The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-05-25

Lodgers With Unexceptionable References
Who are Very Objectionable.

n icPOItcI interviewed MS laDOldug, VINO
gave her experience with her dodgers for the
year.
Yes, sir" she said, 81 read the article in
the Herald, and 1 know how to sympathize
with the lady who portrayed her suffering:
for one day, and think, if you desire it
my trouble for the past year with the lodger:
whose references were frst-class, and from
whom only proper conduct should have beer
expected, may add little TO the knowl
edge of the public, who invariably take the
side of the ledger against the landlady, en-
tirely disregarding the circumstances
When took this house / expended nearly
all my capital in furnishing it completely
and as everything was in first-class condition
| readily found dodgers at advantageou:
prices Being new to the business, and
having still some confidence in human ma
ture, believed what people said to me,
and, after the exercise of what appeared to
me unusual circumspection, congratulated
myself that L was in possession OI a lot of
model dodgers, all of whom had taken their
rooms for the year, and whose references,
ETC., were most unexceptionable.
"In this pleasant dream l continued for
nearly one whole week, after which grad
uaiiy 10 the IaCt lhdI human mature
had its imperfectiOns. The first gun was
fired by lady who appeared SO nice, so
quiet, that / believed nothing unpleasant
with her could possibly happen. My agree
ment with her was that the price of her
apartments should be $40 per week, PAYABLE
in advance, and with the provision that if
she desired to leave / was to have months
notice. She was to receive the ordinary at
tendance, and fires were to be extra, the
x@r.n kas,, I'll . fsl. e.
well, one morning in May, when il was
damp and rainy, her bell rang and she asked
the servant for fire, which was of course at
once supplied. The week was cold and dis
agreeable, and the fire was kept up during it
all. Upon the first of the week, when
making out my bills, l added-fires, fifty
cents-which scarcely covered the cost, with
out taking the trouble of making them. The
bills were sent up to the different rooms by
the servant, and was startled by hearing
the bell of this lady's room ringing furious
lv. 1t rang again and again. and tbintinc
something unusual had occurred, l
answered it myself.
Upon entering the room at first scarcely
recognized my quiet ledger. Standing with
flushed face and flashing eyes, she at once
demanded, What is this imposition. charg-
ing me with fires for few days? | won't
stand it, and if it happens again I'll leave
the house."
"Now, | was not a veteran. and having
been brought up lady determined not to
lose my temper, but at the same time TO be
firm and unyielding. / said. Madam, will
you kindly be seated and restrain yourself
for | am not accustomed to outbursts of
temper
MY very calmness seemed to add fuel to
the flames, and found i had now started a
fire for which she would supply the fuel
what she said and how she acted space
will not permit me to say, but low lodging
house keeper was one of her least unpleas-
ant remarks.
Il did not give her the opportunity to
trouble me much longer, but telling her to
yacatt at the end of the week. or immedi-
ately i. in lined to oblige me- 1 enforced the
payment for the fires and found myself with
my best room upon my hands.
GAS STOVES SOURCE OF WOE.
'At the beginning of the winter had my
house full, and to prevent any possibility of
trouble had interviews with all my tenants
regarding fires, etc, and, with varying sue
cess, made arrangements to supply Goals
ETC., at the cost to me, or as nearly as such
cost could be estimated Here | made
grevious error, for had / charged each good
round, definite price per week the matter
would have been settled, but I neglected
this precautiOn, and the result was that
was not paid at all by some, who said they
had no recollection of any such agreement,
while others paid about one-half of the
proper amount in the most reluctant man
ner. During the winter season | noticed
that my gas bills were enormous Happen
ing to mention the amount of one of the
bills to my servant, she said it was no WON
der, as Mrs. - and Mrs. -- both had
gas stoves in their rooms upon which they
he oil lfnhf
ed nearly all day, except when knock was
heard at their doors, when they were ex-
tInguished to be relighted as soon as posi-
bic. This was done 10 avoid going out TO
meals in severe weather. / visited these
ladies at a time when i thought the stoves
would be burning the gas. One / found
lighted, and | should have been sorry to
was extinguished when / came into the
room.
Both ladies refused to pay anything ex-
ira for the gas thus consumed, and when
told them they could not be supplied with
il further was convinced (oh, poor human
nature) that they intended using it when
ever it was convenient My only alterna
tive was 10 turn off the gasat the meter from
a. IN. to 5 p. m, and l found my next
months bill much less than its predeces-
sors."
II had leased my front parlor to doctor,
and dearly L regretted it. He induced me
TO sign lease for a year, saying ii embodied
our verbal agreement. i, being verdant
was no match for him-a veteran, as | after
ward discovered, who could never remain
more than one year in one place, and who
only retained his rooms because he had the
written contract.
This M. ID. had no practice, but was the
.possess0r OF some money and many relatives
all of whom flocked to his room daily He
was old, vulgar, bullying, and altogether
troublesome. He went into the halls in his
undertaking, Invested himself of his cloth
ing in the presence of my servant, and re-
fused to leave my house, although / offered,
two weeks after his coming, to defray all ex-
penses of removal. He put up, upon the
inside of my front door, a large iron, box
marked DIR. IS letters and said plain
ly that neither myself nor my servant
should touch his letters, but that the post
man should alone deposit them after tue
door had been opened, as he would not in
trust his correspondence 10 my handling.
I, of course, sent for a locksmith, had the
box removed, and the pieces returned to
him.
ished cursing, etc, was TO put up gong on
the door, which he attached to the wire OF
the door-oell, so that he could hear every
ring and put his sinister countenance into
the hall, around his door, 50 to espy the per-
son entering This was readily disposed of
hammer in vigorous hands making short
work of it, and, as in the case of the box, the
pieces were sent to him. He persuaded
some of my tenants TO leave, but was always
ready with his rent except upon two occa
sions. / served upon him the usual prelim