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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 3, 1905)
4 'S.7- Women Earn Goool Living by Washing. '' ' '''''''' '''' 1''' y ' ' '''' ' ' 0 choose taking In washing for a living Is one T I nf th' future possibilities of the muRculnr well I I bred, w ith the chance of the pretty " blnnchls i I seue lie tin " of the Trilby type becoming cnm- nion. Just at present the evolution of washing bv hand towards b coming a fine art has reached a stage where a few women of more than the average mental scope usually accredited to the washerwoman are making what might be called good living wages out of it by doing " specialty washings," which brlnii the best price nt the least expense of physical strength. Speculators In the different fields of money making- are at tracted by the fact that this much has been done by women alone and unaided, with small equipment, and by handling the money end of it In a way in which business is mixed In an astonishing degree with sentiment. The possibilities of this kind of work cluster around the greater apartment houses which are built for living upon the hotel plan, where there are found Instances of good money made, with methods of charging which are. to say the bast, unbusinesslike. For Instance, there Is ntn r.'nan who lives In a four room flat out on the north sld. who i-ns worked out a method by which, working entirely alone sh -lakes In fl'O a week. She avoids the loss of money and Mrcngth of the ordinary washerwoman by washing entirely for people In one large apartment which Is within twenty minutes' ride. She charges by the ph ce and, with few ex ceptions, does nothing but women's and children's wear of a quality which not only bring largi prices but which ties up into mu ll small space that she can net It all home on one trip. She Insists upon its being ready for her Sunday night, which There Need VS of using the waste products which are V i Tl ground up by the household mill and which fml I belong proMTly to the art of ti e old fashioned y V I housewife, are put In combination with later Innovations in the riddance or runiusn in a usi of suggestions upon this subject by the latest domestic science. A unique use of siring, which to some might suggest a frensied economy. Is outlined as follows by one woman, a part of whose scheme would appeal to the busiest housewife. First she had a hllle pocket on the Inside of the pantry door. Into which each piece was put regardhs of knots and In as orderly a fashion as possible. Over this poi k. t living a little pair of kitchen scissors, which pruned it out when needed. In the lower pHrt of lh pocket was a sp.uc devoted to the thinner and smoother wrapping paper, which would do duty as cake paper, snd with which the scissors also were of use. ljiter the string was the material for a new industry by which the crochet needle turned out small table mats and dollies, loosely ni tied tugs for colUrs and cuffs, doll hsiiiniot ks. In which i he colored lliu- wus usid, and in little net covers for toy balloons, to winch could be fastened a doll parachute attachment. The disposition of the wrupping usr is equally various. any woman will aver Is the most Inconvenient time for the owner of the clothes. Tet Sunday night the clothes are ready, wherein Is shown the autocratlcness of the washerwoman over her of greater pretensions. Seven Washings in One Day. With her work already gathered In the house, this woman does all of her seven washings on Monday. Although she handles sometimes :i0 pieces, they are of such fineness and lightness that this Is the easiest day In the week. With In lp t the wringer she Is through, with the clothes In the last water, and kerchiefs and small unstarched pieces that dry (Illicitly are hung out by four o'clock In the afternoon. The next morning idie begins with starching and hanging out doing enough sprinkling that day and every evening to get one or two lots of clothes ready to lake home each night. She has finished by Friday night and has Saturday to work for herself, having. Worked at the clothes only five days In the wick at an average of ten hours a day, with expenses that ilo not exceed over fci.-Vi. At the saine time the clothes are h .intlt'ully done, so much bettei. in fact, than in the ordi nary laundry that sl.e told ine that when once in a pinch ' lie sent something to the laundry she would not take It home before " dumping It into the tub," ss she expressed It. and doing It all over again. The laces .ire all worked over and pulled out by the fingering process. Ribbons are taken out of lingi rle ami wnshed and ironed separately. F.ir.broid'ries are ironed on the wrong side. In addition, her work is that much bett. r than laundry work because the clothes are handled gently In the washing, are dried out of doors, and tire not done by machinery. Waste In another pocket tissue paper Is put to be used artistically for st ultnig out the sleeves and trimmings of fancy gowns, and icUomlniously In taking the grease out of the frying pans before applying the dish water. The little paraffin papers that come on bread were disposed of In an envelope for the wrap plug of lunch sandwiches and the coyering Individually of the halves of picnic eggs. Economy Even in Charity. The us s of newspapers, provided there Is a little plot of the charmed space which is known as "one side ,: to put them in. can be easily made both philanthropic ud Uoiuvuliu. The Sun.i.i'. supplements