The Sunday Oregonian., July 21, 1907, Magazine Section, Page 6, Image 46

-THE StJXDAI OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JULY 21, 1907.
6
"p.' A ?m1 Beauy By a' aevcr lptosnsk Woman . , .. , J v
WITH prettily rounded arms bared
and Parisian gown pinned up,
perhaps, to where dainty ankles
enow, 29 society girls are splashing in
Boap suds and barking their dalnly
knuckles on washboards as they, rub-a-dub-dub
away at flne linen and choice
laces.
Actually, in Columbus, O., Madame
Marie Cortleau a genuine French Impor
tationhas established a school of physi
cal culture where "Washing as a Fine
Art" Is the chief branch taught. Here
go the fair daughters of Columbus twice
a week, to develop their muscles, dispel
wrinkles and freshen the complexion at
tub, wringer, starch basin and clothes
line; and the beauty doctor has gone into
bankruptcy.
Fraulcin Gluck, a fresh-looking German,
is madame's chief assistant and she it is
who instructs these embryo washer
women. Wafiher-women!. Heaven save
the name! Aristocratic creatures they are
who dash up to madame's exclusive laun
dry in speed autos or who are whisked
to the door by a pair of thoroughbreds
and who bring footman or buttons to
tote the tissue paper-wrapped wash but
washer-women nevertheless.
To be sure they "go to the tubs" in
elaborate afternoon and dinner gowns,
but they actually nil these same tubs
with hot water poured in by the bucket
ful, the buckets lifted by their own fair
Kilns, arms which at home are accus
tomed to do nothing more laborious than
wield a fan or hold a novel. And they
dip and soap exquisite lingerie waists,
elaborately trimmed petticoats, dainty
handkerchlfes and the like until the
frauleln signals that time for the real
exercises has come, when 29 .backs bend
rythmlcally forward and back over the
ohlnlng washboards as 10 times 29 fingers
and thumbs fly up and down "rubbing"
ut the dirt as energetically as any ro
bust daughter of Brln In the laundry.
How Society Folk Were Interested.
When the niadame and her fraulcin
first rame to Columbus there was much
merriment among the society folk to
whom she distributed her queer cards
handsomely engraved and in correct) form
which read :
"Madame Marie Cortleau requests the,
honor of your presence at hor evening,
January 17, ISO-?,, at 8 o"clock where she
will give a practical demonstration of
"the power of the washtub over wrin
kles." '
These cards the madame.sent to only
a selected few and as she had brought
with her from her Parisian home gilt
edge letters of Introduction from society
leaders of the French capital she count
ed her ' guests friends. Madame has a
magnificent contralto voice and since De
Cfmber she had been singing her way Into
the hearts of Columbus society leaders
doing It In a purely social way so that
when these cards were received there
were many smiles and much guessing as
to just what sort of a musicale madame
was going to give under such a queer
lltle.
Of course, everyone accepted and it
was an eager and expectant gathering
Uiat filled the drawing-room of Mad
me's splendid residence in one of the
inst exclusive sections of the city.
There was the usual welcoming of the
iruests, a short musicale and then the
heavy curtains were drawn away from
an improvised stage upon which were
placed tubs, wringers, clothes-baskets
and all the rest of the paraphernalia so
flcar to the washerwoman's heart.
A Practical Demonstration.
A buzz of astonishment and many sup
pressed giggles filled the room as
tnadame btepped to the platform ayJ
i i f - "i . , - .... , ' y-vTOJs - ItI r y k . , t II
took her position beside the wash tub
She smiled sympathetically' down upon
her friends and then commenced one or
the strangest lectures on health and hy
giene ever given to a group of society's
favorites.
She verbally went through the process
of washing and step by step pointed out
its. benefits to the human body, then
calling to the Fraulein and accepting
several buckets full of hot water from
her porter, proceeded to give a practical
demonstration' of her lecture. In other
words, she rubbed and rinsed and wrung
out some dainty garments right before
the astonished eyes of Miss Moneybags
and Mrs. Blueblood and all the rest.
Interest grew the further she
progressed, and at the close .of the dem
onstration, her audience was quite ready
for the proposition that they dismiss
their beauty doctors and even their reg
ular M. D.'s and take to the washtubs.
Before the- meeting adjourned.
Madame Cortleau had formed her first
class of 12 members, and from that, this
queer school has grown to number 29. In
a way it is a. charitable institution, too.
for the accumulated fees will go to
found a hospital in the vineyard district
of France. But that Is a wee bit of a
secret and is aside from the subject.
