"... the old song:
My father saws wood for a living
My brother sells whisky and gin
My mother and sister do washing
And, oh, how the money rolls in."

-- Cedar Rapids Gazette 7/29/1903

The general idea was adopted for blues songs, such as "My mammy takes in washing while I ball the jack" in "Hesitation Blues" by 1919 (Blake B. Harrison, Frank C. Brown collection).