Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-11
HOUSE HUNTING TROUBLES.
Trials Of House Renters and Those Be.
ginning to Keep House.


ginning to Keep House.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOUSE RENTING IN THE
SPRING AND IN THE AUTUMN-soME OF THE
OBSTACLES wAsHISaroNIANs HAVE TO coHBAr
THE SERVANT QUEsTIoN-rHE FUNDS
In Washington there are two special seasons
of the year when house-hunting is the order
of the day, and we may truthfully add dreams
bv night None of those who have passed
through the ordeal can ever know Just the
amount of worry, disgust, disappointments,
| trouble and vexation of soul, mind and body
that congregate to harass q house-hunter.
Thrice blessed are those who are be-
yond the pale Of that necessity,
or such as are willing to ex-
| list upon the mysteries OF boarding
! house manifestations More young married
couples are on the lookout for houses and
go to housekeeping in the spring time than
! at any other season. The reasons are obvious.
In the first place. rents are lower through the
| summer, and thus something can be saved in
| the beginning. Then living is cheaper-no
| fires to eat up tons of coal, gas bills are les
sened. fruit and vegetables plentiful. and by
| the time the frosty winds of November are
| trumpeting the approach of winters chilling
blasts the domestic machinery is, or at least
ought to be, in good running order and a snug
little home, perchance, bids defiance to cold
| and snowy weather.
in the fall which is the other season. the in
coming participants of official life; the seekers
| OF social gayeties at the national capital. and
| the Woodworking. ever-in-trouble boarding
| house matrons, or the merely room-renting ten
| antry-wlth that usual encumbrance of a half
Inundated and semi-ferocious husband to
| clothe and feed-altogether form an army OF
| house-huntars. prey upon which the wide
| awake renting agents tradesmen and auction
GERS feast and get happy.
HOUSE HUNTING IN THE SPRING.
In each and every case house hunting is
nominally the same, involves the same amount
of annoyance, disgust and despair, but it is of
| those who seek homes at this season of the
year this paper will speak, leaving the autumn
| contingent to future consideration.
| The young couple of moderate means who
| start out i'll life and house hunting smulta-
neously, generally begin with exalted antici-
pations They have their ideal domicilee
| engraved upon their minds, balconies and
bay windows included They start out re-
solved to have only this or that, but gen.
orally wind ND by taking whatever they can
| get. Both NJ. Husband and Mrs. Wife
| too often conclude that the architects and
builders have conspired to plan and construct
| houses intended as models of the greatest in
| convenience and compare their own capabili-
tiles for building with that of the owner of the
property, greatly to the latter's disadvantage.
THE GREAT STUMBLING BLOCK
| with the average Washingtonian in this regard
is the choice between good-looking house in
an questionable quarter and one q long dis
lance out. The preference, Of course, is for
the more fashionable section, where it is the
| rule to live well and show up finely. When
a couple of limited means indiscreetly get
! themselves into and become entangled
| by the meshes of this fashionable net they
sooner or later fall under the latter portion of
that philosophical dictum of Mr.. Micawber.
| that if a man had twenty pounds wear for
his income and spent nineteen pounds nineteen
shillings and sixpence he would be happy; but
If he spent twerty pounds one he would be ut
terly miserable"
| THE LOCALITY AND THE HOUSE.
Admitting the trouble as to locality is obvi-
ated, there is a difficulty about houses which
may be said to be peculiar to Washington.
Beautiful and attractive as trees make the
grounds about house. it is better to be ex-
posed to the hottest rays of the summers sun
| or the keenest blasts of winters winds than to
run any risk from too thick shade and the
dampness induced by it. Washington
beyond any city in the world is noted for the
| beautiful pleasure-giving and health preserv-
ing shade trees which line its streets and ave-
nues, often overlapping one another. In many
OF the yards the sun never shines, the grass
never grows-cannot beneath the three or four
lines of densely shading trees which darken the
pretty fronts. Damp, soggy yards and moss
covered steps are certain harbingers of ill
What is true of foliage applies also
to, the shadows cast by brick
| and mortar.
FURNISHING TIE HOUSE.
The house rented, the very serious question
of furnishing and fixing it up" arises. Some
young people are fortunate enough either to
have on hand or to receive as a wedding
present the means Of plenishing of their homes.
| At best, however, there is much to buy, and
the tendency to purchase high-priced small
things, which are ornamental, in preference
| to cheaper large things which are useful,
will crop out here and there and lengthen that
deadly list OF expenses which SO often proves
fatal There are some, however, who seem to
thrive and be happy on very modest incomes.
In fact, they appear to delight in planning how
to make little go great way in the selection
of furnishings. The acumen of success
is in discriminating between the must
aayss and III. The .nd f0rme;
several generations. The latter too frequently,
when secured at the sacrifice Of the former
fall into the hands OF the pawnbroker and
finally the auctioneer. Truly the business OF
moving into newly rented house. furnishing
and getting 1t into habitabie order is task that
requires no little executive ability and positive
ideas of economy when means are limited.
ENGAGING THE HELP.
Next to the selection Of house is the matter
of help. The novice in housekeeping has little
dread of the servant question, but to the vet
eran it is something appalling--no less so than
gas bills. The warnings and lamentations OF
others the former receives with many grains OF
salt, and although she may restrain an
| audible expression Of her individual
opinion she cherishes firm impression that
| for all the domestic turmoils one hears of the
employer is largely responsible. The wrong
beginning il made she thinks. Starting out
| with the theory that their interests are purely
mutual-that her connection and that of her
help with household affairs are identically the
same, it is not long before she is brought up
suddenly to face the discovery that she is the
only one Of this new partnership who holds to
that view of the situation. The expected reci.
procacy turns out to be all upon one side-in
fact. neutrality is much may be hoped for
from the party Of the second part.
| THE HELP ENGAGED.
1t is unfortunately rooted opinion in the
minds Of the majority of the so-called .'work.
ing classes that those above them in wealth
and social position are hostile to them and
their interests and that it is ever necessary to
protect themselves or be imposed upon. There
| are exceptions. Of course, and such are regarded
as Jewels" which announcement is sufficient
| to awaken the deepest interest in them on the
part of others whose supply Of "jewels' are
| out. Then the servant question is completely
transformed from one of worry over worthless
ness to anxiety over the tenure of employment
Il or nj