The principal occupation of the people of California—mining—is one in which clothing becomes necessarily excessively soiled. The fact that rain does not fall during a period of six months or more—this year more than ten, in some parts of the State—; the exceedingly pulverulent nature of the soil and the common practice of employing very large teams of horses—fourteen or more being very commonly used with but one driver—causes a nuisance of dust worse, I think, than is to be met with in any other part of the world. In addition to this, the intense heat of the climate—the mercury rising to 110° F. several times every year in large parts of the State—makes clean clothing and frequent changes exceedingly desirable. The laundry business is generally done by Chinese; their process is one exceedingly destructive to clothing; the charge for the coarsest work is $2.50 a dozen. Rather than employ them the miners generally wash their own clothing, each man for himself, when it is washed at all. Much soiled clothing is thrown away while otherwise in fair condition.

As there are a number of Steam-mills throughout the mining districts it occurred to me that some small laundry apparatus might be attached to them by which the washing of a neighborhood could be much more economically done than by the present arrangements. Having asked for some information on the subject from my friends of the Sanitary Commission, I am advised that you are the manufacturers of what they consider the best apparatus and I therefore beg to bring the subject before you.

There are six steam engines on the property of which I am in charge, anyone of which would have all the power to spare, I presume, which would be necessary for the purpose. The population of the neighborhoods in their vicinity varies, from one hundred to two thousand, the whole population of this mining district being seven or eight thousand. What seems to me desirable here is an apparatus which could be readily [225]attached to an ordinary steam-mill by which the coarse clothing of a few hundred men could be readily washed, dried, and mangled, with the smallest possible expense for manual labor. We have steam planing mills and machine shops and pine lumber is comparatively cheap. Tanks and all ordinary carpenter’s work should be made here. The rest of the apparatus might be made here or could be sent around the Horn.

I should be glad if you would take the trouble to advise me what you would recommend to be tried, with some indication of the probable cost.

The cheapest labor we can employ is that of Chinamen, at one dollar and three quarters a day, payable in gold. For ordinary white labor and for mechanics and all skilled workmen we pay just about double New England rates. The best arrangement would be one that would admit of one man’s managing the whole concern, working the apparatus say two or three days in the week and going about with a wagon or pack mule, collecting and delivering the clothing, the rest of the time.

I have no doubt that if an arrangement of this kind could be made successful in one case it would be soon adopted in several hundred neighborhoods in the State.