making
money like the Philadelphia mint, and
with their prices reminding the young
officer heroes Of The Charge Of the
Light Brigade. But them pictures
they Just have to have them, the sweet.
hearts, and the proud old folks sitting
happy and worried and anxious Mt
home, Next year, and the years to
come, there will be only q picture to
remind them of sturdy lad who car
ried their love away with him in his
heart that is stilled beneath the sward
in an unmarked grave Somewhere In
France.
Why does a soldier carry swagger
stick2
Here is the ansRer given by Captain
William B. Hudson, of the field hos
pital unit at Camp Ordway, which 10
a little way from Washington,
Merely" Captain Hudson states,
'fo keep the soldiers hands out Of their
pants pockets, and thus insure that
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