Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-24

a piece is finished it actually
has a personality"
At this point Miss Beulah
Hall, owner manager Of
Louise Hand Laundry. spark
les so infectiously that one
can easily understand why
each piece Of laundry leaves
her place with a personality.
Linens as lovely and as
priceless as seen anywhere in
the world are handled here in
my laundry and that is why
our service is geared to
absolute perfection, added
Miss Hall.
A small, radiantly pleasant
woman with twinkling blue
eyes, Miss Hall came to
Washington about fifteen
years ago from Omaha, Nebr.
She was born in Roseland.
Nebr., where her father for
many years operated a bank,
and she is quite proud that
the same bank is still operat-
ed by her brother. But most
of all Miss Hall is proud
of her laundry.
A WOman's Project
According to her, the idea
for this laundry, exclusively
for fine linens and nice wear
ing apparel was conceived by
a woman. Mrs. Margaret
Nicodemus. Mrs. Nicodemus
and her husband were world
travellers who called Wash
ington home, and it was af-
ter the death Of her hus-
band in 1912 that Mrs. Nico-
demus decided to go into
business.
After much study and de-
liberation she hit on the
idea that Washington sorely
needed a specialized laundry
to handle fine linens and
delicate wearing apparel.
Finding no laundry in the
area, which catered espe-
cially to officialdom's flnery
and stiff bosom shirts, Mrs.
Nicodemus had a building
constructed especially for
laundry and opened under
the name of Louise Hand
Laundry" Both the building
and the name are still in use.
Beulah Hall bought the
business from Mrs. Nicodemus
when she came to Washing
ton and she now employs 10
people. "And this Is Alice,
she has been here IS years."
smiled Miss Hall as she
passed by one of her en-
ployes at a work table.
The desk in the front Office
is filled with many things,
but outstanding among them
is Carolyn Hagner Shaw's
Green Book. THE Social List
Of Washington" and Miss
Hall uses it frequently be-
cause most of her customers
are listed on its pages. And,
too, Louise Hand Laundry is
the only laundry which is
included in its advertisement
pages.
Customers Everywhere
With shoulders Just q little
higher and the ever-present
sparkle in her eyes dancing
a little more, Miss Hall said,
"Oh, our customers list is
not confined to Washington.
From California to Maine,
Vermont to Louisiana, New
York to Nebraska come bum
dies Of soiled articles to be
laundered here. One man in
Cincinnati has sent a monthly
package of dress shirts to
this laundry regularly for over
Is years"
Little things, like remem-
bering a customers name, to
being sure that all fringe is
combed out on all bedspreads
before they are packaged for
delivery, make for a feeling
Of personal attention, which
makes a business something
special. Miss Hall and her
employees have the infinite
patience and the personal in
tereSt, which give each piece
that touch of personality.
There is also an air of ele-
gance in this laundry because
Of all the exquisite articles
being handled in it. Miss
Halls soft, white hanL ten
derly careSsed a $4,000 point
Viennese lace tablecloth as it
was being measured for size
before wetting.
Rocked Clean"
Like a mother telling about
how she washed her daugh-
ter's wedding linens. Miss Hall
described how clothes are
rocked clean" A fragile lace
shawl and delicate over-skirt
of Martha Jefferson Ran
dolph, which came from the
Smithsonian. were rocked
clean" by placing them in a
large jar filled with warm
water and pure soap flakes.
With the lid frightened. the
jar was held between the
hands as it was rocked ten
derby back and forth. When
the article was clean, soapy
water was carefully drained
out, then faucet water was
allowed to flow gently back
into the jar until all the soap