Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-23
LIFE in REV YORK.
RosALIND MAY POINTS OUT THE REAL
VALUE OF SPACE.
How Boarding House Keepers Makes Use
of Every Inch of Space
Available.

Where space is valued by the foot, the
deduction is logical that foot of space
becomes valuable. do not propose to
value it, but it may be interesting to know
what it can be made to DO. We are all
familiar with the recess in the wall conse-
quent upon the setting in of door. I'M
agine such a space curtained off by
drapery which hangs with decided! es-
thetic effect. The ordinary looker-on
might presume it a drapery placed for es-
thetlc considerations. The man or woman
in search of a lessor, AT am, economy in inches
(which make foot, would ds 40 ...e.sss.o lift
aside that drapery and behold an impro-
yised wardrobe for the personal belongings
of an Individual minus even the usual
allowance of a closet. Firstly, at the top,
three shelves fitted in for the holding of
wearing apparel-small articles which
need protection from dust, such as gloves,
ribbons, etc, placed in boxes. Below,
eight hooks, so arranged as to give the
utmost latitude for hanging, and depending
from them modest outfit. Below, on the
floor, another range of boxes, and behold
provision for one not toe well provided.
WHAT may be accomplished with the aid
of closet is equally noteworthy, and in
this connection | bethink me OF a certain
apartment-house wherein dwelt a lady
who in the eyes of her friends kept dear
little private parlor-the sweetest, cum
ningest place imaginable The carpet
was bright Administer of small pat
tern, suited to its surroundings. A small
crimson brocaded sofa gave the h61to any
suspicion Of "contrivance;" SIN ri orna-
mental rocker and two light bamHoo chairs
being an addition Of sufficient ssaSating ca
pacity. A desk placed in the recess OF the
door which in happier times led into the
next room completed the Furniture, while
a delightful little open stove sent forth in
winter the most cheering glances from red
Goals and made itself Welcome. The
window was tastefully cursaius3 and the
walls were a study in inexpensive but we'll
chosen eBgravings, combined with exquis-
itely-arranged leaves, ferns anf feathery
grasses.
Bedtime brought metamorpho is worthy
of New York. Just outside thii bower Ct
beauty, this esthetic boudoir, stood an
ample closet. The door was huhg in such
fashion that by collusion with. the room
door a complete partition resulted and
the occupant could go in and out unseen
by inmates passing alec the hall. Within
that closet, by aid Sof hooks, nails and
shelves, were stored la fairly plentiful
wardrobe; tin washStcnd held conven-
fences for washing and space enough re-
mained for the nerformance of ablutions
accommodation SUFFICIENT even being left
over for sea and coffe@ canisters, one OIL
tive boxes for bread orl cake, few plates
and cooking utensils and SO, upon oc-
casion, she could make cup OF tea OF
coffee or even more, for the dear little
stove had a top Itch could be re-
moved, and behold genuine cooker, anc
so this model contrivef could, If need be,
entettsin on lin.itId scale; Sleeping
arrar epments were perfected in collusior
with the chambermaid who, at the proper
time. brought down mattress from the
fight above and the sofa being showed out
from the wall, room was made for it, while
bedclothes emerged from the magic and
all-containing inclosure at hand. Not
everybody, it is true, could have slept OF
the floor, but the mattress, protected from
soil by a cover, and placed on soft car
pet. was not so bad, and as the lady nccu-
nant said contentedly, "One must always
put up with something, you know, and jus;
see how much else have"
II has often seemed to me IN truth thai
the difference between the habitat Of New
York's confessedly poor and the class who
have some appearances to keep up, consists
in the reverse conditions, that while the
former are crowded so many heads in one
room Of respectable size, the latter are
orammed into hooks and crannies in an in
credible way.
1t is sometimes the case heie that sue
cessful clearinghouse keeper not content
with her allotted domain, signs for more
worlds to conquer, and may tiid herself, in
consequence, ruler over three or four ad-
iacent houses, the owners of which are fain
TO have constructed private by-ways by
which communication is established be-
tween the contiguous domiciles. From
one entrance, therefore, access may be
gained to all, and in case of four houses.
three entrances may be debarred from use
by the simple process of locking the doors.
In the majority of New York houses there
is n small space between the inner and
,outer doors, and it might come TO pass,
then. that in case of quadruple establish
lishmeut three small spaces might result,
one entrance serving for ingress and egress.
Three such spaces did result in case COM
inc nnder INV observation, and presumably
hnrdened the landlady's brain to such an
extent that she resolved they should re-
main as space no longer. Glass was sub
st;tnted for wood in the upper portion Of
tbe outer doors, thus admitting light, and
shades were fitted, thus excluding vision
from, nassers-by. The next move was to
move the inner doors nearer the staircase,
nth the result of considerable addition oi
space to the coveted inclosure. Result,
three rooms.
True it was that such glintings of light
as might have penetrated through the
class Of the inner doors (outer doors are
left open usually in the daytime) was thus
excluded, as also such chance of ventila-
tion as might occur by opening of doors as
people went in or out or such fresh air fund
as might accumulate from sweeping when
the servant girl might leave the doors
open soEse Eve minutes; true it was that
absolute cropping up and down stairs
would henceforth replace the partial CROP
ing which is here special feature of most
houses These many truths weighed as
dust in the balance against that weight
of three small vacant spaces, and consid-
erations TO the winds, they were trans
formed into habitats. They are habitats
still, and the houses of such status that
the late Nine. Anna Bishop occupied a
floor in one of them. The public parlor
is furnished in Administer and satin, and
on the whole place of some pretension.
In conclusion, allow me to ask pardon
of my male reader who make have
skinned or scum over this article to the
end. Apologies should, perhaps, more
suitably have been placed at the begin
ming, since it is almost too much to have
expected such large-minded creature to
have thus far wandered, and late defense
might not reach his superior vision. All
the same, however, defense is made, and
on the ground that moro than one woman
may peruse with attention an account Of
e-ch plots as might be turned to account
ps, in case Of a soiourn where space
7ay to perpetual filing in process
tward appearance Of spaciousness
men promise of atonement IS
lggestion of s9mething better IN
Sure. They win be shown how
stkeyl can reign as mag