Working Over the Tubs.
To return to these charming young
washerwomen and their methods: Every
Tuesday and Thursday the class meets
in Madame's elegantly appointed rooms,
and when the weather is mild enough ad
journs to the rear grounds when the
tubs are "set" and class is called. Here
they undo their tissue paper packages,
and with many quips and much witty
repartee, get their "wash" ready for the
first water.
Madame encourages the exchange of
jokes, for laughter is part of her treat
ment. "Nothing like a hearty laugh to
vanish the blues, aid digestion, stimulate
the imagination, refresh the body and
put man or woman at peace, with the
universe," she says.
To be sure these fair laundresses
handle only dainty bits of lingerie, but
when they are finally taken down from
the line, they have been thoroughly and
systematically cleansed and are ready to
be ironed.
The first exercise Is to develop the
muscles of the neck, back and shoulders,
and It consists In lifting brimming pails
from the floor to the tubs and pouring
out the water. This must be done with
out bending the knees and without los
ing balance. At first the girls, so unac
customed to hard work, made many
laughable failures, now they are proud
of the fact that at the signal they can
lift in unison their hurlcpln f rnm H
j floor, pour tht water Into the tubs with'
out spilling a drop .on the floor or bench,
and as with one tap replace the empty
buckets in position.
These empty buckets are removed by
an attendant and brought back full six
times it takes six bucket fulls to fill
each tub and when the bucket has been
emptied for the last time the glrfs "rest"
by gently soaping their garments and
getting them ready for exercise.
When time is called for this second
movement the Frauleln appears and gives
the signal for the rubbing to commence.
Up and .down, forward and back, bend
the health and strength seekers In this,
school, and all the while they merrily
draw forth the music of the wash board.
As the girls rub-a-dub-dub, the Frauleln
gives some practical hints on the care of
laces and linens as understood by the
Hollanders, those women world famous
for the snowy whiteness of their gar
ments. - Labor and Conversation.
These talks are as much a part of
the exercise as are the movements
over the washboard, which brings Into
play the muscles, of the neck, -waist.
arms., wrist and fingers. Madame
claims that physical culture exercises
taken with the mind occupied with
some interesting theme are doubly
beneficial, so while these girls, and
women seeking relief for jaded nerves
and working to banish crow's feet and
wrinkles rub away at a stain "nere or
a dusty spot there, the Frauleln enter
tains them with scraps of practical
information, told in a charming man
ner. Both the Frauleln and the Mad
ame strive to bring forth, the smile
and the hearty, healthy, ringing laugh,
for laughter is the direct foe of care
and worry lines; it also dispells fret
ful mouth marks and it brightens the
eyes and brings color to the cheeks.
Before leaving the tubs, with their
washboards in position, and the school
merrily at work, a word must be said
about tht) strange costumes worn by
this school. Madame encourages short
sleeved, low-necked gowns. The rea
son for the short sleeves is self-evident,
but the low neck? Just this:
each washer takes a steam .bath as
she soaps and rubs her tubful of
clothes, and the steam is the treatment
given the skin of the face, throat and
neck.
Must XTndergo Inspection.
The clothes thoroughly washed and
they must pass the Fraulein's rigid
inspection the tubs are emptied and
filled again with clear water. Then
comes the rinsing" process, which is
much like the rubbing In Its effect, ex
cept that it bends the body further
forward. After the last rinse water
there is a blueing water, and then the
clothes are ready to be wrung. They
are not wrung by hand, for more exer
cise Is obtained by using a wringer.
This "movement" brings into play the
muscles of the arm and right side
from the neck to the waist.
Then comes the starching. The
starch basin is placed on a low chair
and the girls bend forward, dipping
the clothes up and down and standing
all the while on the toes of their dainty
slippers. This is for the development
of the muscles of the waist, leg and
loot. It also gives poise. The starch
Is wrung from the garments by hand.
Next comes the hanging of the
clothes. In reaching up to place the
garments upon the line the body is
first balanced on the balls of the feet,
then each girl rises on her toes and
with arms stretched to their farthest
limit above their heads they inhale
slowly, while Madame counts, mean
while pinning the garment upon the
line. When it is adjusted, still stand
ing on their toes and with breath
drawn in, they await the down signal.
They stand thus at attention in per
fect sience and steadiness, while Mad
ame counts 60, and then slowly and
lightly drop to their heels, exhaling
wht)e 25 counts are made.
