By Louisa Lu
(continued
from part 1)
Addie Jackson, a part-time employee of the laundry of 18 years, described Sam Wah as a "wonderful person to work for". If the building closed, it would leave her without a job. Others claimed that the Sam Wah Laundry was fair priced and superior to coin-operated ones. Another supporter, Annie Leong, was the head of the On Leong Merchants Association (a business group) and the operator of Asia Food Products on Delmar Boulevard. Don Chin, who owned the Dragon Inn Restaurant on North Lindbergh, joined forces with Annie Leong. Annie Leong and Don Chin began to serve as interpreters for the two old Chinese men, who were confused and did not wish to offend anyone.
Station Partnership sent over Austin Tao (a partner from Shanghai) as an interpreter to uncover their intentions, but he spoke Mandarin and not Cantonese. The Concerned Customers of Sam Wah soon convinced the brothers that they could fight back and keep the laundry. Robert N. Paskal (also with the Concerned Customers of Sam Wah) from the Legal Aid Society served as their attorney. When their minds were made up, Gee Sam Wah and Gee Hong made it clear through Legal Aid Society lawyers and their interpreters that they did not want to leave their business.
In light of these new details, Station Partnership conducted the first inspection of the building in 56 years of the heavily rundown building, and concluded that it was unfit for anybody to live in. The inspection reported overwhelming physical danger, a collapsed section of the center of the roof, cracked ceiling plaster, sections of missing floor, defective and illegal electric wiring, and the absence of any sanitary facilities. Station Partnership suggested that the brothers could move to a nearby location and start over, and that they would even help pay for the relocation.
The problem with relocation was that the laundry equipment was so old that it would be damaged if it were moved. The lawyers agreed that the move would also cause transfer trauma, where the elderly being displaced would experience serious health problems, and might even die. Richard Davis, an old friend and neighbor, confirmed this by saying that the stress and financial burden would probably kill them. If closed down, the brothers would have to buy new equipment.
Furthermore, they would have to pay $120-$375 in rent per month, something that they wouldn't be able to afford even using the profits of the newly purchased washing machine. They were accustomed to paying $85 a month in rent, and that included the living space. They would be moved to a one-room Station Partnership owned apartment and have to pay $45 a month in residential rent. However generous this offer was, and even with the donated furniture from Salvation Army, the cost was still too insupportable. With a separate bill for living space, it would be impossible for them to keep their business open.
Once again, the Concerned Customers of Sam Wah came to the rescue. Robert Paskal, their lawyer, went before the building's commissioner's office filed an appeal on November 14, 1978. Paskal argued for "life tenancy" for the brothers, which would allow them to stay in the building for the remainder of their lives. The appeal's hearing was three hours long. Richard Ward, one of the owners of the building, feared he was being cast a wrongdoer. After all, even Station Partnership felt that the Gee brothers were quaint and pleasant.
After being on the receiving end of many bouts of criticism, Ward at last gave in and told the St. Louis Building Appeals that the brothers could live in the structure if certain conditions were met. He set stiff terms for the Gee brothers and their supporters to meet. These included that the building must be rehabilitated to satisfy city codes and that they must fund the repairs without Station Partnership's help. Station Partnership estimated that the caving roof would cost $5,000-$7,000 to restore. The group began circulating fliers to "Save Last Chinese Laundry in St. Louis". In a short time, they had raised enough money to make the repairs required by Station Partnership. About $12,500 in materials was donated and went into repairing the laundry. Eventually, even the redevelopers relented and contributed.
Gee Hong handed Richard Ward of Station Partnership $1, and for that sum, the brothers became the owners of the building for the rest of their lives. The customers were overjoyed that the laundry would stay in business. They continued operating the laundry without incident until the older brother died of a heart attack. After a brief kidney ailment and stay at Bellevue General Hospital, he passed away at the age of 94. Gee Hong continued to run the laundry until his death of cardiovascular disease in 1986. The building's deed was reverted to Station Partnership and immediately redeveloped by Washington University Medical School. The last Chinese laundry of the city of St. Louis would meet its end by way of the parking lot - the symbol of 20th century redevelopment.
Please
click here for the Chinese version
About the author
Louisa Lu is a Sophomore at Parkway South High. She was born in NanJing, China. She is involved with band, track, and the community. She likes art, movies, music and other clich teen stuff.
Louisa Lu wanted to help condense a couple Post-Dispatch articles with materials provided by Missouri History Museum about the Sam Wah Laundry, because it's a part of the St. Louis culture and history that deserves to be remembered for what it signified and not the lot it is today. |
