Omaha daily bee., 1880-06-15
MODEL TENEMENTS.

The question of improved dwellings
for The poorer classes is engaging the
public attention at present to agreater
degree than wei before. The noble
example of.George Peabody and the
Baroness Burdette Coutts in London
has not been wasted, and the alarm
ing statistics presented by the health,
officers in our crowded cities are
calling loudly for some prompt and
effective action. A band Of
phila athropic New Workers. have lately
organized themselves into a company
whore object it is to build a number of
model tenements for the working
classes of the city which will be fur
nishsd with all the sanitary improve
ments of the age and will be at the
same time comfortable, home like and
attra tive. The separate cottages for
individual workingmen will be built
of thu best materials, well lighted and
ventilated, while the tenement houses
ere equally comfortable and healthy.
New York, however, is not the first
American city which has attempted
the problem of cheap and healthy
dwellings for the POOR. Five years
ago Mr.. White, a Brooklyn philan-
thropist, determined 4 make the ex-
pertinent of founding a system of
model tenement houses in that city.
The result has been a surprising sue
cess, aud from the first beginnings a
large settlement of MIR. Whites cheer.
full little buildings has sprung
up on the corner of Hicks
and Baltic streets. The New
York Times, which has been in
vestigatipg the workings of Mr..
Whites buildings, finds them admi-
rably conducted and peculiarly sue.
cessful. The buildings include cot
tsge houses for individual working
men, and large tenement houses.
There are s houses with 8 rooms
each, aud &c houses with 6 rooms in
each building; besides these, A tene-
ment dwelling with 6 rooms each, %
tenements with 8 room, 143 dwellings
with 4 rooms, and 40 with 8 each, be-
tides is stores and shops, or 269 total
dwellings. So successful and at
tractive have these tenements been
that on May 1, 266 were already
let. There has been during the year
In these improved dwellings over one
thousand tenants, with an average of
2 10 persons in each tenament, and
BIS in each cottage. The great body
of The tenants are of the laboring and
artisan classes. The rooms are all
separate suites, with separate closets;
they have in general no dark bed
rooms, and are capitally ventilated;
many are tcheerful and sunny apart
ments; all have fre-proof stairways,
drying rooms on the roof, chutes for
garbage, cellars, and are under scrup-
ulous moral snd sanitary supervision.
The refuse is collected from the
cellars by carts privately employed by
the landlosrd. Water is admitted
everywhere, and some of the houses
have an agreeable open place or garden
within the quadrangle. Mr.. White
has not as yet published the death-rate
in his houses, but there is little doubt
that 1t will not exceed that Of the
healthiess resorts in this country-say
$l5 per 1000. All this large settlement
of houses represents a capital of $3.50, |
600, and yet SC well has 1t been
managed that the rents alone for
the past year have amounted to
SIS, 6S9; against this have been charged
IS, 564 for expenses of Office,
reading-room, cleaning; and taxes and
water rents, $3.50, with a consider.
able sum, s4,34O, set aside for i'm.
provements, leaving a net income of
sI5,51S, or more than 6 per cent. on
the capital stock of S250,00O. This
certainly thorough success. The
dwellings, have not only given pleas
INT and heaithful homes to a thousand
but they have proved an ex-
business investment, and have
demonstrated to landlords and build
rs that improved and wholesome
without ovescrowding ard
Iudsr moral conditions, can be made
0 nav, /;