are put with the magazine accu mulation until a postal card can take a "rail" to the nearest . hospital, in the public wards of which the lack of reading matter Is gnat enough to keep a hospital wagon busy. Iomesiicully i he uses of newspaper are endless. A little pile of them over the kitchen table and sink are ready to be taken down and used half unfolded to protect the oilcloth In every bit of work which Is performed. Kspeclally are they better than a pan to use In peeling and preparing fruit and vegetables because of the trick of doing paper, contents, and all up Into a little wad and dumping It Into the can. Newspas rs wet to the soaking point and wrapped In thick layers around lettuce will keep it fresh and sweet almost indefinitely. More thick layers of them laid over the Ice In the refrigerator will keep It full one-third longer In the ice stage of ltd existence. Wet papers torn up and used In sweeping ii.gs keep down the dust and "brighten" the rugs percep tibly. I ted as a wrapping for furs and winter clothing thty are almost a sure preventive of muths. When fashion does not cause the cook and everybody else to trail around In tauined gowns, layers of papers are Invaluable "rugs" 'for the kiti hi n floor, besides the endless uses as linings to closets and drawers and shelves. In ironing newspapers have their uses, Isiih in rubbing off the iron and in rolling up Lute qua li lilies ef them for slipping inside sleeves to (Hess scams. In treating this eubject from Hil view poiut of ecouuiny uf For all this, and In spite of the fact that some of her customers pay often ni high ns $1.50 a week for their little bundle of personal lingerie, her charges are moderate beside those asked for the same things when done by the average laundry. For Instance, she was doing, the other day, a half doaen snowy petticoats from the trousseau of a bride who had Just come to the apartment after her wedding trip, and who upon her travels had been paving $1 apiece on account of extra flounces. This woman did them for BO cents apiece. Right here Is the place where " business " and even the most progressive washerwoman ure strangers. Charges Less for Better Work. " Why don't you clmrge us much as the laundry when He work Is better than theirs?" 1 asked. " Well. I like to do the wank as cheap as I can for those who appreciate It." was the answer, which was accompanied by a motherly little touch to the bride's petticoats, hanging in a beautiful row upon the line. " I like to wash cheap for my good customers. Most of them are always phased and never think of saying I ask too much. I ll do It for them a llnl cheaper, but there are some w. inien w ho are never pleased, no matter how well It is done, and who are always trying to Jew me. I can soon tell wtiether I want to keep them r not. I wash for them once or twice, and If they get to jewing me I drop them out and take somebody else." Appreciation as Part Payment. The encouraging sign to those who would consider hand washing In a money making light lies In the fact that, as &SSS&SSSSSSS9CC99SSSSSSSSSS$e&S3S for the Wis space, as well as mateylnl. the case which holds the table leaves Is suggested as a receptacle which will keep the files for every day use In order and accessible. Old Bottles Find Ready Sale. The accumulation of bottles, which in Itself suggests taking to drink on the part of anybody with good house keeping instincts, will make good money returns, especially If their contents have been of the thirst quenching variety. In the little publications which are gotten out by large gro ceries the reliate. running up as high often as $i on a case. Ij stated In terms that pays the householder to remember, that Is. If he buys domestic articles. The bottles containing imported vintages are unsalabe except to the rags and Iron men, who will give as high as j cents apiece sometimes for the larger varieties. Beer bottles are especially salable, while those with patent stoppers, w hile they can be returned, are invaluable for root beer, supplies of which kept In the Ice box have " pureuadtng " qualities as an Ice man and milk man " hand out." Champagne bottles are resold for bluing and lim-gar, as they are not used for ri filling with the original luiUige, as is done with claret and other wines. In I vinegar coniieitiou stone J.ira and large Jugs will bring 4 and o cent from the grocer. conducted at present, there Is another coin oT exchange ac cepted as part payment which Is at par with money. In the washerwoman's words, It Is appreciation. Incidentally, the woman who can give a little Jolly" to her washerwoman of the kind which .will stand pat when she thinks she Is touched in her pocketbook can still get bargains In well done lingerie, and may even at times have a chanco at the almost ixtinct family washerwoman. One woman who worked this principle to the extreme, perhaps, employed for years an un usually expert woman, who came to the house once In two weeks and did the whole washing and Ironing for that period in one day. As regularly as she came she earrh il off a little handle of provisions, which she " took " out of the pantry. It was Just her "little wa." us she never touched anything but edibles. The woman philosophically matched it by a lit tle way of her own in appearing not to notice, and as a con-i-. ,iienc. In spite of the horror of le r friends, got from $:i to $.1 worth of washing done for $1.."'0, with about -2't cents' worth of groceries thrown In. This