What a truly industrious people they are! At work, cheerfully and
briskly, at ten o'clock at night. Huge piles of linen and
under-clothing disposed in baskets about the room, near the different
ironers. Those at work dampening and ironing--peculiar processes both.
A bowl of water is standing at the ironer's side, as in ordinary
laundries, but used very differently. Instead of dipping the fingers
in the water, and then snapping them over the clothes, the operator
puts his head in the bowl, fills his mouth with water, and then blows
so that the water comes from his mouth _in a mist_, resembling the
emission of steam from an escape-pipe, at the same time so directing
his head that the mist is scattered all over the piece he is about to
iron. He then seizes his flat iron. This invention beats the 'Yankees'
all to bits. It is a vessel resembling a small, deep, metallic
wash-basin, having a highly-polished flat bottom, and a fire
continually burning in it. Thus they keep the iron hot, without
running to the fire every five minutes and spitting on the iron to
ascertain by the 'sizzle' if it be ready to use. This ironing machine
has a long handle, and is propelled without danger of burning the
fingers by the slipping of the 'ironing rag.' Ladies who use the
ordinary flat irons will appreciate the improvement.--_Marysville
(California) Herald._
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