. The linen to. be spread upon the
grass is ' next considered, and here
again the Fraulein is pressed into
service. Each girl is given a stone
basin and mallet, the latter resem
bling a potato masher. With this she
"beatf." certain choice pieces to white
ness. The mallets are used in much the
same manner as physical trainers di
rect the use of dumb-bells.
Fine table linen is treated in this way
and it is spread upon the grass to dry in
season. In doing this the class raise
the garments high above their heads, and
with a wide, full sweep bring them down
to the ground and spread them out fiat
without losing balance or bending the
knees.
The last exercise is the shaking of the
sheets for sheets should never be ironed
the Fraulein says. Two girls take the
dried sheets, and folding them in half
and holding them by each end. shake vig
orously up and down. This is hard work,
if you don't believe it give it a trial. The
sheets must be shaken until they are
without a wrinkle, and they are folded
and fojded until they are square in shape
and of a size easy to handle.
Yriat Every Woman Should Know.
This last exercise over the school retires
to the resting-rooms, where there are
maids in attendance ready to massage
face, neck and arms, to brush hair and
to rub tired muscles Into comfort. Before-
entering their carriages or autos for
the theater or some social function these
now sparkling washerwomen, resplendent
in flne clothes and valuable gems, partake
of a substantial refreshment perfectly
served, for Madame does nothing by
halves. As they nibble and sip it Is amus
ing to listen to their chatter. One tells
of a bit of rare lace, an heirloom which
she is going to "wash next lesson." And
they discuss the respective merits of
starched and unstarched linen It Is start
ling, such a conversation from such lips.
Until Madame opened her strange beauty
school it is safe betting that not one of
the 29 knew the first thing about the
mysterious process of cleansing of their
dainty waists, those waists which came
home from the laundry the first time so
woefully pulled out of shape and like as
not torn, for they were of cobweb tex
ture. Now listen to them. They know
at a glance whether a bit of linen has
been properly scalded, soaked, rubbed.
Japan's Work
Spirit of Nippon Displayed in
NOWHERE perhaps is the effect upon
Japan of the recent war more pat
ent than in her great naval yards, no
where does the magnitude of her ambi
tions find more cogent demonstration.
The possessors of an island empire, the
statesmen of Japan have not been slow
to recognize the value of a strong navy
and a powerful and numerous mercantile
marine. Under a system of shipbuilding
and ship running bounties, her merchant
shipping has made huge strides, and the
advocates of state aid may point to the
successful transportation of troops in
time of war in justification of their pol
icy. During the late war, a single company,
the Nippon Tusen Kalsha, was able to
place at the disposal of the government
250,000 tons of shipping, with which It suc
cessfully carried to and from the seat of
war upward of 1,260,000 men, 124.000 horses
and close upon 2,000,000 tons of stores.
Under the same paternal encouragement
the displacement of the steamers of ner
mercantile marine aggregated by April
last 931,000 tons an increase in less than
three years of 335 ships, with a displace
ment of 203,783 tons.
Striking as are these figures, and loud
as Is the tale of the destructive competi
tion of Japanese bottoms in Chinese wa
ters, the tale of the great naval arsenals
and dockyards is even more significant.
rinsed and blued. Oh, they are gaining
wisdom along with muscle, and they are
preserving their dainty garments, too.
Each of the 29 has her own little wash
ing outfit which she can put up in bath
room or laundry, and she is supposed to
go through the exercises given for at
least a half hour each day In other words
she must do a small wash every day If
she would be beautiful and healthful, and
If she would soften her skin, round out
the hollows and banish the wrinkles.
Madame declares that every woman
should go through a systematic course of
physical exercises every day, and she also
emphatically affirms that every woman
should know how to launder her own
daintiest and finest garments. Then, she
reasons, why not unite the two? Physical
exercise with the mind occupied with oth
er tilings and practical result obtained Is
the object of the school, and judging by
the vim with which the students are en
tering Into the methods, the scheme is a
decided success.
on Warships
Building Fighting Machines.
.A visit to Kure is little less than a rev
elation. Armed with an official permit, which
read, "Kure arsenal and dockyards, ex
cept the armor works," I gained imme
diate admittance from the sentinel on
guard. The first glance tells you that
you are in the presence of a spirit of Im
perious energy and indomitable will. Ynu
are brought abruptly face to face with
one of the startling contrasts of the East.
Outside . the wall fragile houses. Old
World courtesy, laughing children, sleepy
temples, leisurely priests and smiling wo
men all the recognized Ingredients of
quaint, fantastic, orthodox Japan. Inside
the clash and clang of iron upon steel,
the roar of machinery and the hiss of
steam, all the bewildering equipment for
the forging of engines designed for the
destruction of human life, vast piles of
ugly scaffolding, toiling masses and a
10-hour day.
