Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-01-14
ROOMS FOR BACHELORS.
MEN IN SINGLE eLEssEpNEss WHO
90 THEIR OWN housEwoRK,

with being . typographical hlunder, but
the sad eyed actor who was waiting for q
date that never came put all doubts at
rest by affirming that the advertisement
meant just what It said.
"There ID more than house in New
York." he said, "where single men rent
rooms and do their own housekeeping,
cooking, making beds, sweeping, and 40
on, and a lite life it is II a man ia built
that way. I am proud to say that while
I was down on my luck I occupied an
alcove In this house mentioned in
the advertisement. Ipaid s. a week and
lived for So more. A legacy left to mo
by my aunt has put higher living in my
power, and I left my bachelor room with
regret. The life was pleasant, and after
I became a bit expert at cooking I assure
you that I cooked many a dainty with all
the skill Of q French chef"
The writer visited the house where the
furnished rooms for housekeeping for gen.
tlemen were located. The ring at the bell
was answered by a tidy Irish girl, who
said that they had one room vacant. The
landlady was summoned and showed the
reporter up two flights to q bnck room.
"This is to rent with all the n~ecessarles
for light housekeeping. A closet in the
hall is the place for your coal and -FOUR
green groceries and an Ice box for your
meat. The price is 81 per week."
HOME coNvENlENcRs.
The room was about fourteen feet
square. 1t contained a folding bed, Q
cheap ch%iffouniere. ON which were two tea
cups aud sauccrs of fancitul pattern. In
the different compartments were other
dishes VI stoneware and glass. A cup
h0O ri afr~NN AZ kk.. ~trvI,H - A. $500 =
which were W tatlecloths. four napkins,
= quilt and a woolra blanket, and In q
lower compartment an iron pot, q spider
and two stew paus. The stove was a No.
D, with two covers, and wa polished
brightly. A wardrobe, sofa, easy chair.
two dining chairs and q round table were
placed about the room in convenient posi-
lions.
"You don't rent rooms to womens' re-
marked the reporter.
"No, indeed; l don't want any women
about my house. They are more trouble
than they are worth. fused to rent rooms
to women, but they found fault with
everything. They washed their clothes In
the bathroom and invaded the kitchen at
al times In the day to borrow 1atirons.
I have q houseful Of gentlemen who cook,
eat and sleep here, and I never hear a
word of complaint and seldom see them,
only when they pay their rent"
"What class of men do you havei"
Il have with me now q reporter, an
actor, q street car conductor, a florist. an
engineer on the Elevated railroad, a book
keeper, two clerks who cook together, and
. policeman"
At this point tho lady was informed Of
the object Of the reporters visit, and she
sat down to enlighten him further.
II am an English woman" she said.
''and kept lodgings in London before COM
ing to New York. There 1t Is a common
thing for men to do their own housekeep-
ing. I came to New York as a waiting
maid to an English actress. Liking the
city I concluded to stop here, and con-
ceived the idea Of renting rooms to gentle
men only. AT first I did not meet with
success, but now I can rent all of my
rooms. I pay 500 a month for this
house. l have eight rooms that bring mo
In $40. There is $40 profit on my rent.
Then l get my living from my roomers.
o see, it's this way. A woman nine
times u of ten will throw away her
vase, but u man won't. My rooms give
me moro than l can eat-a bunch of Gel
cry and other green stuff, meat and fruit
that WY spoil, and of which they had
purchased too much. My servant girl
costs me IS q month only, but she doesn't
do anything but laundry work and my
cooking. My roomers make their own
beds, and very handy they are at It,"
THROUGH TIL ROOMS.
The lady then took the reporter through
the house. Only n room was untidy,
and that was the actors. Clay pipes and
tobacco were scattered over tho mantel;
shoes, slippers and clothing were thrown
about tho room, while on the bed, slovenly
made up, was q pile Of manuscript and
books.
"This man is an actor Of good parts"
explained the lady, 'but he is slouchy
about his room. Quite different Is the
next room that Is occupied by the engi-
neer.n
This room was neatness %personifled.
The bed was as smooth as could be, the
floor was swept clean, and the tin pans
were as bright as the brasses on his engine
| probably were. A small library vas sus-
pended on a shelf containing books on
railroading, a dictionary and Shakespeare.
Other rooms visited showed the same
neatness, but each had some character.
tstic of the occupant by way Of ornament.
The policeman had two clubs crossed over
his mantel with a pair Of boxing gloves
between them. The clerks room was
fixed up with plush holders for brushes
and papers, with the photographs of noted
actresses stuck here and there on the
walls. A pile Of poker chips and a pack
of cards were most conspicuous In the
bookkeeper's room, but the beds were
! well made and the floors and dishes clean.
"These men" said the lady, "are up
early, get their breakfast. wash their
dishes, dress for business and are of, all
Of them before 8 o'clock. They return
from 4 to 7 at night, get their supper and
60 out again. They are quiet and better
tenants than any I ever had"
sis poverty the cause Of their living In
this ways"
"oh, no, I guess not. You know the
old saying that one half the world doesn't
know how the other half lives. saw the
bookkeeper's salary envelope one week
and it had $50 marked on 1t. lam sure
that all Of my dodgers except the actor get
good salaries. He sometimes doesn't get
any; but I let him stop, for he pays when
he can"
At this juncture . neatly dressed gen.
tleman came in and passed up the stairs.
1t was tho bookkeeper, and the reporter
lin II D Iau0lll6T slSQt III Ino
hotel rotundas, a good fellow all around,
and supposed to live at . fashionable
boarding house up town.
The shopping for the ONE wal done
by the girl, who bought whatever the
lodger wished, taking his book to the store
and entering each article Of provision
purchased, for which the men paid weekly.
Now York Evening Sun.
1 -~-r --yN -
A Cuff for All.