Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1929-04-25
BOONE LAUND I IS
in NEW QUARTERS
Modern New Plant is Now Running
at Full Capacity in Fine Building;
New Equipment Increases Prod
uction and Insures Fine Service

The Boone Steam Laundry began
functioning Monday morning in the
new building just completed on
South Water street near the site Of
the old county barn. Work of mov
ing the machinery from the old plant
and installing the new equipment
was begun as soon as the work was
out of the way Friday afternoon
and with an all-night shift the man.
agement was able to begin the weeks
work without interruption due to the
change.
Before actual work of construc-
tion was begun on the building, Mr..
Dempsey Wilcox the general man.
ager, who has had eight years of
experience, spent several days in
New York, going through some of
the country's largest plants and
studying modern laundrying methods.
and machinery. He bought the nee
essary equipment, involving several
thousand dollars, and the building
was designed from information he
gathered from the leaders in the in
dustry. The structure fronts 40
feet on Water street and has depth
of 100 feet, the main feature in its
design being that the laundry is re-
ceived at the rear of the building,
works itself through the long line of
machinery and is delivered to the
wagons on the side of the building
near the front, just where it is finish
ed. The front is utilized for office
space and supply rooms, so horse
power boiler is housed outside the
main building, a double garage for
the delivery wagons is provided,
wash rooms for ladies and gentle
men, and latest type metal lined
dry rooms add to the completeness
of the plant. The building is con-
structed on heavy brick founda-
ton, the machinery rests on con-
crete bases and the roof is of metal.
BY the use of the new washing
machines, extractors and pressefs
the capacity of the plant has been
more than doubled, says Mr.. Wilcox
at is now possible he continued,
'to launder 700 pounds of dry wash
per hour In other words we can
place 81 ordinary family washings
in the machines at one time and
have them ready for delivery in less
than two hours. Three hundred fam
lily wet washings would comprise an
easy days work and with two new
trucks operating, we are able to
keep deliveries in time with produc-
ton"
"By our new methods" says Mr..
Wilcox, lit is worthy of note that
the clothing is cleansed absolutely
without rubbing or scrubbing and
no injurious acids are used-just
soap and water. The washing is
placed in separate bags or nets, does
not come into direct contact with the
machinery and the scientific process
absolutely finishes the job without
rubbing. There is no way for our
methods to cause wear of fabrics,
and everything is thoroughly steri-
lized by the live steam which is en-
ployed."
Mr.. Wilcox smiled when asked
about the damaging effects of me-
chanical wringers. "Why," he said,
1--WE use no wringers. They are now
obsolete equipment. The water IS
taken from the garments by centri-
fugal force without the slightest in
jury-in fact it is the only method
known of removing the moisture
without in some way tending to dam
age the material"
At this point attention was called
to the big new ironing machine
which Weighs 10000 pounds and
which is used mainly for flat work,
such as is supplied by hotels and
boarding houses. This machine will
iron six large bed sheets per minute
and is supplemented by IL ironing
boards, where efficient and expert
enced ladies hand finish the most
delicate garments. Three new steam
presses will be installed soon to be
used jointly in the laundry and dry
cleaning department. The latter IS
modern in every respect and ladies'
dresses and mems suits are cleansed
ard pressed by the latest methods
and with dispatch.
Boone's new laundry is another
long step in the rapid growth of the
city and it's promoters are to be con-
graduated on their enterprise. 1t is
the last word in efficiency and is a