Document text
Folklore
Circ4stances of Interview
STATE Washington
NAME OF WORKER Verna L. i5tamOlis
ADDRESS P.O. Box 112, UnO:versitty Station, Seattle, Washington
Dec. 20, 1958
SUBJECT Pioneers
1. Name of informant MO. H. ScOvile‘
2. Date and time of intefrview 1 noonat Manning's Restaurant
3. Mrs. Scovile and I hMppened to it at the same table, and in BOMA way began
talking and I learned thMt she had lived i# Seattle during the early days. I
asked her if she would tell me some r eminioktence.
Folklore
Personal History of Informant
STATE Washington
NAME OF WORKER Verna L. Stamolis
ADDRESS P.O. Box 1121 University Station, Seattle, Washington
DATE Dec. 20, 1958
SUBJECT A Chinese Laundry
NAME OF INFORMANT Mts. H. Scovile
1. English
2. Place of birth England, 1863
3. Family three children
4. Places lived in Bellingham, Washington, and Seattle, Washington
5. Special interest gardeming
6. Description of informant 7 An English type; stoutish, round-faced, rosy
complexion. Interested in everything going on.
A CHINESE LAUNDRY
AT A BARGAIN SALE
"*hat I remember best about the early days in Seattle is the Chinese riots in
1886.
"Icy husband came home one Sunday morning and told me an officer from the Home
Guards had come into the church and commanded all the men to report for duty at once.
"There were a number of Chinese in Seattle then, some running laundries, others
having cigar stores, and so on. The people of the town had become incensed at the
idea of Orientals being allowed to carry on business when Americans needed work.
"The Committee of Fifteen had told the Chinese that they must go, get out of
town, by a certain date. A steamer from San Francisco would be in the harbor on
that date, and they must go aboard.
"The Chinese began selling off their goods and equipment. My husband and I
decided to buy a laundry. W e knew nothing about the laundry.business but we thought
we could learn.
"We bought the laundry and all the equipment for almost nothing, and opened for
business. We prospered, the business grew fast, and we never regretted buying
laundry at a bargain sale."