Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-22
BACHELOR APARTMENTS.
THE UNEQUAL LOT OF MAN AND
WOMAN IN GREAT CITIES.
Comforts and Luxuries Enjoyed by the
Selfish Bachelors Who VIII
Not Marry.

Regular Correspondence of thesuNDAY UNION.
New YORK, December is, 1889.
The New York definition of Bachelor
is one who is neither child nor woman
The bachelor may be young, old, married
very much married or pronouncedly single
Provided he is man and able to pay, h,
is welcomed to fraternity which grow
steadily more numerous, if the building
put up for their accommodation be a cri
terion. They grow, and the bachelor
may be presumed to grow in proportion.
They (the buildiugs) rise up in al
parts OF the city-near the park, thai
bachelors may breathe the fresh air, ride
on bicycles or horseback, drive in car
riages, buggies or the like, or ramble un
disturbedly through leafy paths in summer
or sunny glades in winter-on the confines
of genteeldom, that bachelors may walk to
any fro in going to business, according as
the robustness or delicacy of their consti-
tutions may demand-in the heart of all
that is convenient, that they may with
little delay visit florists, the opera, thea
ters or 60 around generally.
Convenience as to location is equalled
by provision for comforts at home. The
home of the bachelor is indeed the cosiest,
the most inviting that can be imagined.
II he desires any special color in his drap-
cries or furniture, there is variety from
which to choose. If he desires 10 walk on
Administer or Wilton carpets, Administers
or Wiltons arespread before him. If he fan
cies stately tread on rugs and a gaze on
hardwood floors, both rugs and floors lie
ready to be trodden upon or gazed at. Ev-
cry modern convenience awaits him and
he can have dozen baths a day if he
should want them, for there stands his own
bath-tub secure from proclamation.
Secure from proclamation is the entire
suite. The door once closed, behold YER
liable lord of creation. No one can ap-
proach too near or intrude upon him, but
with a touch of the bell, he can bring a
ministering tribe. Doctors will Chamber
out of bed for him and think it no trouble;
nurses will wait on him dayo or night; tele-
graph and messenger boys will cluster
within or without, as the case may be;
hall boys will do all that it is possible for
hall boys TO do, while proprietors will ex-
ercise general supervision and take care
lest the winds of heaven might blow too
roughly on the many-times guarded and
watched over bachelor.
Should he at any hour of the day or
night prefer speaking to ringing, behold
an appliance for so doing. Long rows
of speaking-tubes in the offices below corre-
spond with the prospective voices of so
many bachelors above, and to answer them
some man or boy attends all through the
day, and from nightfall till dawn. Eleva-
tors run for their accommodation, even
through the wee sma' hours in the more
expensive houses and in all, until at least
l O'Clock.
If quite well, but disinclined to go out
together lovely meal set daintily before
him in his sitting-room or parlor. Seated
lazily or luxuriously in his dressing-gown,
he lifts not finger until all is spread and
he is invited to rise and eat Having
eaten, he arises, nor lifts a finger except
perhaps to touch the magic bell, or, should
he prefer, he may stalk forth at his pleas
ure, leaving ali to be cleared away in his
absence. Should he desire it, dinner may
likewise be served in private; but the typi-
cal bachelor prefers something more elab-
crate and perhaps more jovial in the COM
pany of friends.
In return for these varied accommoda-
tiens the bachelors pays from about 5000
to 81 ,000 yearly for suites of from three to
four unfinished rooms-most frequently
the former-sitting-r bedroom and
bathroom. Bachelors there are who rent
one room only and, fitting it up with fold
ing bed. make themselves comfortable at
the modest rate of from 5000 to $500 per
annum. They merit little attention and
are in a small minority, yet they fit in
conveniently, and while provided with hot
and cold water for ordinary ablutions,
must, for more elaborate, share bath-tubs
common to several others.
The furnishing of a majority of these
bachelor suites quite puts to flight the
idea that men cannot take an interest in
domestic matters. Judging by not few,
one would imagine their souls concen-
trated on carpets, tables, chairs, sofas,
draperies, pictures and jimcracks of every
sort. Certainly it must have required
hours of consideration, no end of potter
ing in and out Of stores for the purpose of
buving, and no end of pottering indoors
for the purpose of placing and replacing.
Some few look like fancy bazaars, and
show that men can act as if wearing petit
coats even if under the guise of manly
garb. l should feel doubtful of the woman's
mental caliber who could so eternally fuss,
and what, then, of a so-called man? Pass
ing by such fussers, however, one must
acknowledge excellent taste and a keen
sense of the esthetic in many suites, and
the eve rests with pleasure on a right blend
ing Of colors and adornments, that adorn
without confusion.
Now and then boudoir or even grand
piano eyinces the occupant a lover of
music and a probable performer; very fre-
quentlv a bookcase shows an appreciation
of literature, while an exceptional suite
almost given over to bookcases presented
evidence of a man devoted to something
else than money or good living.
1t is a symptom Of greater sincerity on
the part Of man than woman, that in
bachelor apartment-houses no reception
room is provided into which visitors can
be deluded for the possible telling of gen.
teel fibs as to whether Mr.. So-and-so is at
home. To me this feature appears mill
liant against the woman and to give weight
to a general opinion as to feminine duplic-
itv. Per contra, however, let it be remem-
bered that mems visitors, being usually
men. they can be admitted minus grand
toilet, but as the woman's visitor may not
be a woman or frequently even in case Of a
woman's call, she must be allowed time to
get herself together, etc, etc; during such
etcs. there must be somewhere for the Wis
itor to sit. or in case of too troublesome
etcs. he must be civilly sent away.
But all this is irrelevant and speculative.
The fact remains that the Office is small
and altogether business-like. Yet to the
reflective mind, what food for thought IN
those rows Of bells and speaking-tubes. In
the Office OF well-known building are
placed seventy-fve. They indicate sew
enty-fve human beings, each of whom for
love and care in sickness must depend on
what bells and speaking-tubes backed up
by pocket-book can bring him.
Those seventy-fve bells and speaking
tubes indicate likewise that seventy-fve
women may be struggling for the existence
which seventy-fve bachelors might
brighten, tighten and make what q wo-
mans life ought to be.