Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-21
Laundry Business
Forced on Woman

Mrs. c. c. Willis of San Benito, was
literally thrust into the laundry busi-
ness. 1t happened back in 1916, when
there were lots of crops in the Valley.
one morning late in the spring, Mrs.
Willis went to Brownsville to do some
shopping, leaving her washwoman out
In the back yard doing the family laun-
dry. IN her return late that afternoon,
she found that the vacant lots just
across from her home had been turned
into a military camp, and the place
was swarming with khaki clad figures.
The woman told her that the soldiers
mao asked her to do some washing for
them. Just about that time the COM
mander of the camp and several ranking
Officers, appeared on the scene to put in
their own plea. There was no laundry
in San Benito, for two weeks they had
been on the road, in the name of pa
trlotism and goodness they urged that
she let her wash woman wash for them
the next day. At length she consented
TO be responsible for the laundry Of the
seven officers that one time.
How to mark the garments was the
problem. All, brilliant idea. She pur-
chased seven spools of thread, each a
different color. To each man she gave
a color. Saturday when a grateful
young officer came over to express his
thanks and pay for the laundry, he was
met by a fearful woman, the thread had
faded!
He lanUhad n HIT. unnnathuza nnnro
and called over the Seven. Each man
took nome his own clothes, with the
emphatic assurance of Mrs. Willis that
the Home Laundry had closed its doors
forever.
She was gone until late Sunday night.
Monday morning when she opened the
door to her back porch, she was both
amazed and angry to find it piled high
with bundles of soiled clothes.
The commanding officer was sent for
and asked to have her porch cleared at
once. He assured her that he was as
surprised as she was, and apologized for
the conduct of his men; but grasping
his opportunity he reiterated his pleas
of the previous Saturday. What could
be done? They must all have clean
clothes. There was no laundry. Could
she in this terrible emergency have
some Of the work done as before. More
men appeared on the scene. Officers
and privates forgot their ranks and
joined in this common cause. Over
whemed by sheer persistency she
agreed. reluctantly, to try.
After consulting her husband, who
was in the contracting and building
business, she went to town and pur-
chased six tin tubs, and six wash
boards; and hired six women to work
by the day. Each week more tubs were
bought, and more women hired. but
never could they reach the last bundle
of soiled garments. which Uncle Sans
boys kept piled at her back door. Eight
weeks later she built a large open shed
and moved the laundry under it. Here
she kept about 20 women busy until
the military camp was moved.
Then it was that she conceived the
idea CT a steam laundry operated on a
Valley wide plan. In 1919 she open
ed a $4,000 steam laundry, modern in
every respect. In the meantime her
husbands health had failed, and for a
number of weeks she had to superin-
tend his work. and kept hers going at
the same time. When months later he
had recovered. the laundry business
had expanded SO that he gave up his
work and went into partnership with
his wife. They now devote all their
tine and energy to the laundry, the
eminent success of their efforts being
attested by plans for further expansion
now being formulated.