The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-10-02
LOTS OF Fun ABOUT LOTS.
HOW THE FAT CONTRIBUTOR GOT A HOME
FOR ONE DOLLAR A WEEK.

Joined a building association the other
night. 1 had been told that by the pay
Dlent of dollar a week one could secure
home, and | wanted some of it. One dollar
a week is very reasonable for a home. Sin
gular so many people are without homes
when they can be secured for so little mon
ey. So | went to one of their meetings. L
had jus. one dollar in my pocket, and that
| Dlanked down at once before the secretary
of the assoc iation.
whats that for 90 he inquired, eyeing
the money.
That's for home,'' said 1. 'EYoumay
give me one of the best homes you have on
hand, and l viii try it for week. i'll like
it, perhaps IN keep it right along, handing
in a dollar each week"
The secretary smiled and said they hadn't
any homes in just then that would be likely
to suit me, but if / would sit down little
while perhaps some would be handed in
from which l could make selection. l
told him L wasn't particular as some. L
only wanted home with eight or ten rooms,
cellar well stocked, gas and water ON every
floor, front and back entrance and within
five minutes walk of the post-otfice. -
Wouldn't mind paying half dollar or so
extra for the use of piano, billiard table,
library and other little articles to make
home comfortable and happy.
The secretary said that could all be fixed
easily enough. Asked if | wouldn't ike to
have pair of horses and few servants
thrown in.
Then he explained that the association
| dealt in building lots. One dollar week,
! for two or three years, paid for building
lot. That changed the aspect of things
materially. / never could feel entirely at
/ home in vacant lot, no matter if it did
only cost dollar week. To be sure
man might be able TO get his board SO long
/ as the fence lasted, but his lodging wouldn't
/ be entirely agreeable during inclement
/ weather. Suppose l secured the lot, not
/ knowing when | would be able TO build on
/ it. couldn't build much on half a dozen
/ lots obtained i'll that way. Imagine col
ony of us, all settled out there on lots we
couldn't build OH, and every man complain
ing of his lot. What lots of complaining
would be going on. Leave the gate open
at night, and all your children would be
down with cold next morning. Notrou-
bic about catching rain water, though.
| Whenever it rained hard wouldn't we catch
it2 -
/ sat down te observe the proceedings
for a little while. One of the officers of the
association suspended handsome map of
the property on the wall. 1t was laid oct
beautifully in streets running at right an
! giles, and every lot was numbered. You
never saw anything so level as that property
was unless it was the speculator's IS head who
| put it in the market. There was wide
avenue running along one side of 1T, with
a street car and horses on full gallop. /
was panied to see those horses Oh a gallop,
and thought of calling Bergh's attention to
| it, until | learned that the street railroad
isn't built yet-only projected. l shan't
buy package of tickets Immediately. The
president expatiated on the advantages of
| the location; showed how convenient it was
to some toll gate, and made a neat allusiOn
to a graveyard in the vicinity. / suppose
=
| yard, if he is likely to die.
! inquired of the president who paid for
grading the streets. He said that was
charged to the lots. Asked him if Lot S
wife would have to pay for it in case of death
/ ano he asked me if | wasn't ashamed of
/ myself, turning into pillar of salt in that
! manner.
A melancholy man came and sat beside
me. He had evidently dropped in casually
not knowing what was going on. Said he:
: ''Wbat is the occasion of this meeting ?''
! / handed him a circular. He took out a
sorrowful pair of spectacles, and adjusting
them to his grief-stricken nose, read, "a
pleasant home for one dollar week"
| Then he crumpled the paper in his fin
gers, and whispered hoarsely in my ear,
costs me a hundred dollars a week to live,
yet haven't a pleasant home"
s.Why not ?' queried.
! ..My n,other-in-law lives with me ~ he
cried, in anguish, and buried his emotions
in the advertisement
/ suggested that he could buy lot and
send his mother-in-law out there to improve
! it, and this seemed to set him thinking.
But, good heavens suppose other men
should follow his example, and l should
find my lot among whole lot of mothers
in law! When pay dollar week for n
| home don't want to surround myself with
a menagerie.
The meeting was entirely harmonious.
| paid my dollar, and intend to 60 UP IN a
day or two and stake off the fraction oil a
lot already paid for. Ike TO feel that
,ossess real estate, and want to see 1t grow
n,rek by week. When / have enough
staled of to get foothold l shall begin 10
build.
HENRY JONES, of Vermont, on his dy-
inc bed, saiG he had never written word