Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01
A DEFENSE OF THE GAS CITY.
A Philadelphia Lady Prefers the Pretty Resi-.
deuces Of Pitrsburg to the Dark, Narrow
Houses of Her Native City-Our People
Can Afford Good Homes.

A Philadelphia Lady kre1era the Fretty heSl.
dences of Pittsburg to the Dark, Narrow
Houses of Her Native City-Our People
Can Afford Good Homes.
rwRrTTEN FOR THE DIsPATCH.I
Philadelphia may be wide-awake and
bustling city, and the houses erected for the
use of working men like the "sands of the
sea-" but why any one should compare
Pittsburg cozy homes to those of the former
city, and find themselves at disadvantage
in any other way except numbers, passes my
understanding. Fortunately, the lnhabi-
tants Of Pittsburg are obliged to resort to
the suburbs for dwelling places on account
of the narrow limits of the city proper,
which must be devoted almost entirely to
business purposes, but building facilities of
every kind are within reach no matter how
far they choose to go-good drainage, cleo
tric lights, natural gas and an ample supply
of water. Gable cars transport them to the
city's threshold in sufficiently short time to
enable them to shop, visit, or enjoy any
amasements that are provided. Fine mar
kets unsurpassed, should fancy. by those
of any other city of the Union) furnish
them with good cheer at reasonable prices.
SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE.
The writer of this article Is a Philadel-
phian, and has only made her home in
Pittsburg within the last year, and her short
experience has taught her that houses within
the means of a modest income can be archi-
tecturally beautiful as we'll as comfortable
and cozy. Who that could rent neat cot
tage with its universally pretty surround
ings would care to look a second time at a
model house built upon the stereotyped
Philadelphia plan-a telescope drawn out
to its fullest extent--with its long, narrow,
dark hall, its equally narrow parlor, its
small, dingY dining room shadowed BY its
neighbours brick wall scarcely six feet away.
Are not open fireplaces and rooms warmed
by natural gas superior in comfort to those
containing the register which conveys heat
from the cellar, and which is no more orna-
mental than the wooden or marble shelf
supported by brackets, doing duty for man
tel piece? wonder if IN one of those houses
could be found room equal in size and
cheerfulness to the pretty one in which anu
now seated, with its large bow window fac
ing the east and looking out upon wide,
grassy space planted with shrubs.
PITTsBURG's PRETTY SUBURBS.
1t is house like dozens of others in Oak
land and Bellfeld, or anywhere in fact in
the East End; its rent is within the means
of most of the prosperous mechanics and
clerks of Pittsburg whose families do the
household duties with the aid of one servant;
yet such dwelling anywheresin in West
Philadelphia would easily command third
more in price for rent. 1t is infinitely su-
perior in plan to any ordinary house between
Vine and Chestnut streets for it has come
within my lot to explore that part of
West Philadelphia to find quarters.
1t would be good scheme doubtless to pro-
vide rows of Philadelphia houses tor me-
chanics of small means, but out here,
where prices paid for labor render it possi-
BILE for most of the working people to live in
better style than their brother mechanics in
the East, let Pittsburg keep to her present
way of building, and in time her lovely
suburbs will be the admiration and envy Of
her more pretentious sister. T. II.