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New steam laundry bus ness welcomed to Dauphon n 1906On Friday, June 16, 1906 an article regarding the Dauphin Steam Laundry Co, stated, “The people of Dauphin and the north west as well will soon be able to get some decent laundry which will be greatly appreciated by many of us.” The laundry plant was built next to the town’s electric power plant and for nearly 50 years it obtained steam from the adjacent building. Washing and ironing were the two main services handled at the laundry until 1950.The building was 40 ft. x 40 ft. and two storeys high. The first storey was constructed of cement blocks while the upper storey was constructed of brick. The machinery was of the latest make and catered to the trade. The big mangle weighed 60,000 pounds, was 18 ft. long and 4 ft. high, cost $900 and was used for sheets and tablecloths.There were also numerous smaller machines of a very complicated structure including: two rotary washers, extractors or wringer, starch cooker, collar starcher, dipping wheel which dipped the clothes into the starch, a small mangle for small work, ironing machine for collars, bosom shirt ironer, collar shaper and a steam press.The drying room was solidly built and heated by steam. A powerful fan dried the clothes in a wonderful short time. The superintendent, Thomas E. Hall, ran the plant as he had practical ex-x.Sliceof theParklandEd Stozekperience operating all of the machinery.The plant was purchased from H.V. Smith in 1922 and operated by J.A. Haddrell and the Fick Brothers until 1950 when the business was sold to Tommy Haverluck. Haverluck merged both businesses into Modern Cleaners and Laun-derers. Over an eight year period almost all of the equipment was modernized and topped off with a huge giraffe sign to draw attention, day or night, to the dry-cleaning, laundry and fur storage establishment at the corner of First Ave. NW and Gladys St.Harry Rospad operated another cleaning business. In 1936, Rospad, a native of the Sifton district, gained his initial experience in the dry-cleaning business in Dauphin. He then worked in a variety of dry-cleaning establishments in Winnipeg, Medicine Hat and Vernon. By working at larger establishments, he learned the skills and knowledge that later proved of immense value in operating his own plant. He also operated a hotel for two years and, “found that the stress, the bustle and the stepped-up tempo of the dry-cleaning plant preferable to operatinga hotel in Wabowden. After a brief two years he was back once more to the familiar bliss of the steam press. One would imagine that several years in the dry-cleaning business, the prospect of owning a hotel was both restful and attractive, not to mention the lucrative side of the business.”Rospad started to operate Specialty Cleaners located at 21 First Ave. N.E. in 1948, cleaning some 70,000 garments each year. “Today, (Dauphin Herald, July 12, 1956), he operates a business of seven workers which he feels is a comfortable size for the type of personalized work he aims to give. He presses all the men’s garments while his wife Olga handles all of the ladies’ wear. Olga has been in charge of this department for 12 years. Pressing is the last operation before garments arebagged so they can automatically check each garment as it is finished.”Rospad was quoted as saying, “People are people wherever you go. Give them service and quality workmanship and they’ll come back. Dry cleaning is a complicated business and getting more as time passes. The number of varieties of materials with which a cleaner has to contend with is both formidable and bewildering. The textile business has well over 100 materials or combinations of materials in more or less common use today and the cleaner has to be familiar with everyone.”Specialty Cleaners operated a day shift regardless of the heavy spring and fall rush. One truck handled all of the deliveries. They offered a two hour transient cleaning service and would do a one hour job if the customers were in a “spot”. Rosepad also noted that like the newspapers, drycleaners were always working against a deadline.Employees of the Dauphin Steam Laundry pose for a photo
Newspaper Details
Erickson South Mountain Press
Erickson, Manitoba, CA
Fri, May 11, 2012
Page 5
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Jennifer R.
CA 29 Aug 2023
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Erickson South Mountain Press