Eleven years ago the naval yards at
Kure came into existence, the offspring
of the war with China: today they pro
vide employment for 30.000 men and are
capable of building battleships the equal
of any now afloat. They are complete
and self-sufficing In every detail.. They
turn out everything connected with the
construction of battleships from a rivet
to a 12-inch gun.
Prior to the late war. nothing bigger
than a third-class cruiser of 3000 of 4000
tons had been attempted, but the war
gave great impetus to Japanese naval
construction, and in January, 1905, th
keel of the first large cruiser, the Tsu
kuba. was laid down. Today I saw her
all but completed In her dock at Kure. a
powerful first-class cruiser of 13.TS0 tons.
A little way off lay her sister ship, the
Ikoma. though not quite so far advanced.
But Japanese ambition has not stopped
here. Two vast battleships, the Satsuma
and the Akl, are now under construction
at Yokosuka and Kure, respectively. Not
even the Dreadnought, the latest pet of
the British navy, will boast superiority
to these monster engines of war. With
a displacement of 19.000 tons, a speed of
19 knots and an offensive armament of
four 12-lnch and 12 10-inch guns, they will
meet with but few equals upon the sea.
The enormous increase of the Japanese,
fleet during the last two years has per
haps not been generally appreciated In
England. The following is a list of the
larger vessels actually under construction
in Japanese yards at the present time:
Flmt-class battleships .Tni'".
The Aki ; 1D.0RO
The Satsuma 10,060
First-class armored crullers
The Kurama 1 J
The Tsukuba !3.T
The Tkomft J'MiH
The Ibukt 13.000
Small -rulsera
The Mnsaml .i'TZt
The Yorlo "H'-!
The Tone 2.j00
In addition to the above the Kashlma
(16.430 tons) and the Katori 16,9S0 ton
arrived recently from England, and the
following captured Russian ships will
shortly be ready for sea: Six battleships,
four cruisers, two coast-defense ships,
three destroyers and two gunboats. The
aggregate Increase In tonnage represented
by the above vessels is ia. tons.
Mystery of Sleep
and Death
THE phenomenon called sleep may be
summed up in the following proposi
tions, says a writer in the Cosmopolitan:
First Sleep is temporary death of the
functions of the sensitive system, due to
exhaustion by fatigue.
Secondly This death is temporary be
cause the vital system continues to per
form its functions during sleep and re
stores the sensitive organs to their nor
mal condition.
For our purpose death may be consid
ered under the three heads, natural
death, sudden death and death from dis
ease. Natural death is death from old
age. It differs from natural sleep only
in degree.
The gradual loss of sensibility by ths)
sensitive organs which precedes sleep
:iow takes place in the vital system, and
all the organs pass into permanent sleep
together. There can be no pain preced
ing or at the moment of such a death,
any more than there Is pain preceding
and at the moment of passing into tem
porary sleep.
Sudden death may "be defined as death
due to a sudden injury from without or
within the body sufficient to destroy at
once all irritability of both the sensitive
and vital systems. It requires no argu
ment to prove that a person who is sud
denly stricken dead can suffer no pain.
The element of time must be present In
order to suffer physical pain, and in ths
sudden death of a person the element of
time is absent.
We come now to consider the third
and by far the most frequent form of
death, namely, death from disease.
As soon as disease is established dying
begins, which is but a more rapid than
natural ceasing of all sensibilities ac
companied with more or less suffering,
according to the cause which produces
It. This dying and suffering, called dis
ease, must terminate either in so-called
death, which Is insensibility to it. or
in recovery, which is removal of the
cause of It. But in any event the suffer
ing has been endured, no matter wheth
er the final termination is death or re
covery. No one is conscious of or can recall
the moment he passes from waking Into
natural or temporary sleep. Nor shall
we, by a "supreme agony," or in any
other way, be conscious of passing into
permanent sleep.
Being born and dying are the two must
important physiological events in the life
history of our bodies, and we shall know
no more about the latter event at the
time It occurs than we did about the
former. V
Finding Diamonds.
The Boers insiBt that the first dia
mond In South Africa was found by a
boy whose father had boxed his ears as
a punishment. The sulking lad went out
and took a long walk, and as he went
along with his head down, he caught
the glitter of the stone and picked it up.
If this Is the way to find diamonds
every father in the country ought to box
his boy's ears and send him walking
across the fields. The more boxes, the
more diamonds.