The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1949-05-11

Gilt Edge Cleaners Gets New Plant
Hull & Anderson Inc. Con. Get Check
BY E. l. p.

Gilt Edge Cleaners was founded
by Negro youth, Patrick Francis,
In 1914 at GIL jackson Street.
After five years of untiring work
and exploitation of the many.
many years Of experience. Francis
had gained in the large dry clean
ing plants in the South as an en-
ployee, he has reached point OF
success by very select few.
On about February goth. 1919.
at the office of Hull & Anderson,
Inc. Gilt Edge Cleaners entered
into contract by and between
Hull 6 Anderson, Inc. General
Contractors, to erect a dry clean
| ing plant in accordance with all
City Building Code. all Health De-
partment requirements, and all
Fire Department requirements. In
Seattle. dry cleaning plants come
under the heading of Vulnerable
Liquids section of the City Build
| ing Code and Is the most difficult
TYPE of building to get approved
for permit and approval by the
city inspectors.
Construction started immedi-
ately, and on April both Mr..
Francis handed Mr.. Anderson.
president of Hull & Anderson,
Inc. a check for the balance in
full of the entire cost of the build
ling. Mr.. Anderson states that
when person enters most con-
tracts 1t is locked tight case Of
known and no unknowns. but
along with the construction of the
building there was the problem of
running pipe lines, steam lines.
Ito electric wires, 220 electric
wires, and 22O three phase cleo
trio wires to connect more than
SIS, 100000 worth of equipment to
be delivered at the site of the
property and installed under Mr..
Francis direction.
Nevertheless, the entire job
went along most amiably from be-
ginning to end"
The building has 12-inch ma
sonry construction walls, laminat-
ed roof, engineered Monitor sky
lights from the north; all con-
struction fireproof and explosion
proof. Cleaning fumes shall not be
a hazard in this building for there
shall be a complete air change
every three minutes in the clean
ing area and every minutes in
shop area.
What does this mean to Sc
attic? Seattle is the last frontier
for Negroes to explore so to speak.
Thus, the Northwest Enterprise
takes great pride in the accom-
plishmenss of both these young
business men. Their accomplish
ments overcome many handicaps.
Yet, tn accumulative age of both
of these men is only %. Very few
men regardless of their national
origin or their economic status
reach such success at any age.
The Northwest Enterprise is
further interested because these
men represent the living proof to
young minority people in the Pa
cific Northwest, that instead of
being handicap. color is more of
challenge. In fact it can make
one more determined to forge
ahead. Both Francis and Anderson
were born in the South. Aside
from their business both men par
ticipate intellectually in COM
munity activities. They both OPP
crate union shops, and they re-
alize that the place for the align
ment for the Negroes is with
organized labor provided the par
ticular division of labor, recog-
nizes this fact and is willing to
play fairly with Negroes. Both
men hold the acme of respect in
their communities, and have
chosen for themselves the highest
goals known to their fields and
for themselves the highest morals
of American Society. They are
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