Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-28

i GOING Up.
| An interesting conversation occurred In an ar
chitect's Office the other day. Several visitors
happened to be present who had come in to at
| tend 10 some business They began to talk about
i houses and house building. and one OF them
said that it was quite common to hear people
say that Q house always cost more than the
owner expected when he began to build
| There il no doubt that is quite generally the
case" observed the architect.
at has not been so in my experience" said
one Of the group, who is quite an extensive
| builder.
There are exceptions, you know, to every
| rule" observed one of the listeners.
"Of course there are exceptions" said the
architect, and they are easily accounted for.
The man who builds house within the con-
tract price has made up his mind exactly. what
kind OF a house he wants when the specifica-
| the details, just where he will have his closets
and exactly how he will finish all the
rooms. All that remains to be done
during the period the house is being
built is to see that the specifications are being
| carried out. As there are no changes, OF
course there are no extras. and SO be finds
| when the house is ready that he had paid eN
actly what ne contracted to pay-no more, no
| less. II he changes his mind about any detail,
and the change involves an increased expendi
tuIc, h5 10 BtueTdily tue case, Ne
that is all He has enjoyed the luxury of
| changing his mind and he ought not to object
! to footing the bill for the enjoyment"
IF that is all that is needed" said one of the
group, II should think that there would be no
difficulty. People ought certainly to know
what kind of a house they want when they start
\ in to build one."
But they don't" quietly rejoined the archi-
tect, land that is why house building is not
popular with some. There are some minds that
Il IL III
any idea from tine drawing what kind of a
building is called for. "The lines. the dimensions
| of the rooms and the other details assume no
| concrete form in their minds"
That is a fact" said one of the listeners.
| ~ know a bright and successful business man
who was unable to understand the plans of an
ordinary ons-story four-room house. The
| simplest kind Of an outline drawing was made
| of the ground plan. 1t was then proposed as
| an alternative to reverse the plan and have ex-
! actly the same arrangement, the only differ
| ence being that the rooms in one plan would
open to the south instead of the north, as in the
other plan He could not get it through his
| head how it was to be done. He was willing,
| however, 10 trust to the judgment of others
and when the house is built he will, no doubt,
| know all about it,
| The architect did not seem to think that this
was an extraordinary case and so did not join
| In the expressions of wonder which were heard
on all sides.
THE GROWING CITY.
During the past five years the business of
the street car lines in this city have doubled
Their pay rolls are not only twice what they
used to be, but the receipts show an increase
which fully justifies the lengthening expendi-
lures The growth in the street facilities
and che promised future development is one of
the indications OF the increase in the popula-
ton OF the city. There is another indication
which Is Just now very conspicuous and that is
the ease and rapidly with which the stock of
new corporations have been recently
taken up. During the past few months
| considerably over million dollars have been
subscribed for stock in new local enterprises.
In every case the amount of the subscription
has nearly doubled the proposed issue of
the stock. To safely organize enterprises of
this character demands not only large popu-
lation but money in abundance. In both these
respects this city now meets all requirements,
and there is no doubt but that the new COM
panies will meet with as much success as those
already securely established
There Is another evidence OF growth. Nearly
$50 900 was expended last year in the erection
OF school buildings in the section of the Dis
trlct known as the county. This a large
sum OF money to be spent for such purpose.
The population outside of the limits of the city
has been rather sparse and it was found that
renting small building here and there would
furnish all the facilities needed. There has
been a great change within the past four years.
The population OF the county has increased
and the increase in the number of the
school buildings shows what large addi-
lions have been made to the number of
residents within the District lines and outside
of the city limits. Superintendent Powell says
that the school accommodations in Auacostia,
Hillsdale, Brightwood, Tenleytown aud IN other
parts of the county have been doubled since
he took charge of the public schools. This was
four years ago. and each year the demand for
more and large buildings is heard. The class
of buildings erected is equal in all respects to
those built IN the city, so that those seeking
homes outside of the city limits enjoy good
schools as well as the other modern improve
ments which sure to follow the tide of
population.
soXE NEW HOUSES.
Mr.. T. W. Smith is building residence on
East Capitol street between 9th and 7th streets,
| which will be three stories and basement in
| height. The architect, Mr.. Geo. W. COOPER
has selected press brick in carrying out the de-
| sign OF the fron:, which will be enriched with
brown stone trimmings. The circular bay win
dow terminates at the third story with a bal
| cony. The roof is high-pitched and covered
with red slate. The finish of the entire first
| floor will be in hard wood and the oak STAR
case forms an effective feature. The house
will be heated by hot water
Mr.. Cooper has designed a pretty house for
Mr.. John Q. Davidson which is being built on
| 2 street between 18th and 18th streets The
| front will be OF brick and stone with an octag-
| onal bay, finished at the third story with bal
| cony. A porch of brick and stone with a slate
roof il at the main entrance. On the first floor
| there VIII be a parlor. library and dining room
| and large buffers pantry. The stairway will
| be Of oak, separated from the entrance hall by
| screen. In toe entrance hall there will be a
| corner fire place. The house will be heated by
hot water, and will contain twelve rooms
| A house for Prof. Lent on Corcoran street,
| between 18th and 10th streets, is being built
from designs by Mr. Cooper. 1t is 20 feet front
| by 60 feet deep, and the front will be built of
pressed brick with brown-stone trimmings On
| the first floor there will be a music room. re-
ception room, dining room and kitchen and
the drawing room will occupy the front of the
| second story. The woodwork of the house will
| be finished throughout in enamelled white
Plans are being prepared for the erection of
| SIX three-story houses at the northeast corner
! of 18th street and Corcoran street. The archi-
tect, MIR. n. I. Halter, intends to use both
stone and brick in the construction of the
fronts. The owner is Mr. John +. Waggaman
Mr.. Halter is also preparing plans for music
| hall which is to be erected at Charlton Heights,
| subdivision on the Baltimore and Ohio road
beyond Hyattsville. The owner Of the prop
| erty, Mr. Jas. E. Waugh, is erecting a fine resi-
dence there. 1t is expected that when the
| building operations for the season are COM
pleted that there will be some thirteen new
houses built there.
THE GOLD MINING INDUSTRY
The suburban improvements that are being
\