, 1879-02-23
Cheap Houses.

TO the Editor of The Tribune.
CHICAGO, Feb. Owe noted with interest
in YOUR last Sunday issue favorable comment
upon the progress being made in homes for the
working people, and mentioned in connection
the venture OF Mr. White, OF Brooklyn, l.. l.,
who has demonstrated without further doubt
that comfortable, sale, and healthy homes for
the laboring classes may be erected with profit
to the owner.
Mr.. CLAY, OF our firm, in 3 recent visit to the
East, had tie good fortune of being conducted
through A1r. Whites building, and OF
Thoroughly examining every essential point Of
their construction. Thinking Il brief descrip-
tion of these remarkable tenements might be
acceptable to your colums and OF interest to
your readers, we append the following:
These buildings, NOW six or more in NUM-
Der, are located in the vicinity Of Hicks md
Baltic streets, within five minutes walk Of the
ferries to New York city, in thickly-scttled
and most respectable nelgboorhooa. Some are
entirely devoted to tcnemcnts,, others haEe
small stores or shops on the first floor: Inc
most conspicuous, perhaps. are those known -
the slower Building, 81 which have length Of
200 feet on Hicks street, anti arc two rooms, OF
tnirty-six feet. in depth. This building has
twelve stores on the first floor, and five stories
OF teuements above, each floor having twelve
teue1nsuts making sixty in the whole building.
There is large cel1eragc, we'll lighted,
below the stores, and each tenant has therein
excellent storage accommodation The various
portions of the building are approached By
three fireproof staircases, reaching from cellar
to roof, lld opening out on the street-frontage
at each floor. Each staircase accommo modates four
families on floor. The notable points about the
building in amore particular way are as follows:
Each dwelling is complete nome in itself.
Every room has direct sunlight aud air. Each set
of apartments has the foil lowing conyeniences
exclusively reserved to its occupants: i private
hall on which all rooms OF the set open; closets.
dresser. coal-box, ash-shoot, wash-tub, sink OF
large size, water-c1oset well ventilated and sup
p:ied from a tank, etc. Each suite consists Of
three living rooms OF comfortable proportions,
and wash-room which contains sink, WASH
tub, and wateEcloset, separating them thus in
a great N easurc from the main apartments. By.
perfcct drainage, the use OF the best material,
abundance Of light, air. and water, clean and
airr halls, ample and frc-proof staircases, these
buildings offer comfortable and healthful home.
to mechanics and others who wish to live pri-
yateIy and decenriy at moderate rents. which
vary accor1in. to location from $3.50 down to
S1.50 per week. ..
We have prepared small sketch OF the gen
eral arrangement which we would be glad to
show to a1y persons interested or place in your
columns ut future date should you wish to
publish tile same. :
OF course such buildings as We have described
can only be erected by capitalists and on Z large
scale, but it seems that in large city Us Chi
agosuhefts ibeIe is. such pressing need for:
something OF this kind it could be done with
credit anil profit. Very respectfully, .
WHEELoCK s. CLAI.