Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-01-17
MONEY In BATHROOMS.
MODERN TASTE TENDING TOWARD
THE POMPEllAN IN THIS LINE.
Large and Convenient Bathrooms Consid-
cred Necessities in Modern Houses-Some
Are Furnished Luxuriously-Tubs of Sill
yer, Brass and Copper.


yer, Brass and Copper.
Time has been within this generation when
the bathroom was the least considered room
in the house, if, indeed, such a room were
not believed to be entirely superfuous Time
has been also, though in a somewhat distant
past, when the bathroom was the most
sumptuous and elegant apartment in the
house. The old Pompeiians and fellows of
that time and those tastes used to make bath
rooms and bath houses and bathing estab-
lshments that, uncovered today, still reveal
the marvellous beauty and luxury of their
original appointments. Just at present the
matter of bathrooms occupies a medium DO
sition, with a tendency toward the Pom
pelham The bathroom has not yet become
the chief or the finest room in any of the
beautiful modern houses that architects are
designing and millionaires are building in
and around this city, but very much money
and deal of artistic skill and scientific wis
dom is being lavshed upon those apartments
in all modern houses, even in those that are
built for renting.
WELL FURNISHED BATHROOM.
In the first place. bathrooms are now built
from twice to four times as large as they used
to be. Formerly any little closet room would
do for the bath tub. 1t wasn't even considered
necessary to have it large enough to take
tub that would hold person at full length.
Its finishing was plain and its furnishing next
to nothing Now the bathroom must be
room anywhere from six by ten for small
and narrow house to twelve or fifteen feet
square for fine house, and even larger for
many of the mansions now being erected.
The walls are of tiling usually, though hard
n st or al "a
floors are of tile or marble. Stained glass is
used in windows wherever possible, and in
many cases the ceiling is arranged to open
clear to the roof, and there is an ornamental
glass roof.
The fittings of well furnished bathroom
now include, besides the regular tub, a sitz
bath tub, with spray and wave bath attach
ments, and basins, closets and other appara-
tus to suit the taste or convenience of the
owner and the amount of room at command.
Copper is the cheapest material that is
thought of for a fine bath tub, and frequently
hundreds of dollars are expended upon the
fabrication of tub especially to suit the
taste of a man or woman with unusually
luxurious ideas Mrs Langtry, for instance,
has a tub of silver 1t was made originally
for an Indian rajah, and came into Mrs.
Laugtry's hands after passing through those
of numerous people who couldn't imagine
that such magnificent thing could actually
be used. 1t is in this that Mrs. Langtry
takes the famous daily cold water baths over
reading about which all other women shiver
sympathetically and say "Oh, myl"
Plain copper tubs are often covered with
enamel inside, and this may be made of vari-
GUS colors, such as may best suit the complex
ion of the persons using them. The use of
among the women of today than would be
suspected, dealers in bathroom apparatus
say. The fact should go far toward settling
the question as to whether women like to be
beautiful for themselves alone or for Others
A great many bath tubs nowadays are
made to stand on little short legs instead of
being cased in clear to the floor. Raising
them up in this way gives chance for the
air to circulate all around them, and leaves
no opportunity for leaks or water splashed
over the sides to keep the floor or woodwork
damp and unhealthy. Such tubs are made
of brass, bronze and other metals and are
lavishly decorated.
THE COST VARIES.
woman wrote recently 10 an English
paper protesting against the custom of setting
bath tubs up above the floor instead of sink
ing them into it with the top of the tub on a
level with the floor She said the present
style of tub was difficult and dangerous to
get into and out of. The communication
made some comment among architects and
Others in the business, but the woman's ideas
failed to find any expert defenders. The gen.
eral opinion was that tub with the top even
with the floor would be deal more danger
Gus, if not more difficult to enter or leave, at
least so long as tubs were made of their pres
ent dimensions and were not swimming tanks
like those of the ancients.
In the matter of health there has within a
few years been great improvement in the
construction of bath tubs and other apparatus
for the bathroom. This has, however, been
merely a keeping pace with the improvement
i'll the sanitary conditions of the plumbing
and similar work all over the house.
The cost of a really fine bathroom varies
from a couple of hundred dollars, or even
less where the walls and floors need no fixing,
to as many thousands as one chooses to pay.
The merely useful with incidental ornamental
features cannot well go beyond 500, but
when art steps in the limit to the game is
wiped out, and one can play as high as his
pocketbook will go. Many of the most beau
tiful works of art, both in fresco and oil
paintings, in this city are in bathrooms, and
I
quently added to the attractions of the place.
OF course, art in such places runs much to the
nude and semi-nude.
The business of furnishing bathrooms has
become so important of late years that some
firms devote their whole attention to it and
have large capital invested in it. They issue
regular catalogues of their apparatus, and
furnish customers with illustrated sugges-
tions as to the different styles in which a
bathroom may be finished off. When the
customer makes a selection from the sugges-
/ tions or gets an architect to get him up orig
inal designs for the purpose, the firm takes
the job of carrying out the plans and, be-
sides furnishing the apparatus and materials,
has expert workmen to set them up and do
the decorating and finishing of the room.
One final word to persons about to invest
in modern bathroom; Don't fail to save
enough money to buy handsome rug for it.
Water won't hurt fine rug, and it can
easily be dried out in few minutes if it is
splashed, while for decorative and comfort
ing effect in a bathroom there is nothing