Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-06-06
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 roof, the
attic of which is cut up into rooms and
inhabited all these houses, quite inn
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
Vanderbilts of the different cities being
reckless and comfort-lovIng enough TO
have what every American signs for
and Is not contented until he has-a
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 home, is per-
fectly contented to rent one-half of
one OF the stories of one of these
high-toned 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 dwelling is separated from
that OF your neighbor by only the thin
nest oil 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. your neighbours wife likes to
gossip with your servant girl and is al
ways eager for news, il is impossible to
be private about your own affairs any
moro than IL was in the canvas-parti-
toned houses in San Francisco thirty
years ago. These German houses are
so much alike that description of one
will do for all of them. The following
Is true picture of the one i live in
Looked ut externally it has a very re-
spectacle. solid look about it, its mauy
windows giving it somewhat the APP
pearance of n barracks or . manufacto-
~. Its front. while not actually bare
OF ornamentation, is relieved only by
the window frames and holdings. each
window having heavy cornice and a
projecting sill.
The little dormer windows on the
mansard roof give the upper part of the
building a sort Of pop-eyed' appear.
ance, as If it were suffering from 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 il was first built and stood forth
IN all the glory of brave new coat oi
paint. is mystery. Now it has thai
chocolate-gray color peculiar TO al
houses in Leipsic which have been ex,
posed for few mnnths to the SCOT
laden air. Its basement, with the iron
barred windows half above and half be
low the level of the sidewalk, suggests
. suoterranean prison. But the base.
ment Is not prison; Il is the residence
OF that important. though humble. indi'
vidual, the hdstsDiaan, and his numer.
Gus family Of children, from the babe in
the arms to the whining school-boy
creeping. like snail. unwillingly Il
school" The front door--or. rather
doors. for there are two of them closing
70 the center-is massive concern
with glass panels. protected on the out