St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-06-14
German Houses.

Though the houses are large and
roomy, it must not be imagined that
they possess the comforts and luxuries
OF the American modern life. For all
these buildings, standing end to end the
whole length of the streets without an
| inch OF space between them, and lifting
their four and five stories skyward to
be crowned with mansard root, the
attic of which is cut up into rooms and
inhabited these houses, quite i'm
| posing to look at though they are, are
nothing more nor less than heightened
tenement-houses, which, in America,
are dignified with the name "flats." In
these houses the vast majority of Ger
| mans live, only the Jay Goulds and the
Vanderbllts of the different cities being
reckless and comfort-lovlng enough to
have what every American signs for
and is not contented until he hasa
house of his own, occupied only by him
self and family, standing upon ground
which he owns and surrounded by some
sort of a garden. No, the German
tradesman, even though he becomes
comparatively rich and able to
provide himself a home, is per-
fectly contented to rent one-half of
one of the stories of one of these
heightened tenement-houses and live
there without being able to enjoy any
of that privacy which should surround
the domicile of every family. For,
when your dwell 'ng is separated from
that of your neighbor by only the thin
nest of partition walls; when his front
door opens on the same little landing
of the winding stairs which go, cork
screw fashion, from the lowest to the
highest floor at the extreme rear of the
house; when, as is always the case in
Germany, yonr neighbours wife likes to
gossip with your servant girl and is al
ways eager for news, it is impossible to
be private about.your own affairs any
more than it was in the canvas-parti-
toned houses in San Francisco thirty
years ago. These German houses are
SO much alike that a description of one
will do for al Of them. Tie following
is true picture of the one / live in:
Looked at externally it has very re-
spectacle, solid look about it, its MANY
windows giving it somewhat the APP
pearance of barracks or a manufacto-
ry. It's front, while not actually bare
of characterization, is relieved only by
the window frames and holdings. each
window having heavy cornice and
projecting sill.
The little dormer windows on the
mansard roof give the upper part of the
building sort of "pop-eyed' appear
ance, as if it were suffering from a bad
fright or were trying its best to look
down over the caves into the street by
protruding its window eyes as far as
possible. What color the building was
when it was first built and stood forth
in all the glory of brave new coat of
paint, is a mystery. Now it has that
color peculiar to all
houses in Leipsic which have been ex-
posed for a few months to the SCOT
laden air. It's basement, with the IRON
barred windows half above and half be-
low the level of the sidewalk, suggests
. subterranean prison. But the base
nent is not prison; it is the residence
of that important, though humble, indi-
Tidual, the hGu&nsarsn, and his numer-
ous family of children, from the babe in
he arms to the whining school-boy,
creeping, like snail, unwillingly to
SCHOOL, The front doorLor rather
1oors, for there are two of them closing
o the center-.is massive concern
With glass panels, protect ed on the out
tde by iron bars or scroll-Work, and
'pens into the street hall. This latter
S paved with small square flags and its
walls and ceilings are ornamented with
tencil-plate frescoes and stucco-work
q browns, sky-blues and peach-tree
.reens. Besides being thus orna-
nented, the. walls are generally
treaked and striped with the marks OF
irty hands, left there by the numerous
hildren living in the stories above, and
cratched and Scared by contact with
askets, boxes and bundles. There is
large frame hanging on the wall OF
ne hall containing the names and oc-
apations of the different tenants, to-
ether with the story in which they
lay found-a sort of house directory,
! TACT. The hall, generally placed in
he middle of the building, leads from
re street directly in the rear. Here it
lYides, one part leading out into the
lrty, stone-paVed court, where the ash
it for the whole house is, and the other
lrning off at right angles to the foot of
Re winding, narrow-stepped wooden
airs. Each storyof the house is pro-
ded with two stair landings, one at
le level of the floor and the other half
ay up to the story aboye.-Cor. San
rg,acssco Chronicle.
@=.s----------------=s- = 49, s