Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-12

s. A RE YOU SURE THAT HOUSE IS
4 "A rented?" asked lady as she gazed
anxiousiy into the soft blue eyes of the young
man behind the counter in a real estate Office.
II am quite certain, madam was the re-
Spouse, delivered with grace that only can be
obtained after year or SO of practice in an
Office.
'.But saw the cards in the window as came
down." returned the fair visitor with look
that seemed to say Il haveYOu there"
The young man pulled his bang down and
then said sweetly: But, madam, the rent is
paid. 1t may be that the tenant is not in the
house. But he has right to be there if he so
desires, and we cannot rent it to any one else. !"
This ended the discussion and the Lady said
with sigh as she turned to leave, II am SO
sorry that house was taken"
''Yes," remarked the young man as he
watched her retreating form, that house has
stood idle all summer and because it is rented
everybody wants it."
A discontinued look came into his face as he
reflected upon this peculiaritY of that portion
of the public who rent houses. Then he climbed
up on his stool, put pen behind each ear and
proceeded to check off long row of figures
with lead pencil.
While engaged in this absorbing work he re-
marked to u STAR man who happened 10 be
standing near that the house the lady wanted
was a new house.
Tho new houses" he said ':always rent well
II the prices asked are not too high. Some
people leave an old house to go into a new one.
You can't blame them in many cases, because
for the same money they get house that has
better facilities and is more convenient. Old
houses are apt to be out of repair. Some land
lords are very unwilling to make repairs. and
then, again. tenants arc not only unreasonable,
but they take very little care of the property.
h.t
that houses that are kept in good repair are
seldom vacant"
customer coming in checked the further
expression of opinion. just now i'll real estate
Offices the rent department Is the busiest
branch of the business. People are beginning
to return to the city and are making arrange
ments for the winter. In the intervals OF house
hunting they stop in the real estate Offices to
get the lists of >houscs for rent" The demand
at present il mainly FOR unfuraished houses.
About the first of next month the furnished
houses have their innings. There is about the
usual number of houses for rent this year, SO it
is reported and it is likely that the demand will
be quite up to the average.
SOME G STREET IMPROVEMENTS
Mr.. John G. Hawley, who recently completed
the four-story business building on the south
side OF G street between 18th and 14th streets
has leased the adjoining property, 1882 street,
for term OF years. He intends to remodel the
building for business purposes. A large show
window will be built i'll the front of
the first floor and the upper floors
will be adapted to Office purposes. Mr..
Hawley will occupy the first floor. An adj
dltion will be built in the rear for the use
OF the tenant on the first floor of the
adjoining building. This improvement marks
another step in the progress that is being made
toward Transforming street into Il business
street. The changes that have been made in
this direction during the past year and half
are noticeable, and are regarded as bearing cut
the predictions which have been made in re-
gard to the future development OF that thor
Oughfare.
there is another street which is rapidly grow
ing in importance as a business center, and
that lis 14th street. 1t was formerly mainly "a
residence street. but the houses are being
changed into stores and Offices all along the
line from L street out to Boundary. Some of
the recent improvements are handsome and
costly. This is notably the case with the large
hotel building which Mr.. Cochran Is erecting
at the northwest corner of 14th and X streets.
Alphabetically it is substantial, handsome
building. AT the corner of 18th and L streets
Mr.. I. A. Harding has begun the erection of a
block OF five buildings. Two will be stores
fronting on l4th street and three will be dwell
ings facing on street.
THE PROPER WAY TO LOOK AT TALL BUILDING.
From the standpoint of the average architect
who erects a tall building it is not expected
that the structure will be seen except from the
front. The side walls built of rough brick
lald in white mortar ana there Is no cornice or
moldinS to mark the roof line. Although
this broad eXpanse OF rough wall looms up fifty
feet and more above the adjoining buildings
ana Is the most conspicuous object in looking
up and down the street, yet from the
fact that it is side rear wall people are not
expected to see it. The architecture of the
business portion of the city, for the most part
is only 20 be viewed from the front, and when
some inconsiderate individual insists on seeing
what Is thrust upon his vision and he is unfa-
vorably impressed with the back yard outlook
he has no one to blame but himself. as it is evil
/ IDENTIFY the intention of the designers of tneee
| buildings that they should only be seen from
certain points. tits true that some time other
| the adjoining property may be occupied by
buildings equally tail. but that time Is ther
| indefinite. The Masonic Temple is example
| in point. The bare brick wall of the east side
of that building has been towering in view
| ever since the building erected about
| twenty years ago. The adjoining buildings are
still several stories lower than Masonic Temple,
! and are likely 10 be so for some years to come
/ In that case, as well in many others which
might be cited, grateful contribution to the
| beauty of the city might have been made at a
comparatively slight outlay by using red mortar
! instead of white mortar and by continuing the
| cornice around from the front or at least lin
| lshinS the wall In some sort of fashion.
| EXTENSIVE BUILDING OPERATIONS.
| INC past MI L. Il.
has been engaged i'll building up the south side
| of q street between 18th and 18th streets. lie
/ has now about twenty houses in Il forward state
| OF completion and has recently broken ground
| for the erection of eight more. With the COM
| plction of these latter houses Mr.. Schneider s
| great enterprise. whicli. involved the improve
| ment of both the north and south sides Of
the street i'll this square. will be finished. There
/ will. however, remain Il frontage of some $50
! feet between the houses on the south side and
J his own residence, which he is building on the
/ corner of 18th and . streets. He intends in the
near future to also improve this ground. Since
| the purchase of the north front a little over
! two years ago Mr.. Schneider has erected
on this square, including the houses re-
/ Gently begun, slxty-two residences. The
| general style of the houses erected may, per-
haps. be sufficiently indicated by the fact that
! they have been sold for from $4,000 to Sl5, 600
! each. In addition to this enterprise, Mr..
| Schneider, during the last year. erected fifty
| two houses on the square between Jth and 10th,
| 5 and streets and during The past season he
has been engaged in building ffty-three houses.
occupying the entire square bounded by l., VI
9Th and 9th streets. He has sold all of the l0j
houses erected in these two squares with the
! exception of ten and the price Obtained has
been about $4,000 for each house. Mr..
| Schneider states that during the
pas; four and half years he has invested over
IA million OF dollars in buildings alone while the
amount expended in land has been about $780,
600. 1t Is his opinion that the demand for