Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-08
EAST VERSUS WEST.
Arguments in Favor Of Philadelphia
as a Mechanics Residence.
RENTS LOWERTHAN INPITTSBURG.
Cheap transportation, Good Drainage and
Excellent Markets.
AfARADISE FOR EAGER DUCK HUNTERS
WRITTEN ron THE D1sPArcH.


An article in last Sundays DISPATCH,
signed f. H., is evidently intended to create
an impression about the cheapness of living
in Pittsburg as compared with Philadel-
phia, which is not quite correct generally or
in detail. A comparison of Philadelphia
homes with "Pittsburg Cozy Homes" of the
same class, location and rental Will always
result in favor of PHILADELPHIA.
The locality visited in West Philadelphia
by f. H, between Chestnut and Vine
streets, has some very lovely homes, and
some sections of that district are considered
the most desirable of the districts where
houses can be rented. Barring street, Thirty
second, Thirty-third, up to Forty-frst street,
Powelton avenue, are all elegant neighbor-
hoods, where houses are semi or alto
gether detached. Most OF them have
front, side and rear yards, with vines,
trees, many of them very large with
splendid foliage, stone walls, iron fences,
streets and sidewalks both paved, all
severed, cleaned, painted and in good con-
dition. It is true there are in that district
some cheap neighborhoods, where the pig
and the pig weed, the goat and the TN can,
and ragged, dirty children flourish. There
are other streets where houses are built in
long rows, which are rattle traps and
tumble-downs. Many Of these houses were
built before the Centennial of 1876, or i'm
mediately afterward. They were, many of
them, contract houses and look as though
blight had suddenly fallen on them,
But if f. II. will take the same kind
OF house, as to finish, neighborhood,
sewerage. pavements, etc., and compare it
with her "cozy Pittsburg homes" she will
probably find that she will have to fall
back on to the larger wages paid
to mechanics in Pittsburg. As
rule, a mechanic can live cheaper
East than he can in Pittsburg on the
same wages. But mechanic as rule can
not live on Barring or Thirty-second streets or
other such places. Rents are high there as
they would be on Hiland, Fifth, Ellsworth
(below Roup), Penn avenues or Craig,
Neville and other high-toned streets in
Pittsburg. A house on paved and severed
street. with trees along the sidewalks,
painted and in good condition in Pittsburg
costs money to even look at. Few would
wish to rent such property under 10 per
cent of its value, which with the taxes of
would net about 8 per cent, and the tenant
mall cases pays the water rent, which is
always paid by the landlord in the East.
The same money that is paid as rent and
water rent on an uupaved, unsewered street
in Pittsburg for detached house, with
good view from bow windows, will bring
much finer house on q paved street in
Philadelphia.
HOW THE RENTS COMPARE.
The long, drawn-out houses in Philadel-
phia spoken of by F. H., with the shelf Of
wood or marble for a manteI piece, and the
hot air registers throughout the house, cost
from $18 to $25 per month, but the same
house in Pittsburg would cost and do cost
from $50 to $40 and the water rent Take for
instance in the neighborhood of Penn and
Winebiddle avenues. Four brick houses
on a lot 66x100, of six rooms, rent for $18
per month each; another lot of 50x110 has
three brick houses on it, each of five rooms,
and they rent for $16 each per month. Out 4
Penn avenue, near Negley avenue, are two 4
frame houses on a lot 25x60 Of four rooms \
each, renting for $11 per month and water
rent besides. Few really desirable houses
in the East End on paved or unpaved
street can be had for less than $500 per year
and about $22 water rent. 1t is contention
I would submit with confidence that a far
superior house cannot be had in Northwest
or even on Barring street or West Philadel-
The drainage of Pittsburg or its lack of
sewerage has been its great drawback for
many years. Philadelphia has 300 miles of
sewerage. There can be no comparison
there.
Natural gas is great fuel, and no doubt
Philadelphians would be glad to have it on
account of its superior cleanness, and de-
crease of labor in the matter of ashes and
carrying coal. But on account of economy,
they would find their gas bills would
nearly, if not quite, equal their coal bills,
so that this would not be an element of
cheapness. The rosy days when person
could destroy all of the gas mis- burners
would consume have about come to an end,
and the meter comes to the front with its /
tales of large and extravagant consump-
ton, while the head OF the house will be
constantly on the lookout to stop waste,
which means extravaganza and large bills.
People who have heretofore kept their
houses too hot may, even In the desire for
economy, go little to the other extreme, so
Comfortable, cozy homes" mentioned by
f. H., may by next winter be about as cool
as her Philadelphia house, heated by regis
ter, was.
As to the quality Of the water there can
not be any difference between the Phila-
delphia and the Pittsburg supply in rainy
weather. Both are about as bad as they
can be, only in Philadelphia the muddy
water slips down easy, while a person in
Pittsburg occasionally chews sand for some
time after using.
AS TO TRANSPORTATION.
Pittsburg cable cars are much better than
the Philadelphia cars, because they have a
system of double trucks, one under each end
of the car, while the Philadelphia cars have
only one truck of four wheels under the GEN.
ter Of the car, which causes occasionally dis
agreeable rocking motion. Their new cars,
however, are of the double-truck kind. The
fares in Pittsburg, however, are not SO favor
able to the poor man or mechanic.
IF man has to take two railroads be will |
be compelled to pay full fare twice. Even
on the Hiland avenue "Buss," which is a
branch of the Pittsburg traction line, they
will not give anywhere In Pittsburg trans
fer check onto another road, while in Phila-
deIphia man can ride down Columbia ave-
nue. and exchange to the lower part of the
city, seven or eight miles for five cents. He
can ride from West Philadelphia to Kens-
ington, nine miles, for eight cents. He can
in short exchange in almost any direction
for mostly one fare. sometimes fare and q
half The fares on the steam railroads are
also cheaper East than here, while all the
bridges are free.
AS to the markets Of Philadelphia, which
f. II. does not seem to appreciate, they
are not excelled by London or New York.
The latter may be equal, but not superior.
Aside from the general run of vegetables
and meats, the necessities of life, the lux
md 0as hn lo1 in fhasr.