New Laundry for Arniston

Dalkeith Advertiser
25th April 1895

On Saturday afternoon a fine new laundry and public washhouse was opened at Arniston, the gift of Mr R. Dundas to the employees of Arniston Colliery. The building is a large brick one and has a boiler house having a six horse power improved vertical steam boiler fitted with all the latest improvements. The washhouse is large and airy and well lighted, measuring 35 feet by 30 feet. It is fitted up with iron fixtures consisting of ten compartments and each separate compartment is fitted up with a cast iron wash trough and boiling trough with table complete, the tubs being furnished with steam supply and water pipes.

The drying closet is adjacent to the washing compartment and each has a draw-out drying horse with frame work heated by means of steam coils placed in the heating chamber underneath the frame work. The ironing room adjoins the wash house and measures 30 by 15 feet. It is furnished with iron tables the whole of length of the room and is provided with a patent ‘Pagoda’ laundry stove. All the interior face of the walls has been done with polished cement and painted in light buff colour with terra-cotta dado. The roof is a substantial construction of trussed open timber work to apex with raised lourve ventilators at apex.

Accommodation is also provided for a caretaker and these rooms have access to the laundry. The whole work, which cost about £1000 has been carried out from plans by and under the superintendence of Mr R Smith, architect, Gorebridge. At the opening ceremony there was a large turnout of miners and their wives, who were accompanied by the Arniston Band.

Accepting the gift on behalf of the directors of the Arniston Colliery Company, Mr James Haldane said it gave him great please to take over such a gift. Mr Dundas had paid for the whole of the building and appliances out of his own pocket and had handed it over to the directors of the Company to conduct for the benefit of the workpeople. He was sure it would be a great advantage to the wives of the men employed there, who would now be able to carry on their washing with comfort and satisfaction to themselves and, he thought, with a great deal less labour. It would also be an advantage to the husbands, for the washing day at home was always the cause of a good deal of trouble, but by now using the laundry they would be freed from such discomfort an their houses would remain clean and next in consequence of he washing being done elsewhere.

Mr James McNeil, miner, in acknowledging the gift on behalf of the workmen, said that it unfortunately came at a bad time, for on Monday, they started on a reduction. He thought the laundry might have been opened at a better time, but all the same, they wished the place every success and that everyone should take advantage of it.