New-York tribune., 1873-05-03
HOMES FOR A SONG.

! ADVANTAGES
TISESrAL SYSTEM PoPUIAR-HAsrR IN BUILD
| ING MAKES wAsrE-ISvTrATIoSs TO cHnLs AND
FEVER.
| AS long as City Hall remains the Mecca of
metropoltan ribes the demand viii be imperative
condemned accommodations within desired limits. Seven
years ago the first attempt was made to adopt the con-
tinental system OF making each noor available for
whole family At first, like all experiments In convent
ence the plan was something of a luxury. People paid
the rent OF threetory house for the privilege OF living
on one floor But the position was 40 enviabe its pos
sbes OF economy plain, that house after
was built for the rich who the first 10 the ad
vanage any plan for saving expense and finally the
continental system been urazed far that the
| poor feel its benefits.
There is no such Idingscale in the social ownership
OF floors as there abroad where marquis and
lodge under the same roof The apartment house here
takes its character from the neghborhood and its
terror fittings and ts attic eligible in social
point of view as first floor. Indeed people shrink
from the care Of house after they have ried the
yeuience OF lining floor This is easily reducble
10 proof from the single fact that apartment houses are
considered the valuable form OF real estate, the
better class such houses yielding double and treble
rents what they would bring let 20 single family
the usual way. This s favOrite way OF turning
large estates 20 advantage. The owners Of large
corner lots and double houses find It easy
10 ht up the separate floors for tenants
Of the better class when the street or neghborhood has
lost caste in the eyes who could afford
sucn property This is the fate OF few double
or extra deep houses Second, Lexington, and the
lower part Of Flfth-ave II OF general benefit from
killing OF many OF the second rate hotels which used 20
be the OF families for whom the the
care Of keeping large house proved great burden.
There can be no question OF the advantages OF apart
ments over the common mode Of hotel life. The crowd
ing the restraint the publicity Of the latter
terbalanced by good which compares with the con-
venience and privacy OF French HAT. The absolute
cruelty the ruinOus tendency OF bringing mp children
in hotels and boarding great argument in
favor OF these small homes, where they find and
freedom enough for their comfort all the time when
they should not be ont OF doors. THIS is beginning 20
he understood and the system lust coming within the
reach Of ALL offering the rich handsome establishment
and the OF medium fortune convenient home, the
care of which does tire him too much 20 enjoy IT,
while the price not exhaust his income There
blocks and almost streets OF handsome stonefront
houses built 20 meet the want for such things making
the word home possible 20 many who before found IL
only the burden OF a song.
DEATH MUST RE FOUGHT.
II is quite common 70 adyerNs French fats build
nes that arr really nothing than tenementhouses
with water brought into the and an elevator for
coal and ashes This is vast Improvement for the
poorer GLASS; and helps 10 take away the ignOmiuy of
hcrdnc under such roofs. Where ianitOr appointed
ana regulations strict they are ln some houses
about disposal OF garbage and Keeping the stairs
clean a great step taken toward saving work for the
Board OF Health II ventating shafts that could not
be closed except by the antor raised through the
dark bedrooms where the workman the tired Wife, the
baby and the children sleepi pound
OF copperas were used every week in disin-
fectinz and deodorzing every sink. II house
keepers we're warned against leaving accumnlatlons
OF grease and moldy food ID their pantrlcs' and II
scmranuual cleaning insisted on ia every set or
rooms the effect would 90 fIr toward diminishing the
deathrate. Owners should exact sucn attention from
their tenants or better still do 30 themselves People IN
general even the poorer class. are willing 20 pay ana
can better afford 10 pay more for comfortable healthy
house. than for a ruinous, mlldewed one win sewer
pipes Leaking water uncertain, aud traces OF last years
rupbisn adding 10 this years dirt. Tenement houses
usually swarm with Croton bugs well as other YER
mn and not one person out 0f dozen knows that they
feed on such accumulation OF as careless house
keeung leaves smcarcd corners OF haltceaned nO"rs
and the boards of ancient food u ardcls This rs going
into details but that exactly what is necessary III the
matter of sanitary reform and s suggested 20 every one
who Is compelled set foot IN tenement houses. For
the rest il the city could compel decent care for the out
side OF all buildings tenements woud not wear the
NANCY besnattercd outsdcs which eyesores ia New
York thoroughfares, and must aHIeI He ueleH' po'i
who house In them.
The next stem IN the scale is the apartment house de-
signed for the wants of weIO-dO mechanics and famI
lies living on not much over $1,000 year. The upper
mart o the city contains blocks and almost whole streets
of cneap houses built 20 look trim and genteel a.
possibe with slight outlay. Facngs Of veneer@d fronts
NJ Dorchester stone on thin brick walls satisfy the
aeuirug uatfou whose husband does very Wei with MS
tr1vel or express wagon she is truly able 70 say
that Sine lives i'm a brown-stone front a. her cousin who
owns house ON the Boulevard. The accommodation,
however is rather more limited The plan is IT feet
front by not than go deep, ana the ront might De
uf-ed off the 10 domicIles which form the block in
niece q There were samson iu tine cartagc line 70 do
H. sor OF Drck lathed and pastered eael ,lde
forms sole division louk- ar ~ TINS ront, WIN l
four-gt" Windows Lad been pat up st' ana the rest
verv far west was tl.tefulY finished with uny
vestIbulc- ana entry LAID ia blue ana Wulte
tiles, white marble manteiS III .Hf -r, slla.io sn5
rooms aud Wau-cOt- painted walnut Color me ursJ
door et for e q month. ts kitchen was I'D me base
The other stories ad sIhI Aoicl ' t W @ Iii
Of tine entry, ana large lauudr{ M tht otselenI "9
uscd rv the whole house In addition there was an ele-
for supplies ana dressing c.os's VII Wiz -i
basins ON eacn floor The plan included square pdrlOr
shallow inside room opening INTO it Win gas7 o.u
lng dOOis Whth uli-ll - , mi, enc nm
room next bedroom, lOA-@ opening n11 @ ln1 @ III
ana bedroom had end .ied with wardrobe ana she
closets. The kitchen had range, oven ana aiAA' llH a
closet There was large bathroom IN the basement Ior
the use OF the whole house, and ventathg aky,lgnI
w. always raised except IN bad weather Ihe nOOrs
above first rented Tor A5 month Like mos1O lnte
buildings. 10 advertised 70 REM WteAs
/ hefore the mastering put on all the fOOIns
and "a the wood work Of half seasoned lumber
the cloetdoors considerably et TOO Woe 70 smut
ar AM tnat they might shrink 10 their places. On the
other side Of the street thrifty Gernah uau pitHeu
the top Of the high bank win caDDages ahu IN le oa
wav gang of men laying the pavement WIN az
/ haste How do they expect 20 nave lhe sutft
paved" asked OF the oyerseer OF me n1uses ~ ~
will be an done as get the paint on ne
said All hands pushed 10 GET the DIucA
let before the hist OF NAY nus Va % ~ -
were already taken, and into such rooms Win nh,
seasoned woodwork, green mortar, and unsettled
traets neonJe tlrust their families and wonder why
r,IIs d tver are common up town. The wonder
moi that so many are SICK but that anybody u We'll
These bouses contained much that was desirable and
al he