principle of working for people they like with a price scale which is arbitrary Is found In all stages of taking In washing, even to methods of counting by the dozen. An old couple owning a little homo, who succeed, in making $.1 or $1 a week, with the husband working at home to help with the washing for the first two days, and carrying the wash back i. in! forth to places w he re he does scrubbing and Job work the rest of the week, have a scale of their own which is a sample. They charge SO cents a dozen for everything, count ing handkerchiefs and small articles, too, as one. Waists are extra from HI to IS cents, and big petticoats are worth 2.1 cents. This couple combine forces by his coming home from his hour work and Ironing sheets, handkerchiefs, and " plain " Drug bottles are useless, except for breaking' up. w hich leads up to another kind of domestic economy. Finely pounded and poured Into mice und rat holes glass Is Irresisti ble, while for large places w hich rats dig under the edges of masonry and cement sidewalk, a mortar can be made with It which they cannot get through. Flour, water, sifted ashes, and the glass form the formula, which will hold regardless of varying proportions as to quantities. In large apartments, where the sorting of waste products Is made lucrative by the Janitor, no use has been found for cans which are taken lo to the "dumps," though cut up into flat pieces these also can be UBed for shutting of mouse exits. Baskets Make Good Kindling. Strawberry boxes and vegetable baskets make not only good kindling, but good summer fuel, where there is a fur nace, although the best of the small boxes aTre now broken up and used In kindergarten work. The smoother and prettier , shaped baskets which come from china stores can be painted in lovely reds ami blacks and dark oriental colors or enameled in pale shades with gold to help provide the absolutely work saving scheme of having scrap baskets In every room. Tainted In white, baskets large enough to hold a considerable purchase of dishes are Just as artistic for clothes hampers us iru kind that arc paid for. For those whose time limitations prevent the practice of everything that could be outlined In Indoor economy, a postal card to the "Junk" shop It Is so classified will bring the rag man, who Is fast disappearing from many lo calities, particularly in flat neighborhoods, where this class of stuff Is seised by the janitor. Incidentally, direct bargains with the dealer will prove more lucrative upon rags and news papers than those with the wagon man. How the Salvation Army Helps. One of the reasons for the lack of patronage of the r;isi und Iron man Is tliu broader economy which Inuny people. Ironing. They pride themselves on charging " fair " In orde to keep the same customer. . ,1 , Pay by Dozen or by Day. The passing of thu woman who takes home work bv His wash Instead of by the dozen silts down to a matter of dis agreement between employer and eniployi d. "They do not want to pay anything like what it i worth by the dozen," said a woman who had been doing a two weeks' washing and Ironing at a price varying between $'J and '.!.. To with objection made when It went to the iigher notch. "They forget that every rag fit the laundry counts, even If It comes home torn In two." slu- said, showing how she had figured out her expinse of lime and money. It took her two days to do It, and in the summer whin she used gasoline for fuel her list was as follows: Poap anil MuinK In cents ilasulliie f i r tnu days 25 cents Slareli .1 (its UicakfuBl and linn h i n iwmlnTt. . i" in Iieducted even from In r highest price this hit only $l.(i'J as pay for her two days' work, besides the i;a l that lo r house is all mussed up after each day's work. Inst, ail. if she goes out at a dollar and a half k!ic has It clear, and comes home to'fiud In r house In order; her breakfast and lunch are fur nished and set out for her. and In some cases her carfare paid, and she gets her three dollars clear. The woman who will take washing home now In any way but by the dozen Is the one who Is tied at home by her children nnd who needs the money badly. The minute she Is foot loose she goes out by the day. feel to be accomplished by summoning a wagon from tip- Sal vation Arjny For Instance, It is a question whether the worn shoes of the family shall be sold to keep the " menage " in brooms, w hich it will easily do, or whether they will be passed on to the army. If taken there they go to the Inilumri.il home, where they are mended by an "out of work " recruit. They are then put Into one of the little stores of the society where they are sold for a smull sum or they are used together with old clothes gathered In the same way and put in order by the same class of lalsir, to put the " out of a job " man In shape to be considered. Incidentally part of the records contain cases of this rejuvenating process having " landed " men in the same Job from which they had been Ignoininiously turned down just before while applying it a stats of tatters. Children's wear and women's, even hats and corsets, are cleaned, restlffened. and refitted to be sold In the stores at small prices. Magasines are used In the same way and broken chairs are patched, up nnd npide both Billable and salable. This i,lsn is done by Hi. hir.lliuk man. Cveri the papers ami baskets and bottles' the army wagon will remove, provided the call is not for this only, but includes anything else which w ill b'j o value. ,r