Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-04-21
pRAfrY ENGLISH HOUSES.
In England Homes Are Devoid of Nod
err Comforts or ConVenlences-

err Comforts or ConVsniences.
The average dwelling house in any
class-uppor, middle or lowcr-built
within year ~ constructed almost pro
cisely ON tho lines in vogue ut the begin.
ming Of the century In England there
has been In ninety years no such nd.
vance In domestic architecture, with re-
gard to both convenience aud style, a.
we have noted In tho United States In
tho last decade. The EnglishmGn may
explain this by alleging that he built
better in 1900 than we lid In 1859. In
this he will not DO altogether wrong,
hut no will be supported by fewer facts
than he imagnos.
Tho British carpenter has not yet mas
tered tho art Of making window.
There Is always gale blowing IN around
tho sashes during the winter. whether
the outside air be calm or raging. Tho
more heat you get In room-and b.
lamps and gas you can contriyo to raise
the tcmporaturc-ihe greater is the rush
Of cold air from without. II forces its
way around tho window sashcs and tho
doors In obedience to n natural law.
An English house is drufty, whether
II be tho dwelling Of peer or peasant.
Tho doors are hung even worse than the
windows. In the first place there arc no
thresholds. and there Is n gaping space
between tho floor and the bottom Of tho
door Tho room in which | am now
writing has an admirable specimen Of MA
English door | have just measured tho
yawnlng croviccs around II. Between
tho floor and tho bottom Of tho door
there Is u space ono.half an inch wide,
extending ncroas tho ontiro breadth Of
tho door. Around the other three sides
Of the door there Is space one-quarter
Of an inch wide. All the doors In the
place (Which Is not tho work Of "jerry
builder" but Ia what tho British call "a
high class" and expensive structure) arc
hung in tho Same fashion. Imagine,
then, tho number Of portercs aud thick
rugs necessary to exclude the drafts.
The halls Of an English house arc uu.
heated. Drafts arc accordingly incroas-
ed, for the cold air will always rush
from the chilly halls into tho apart
mcnts Of high temperature. Screens,
porticres, rugs, heavy window hangings
arc essential Ia every room. OF course
tbosc things darken an apartment Thus
you can only break the currents Of air
In London dwelling by adding to the
depressing gloom OF tho almost sunless
London winter.
An American housolseopor setting up
nj establishment hero misses tho nu.
morous and capacious closets Of thu
Yankee domicilo. Closet making Is on
unknown art to tho Nineteenth century
British builder. know Of any number
Of new and expensive dwcllings-botli
fats and houscs-in which there is not O
hanging closet Tho most you can do 1.
10 provide fow cupboards in tho
''chimney joys" For clothing you must
have wardrobcs SGT up in your rooms
monopolizing space and being as cheer
full TO gaze upon as sarcophagi. Odd
and ends you must stow away as bcst
you can. Cellars, In tho American sense
are unheard ". A small dungeon fol
Goals or n pouitontigl cell for wines full
fills tho British housokcoper's notion o.
cellar. "Set tubs" are usually resorvct
for the "mansions Of tho great"
The bathroom is the latest innova
ton in English houses Of tho bette
class, but 1t is still an innovation. Tn,
clumsy tin tub, n yard aud half it
width and six inches in depth, continue
to DO tho Briions favorito instrumcn
for the natutinal ablution. In this un
wieldy continuance, brought into hi
chamber in the morning, John Bul
takes his frigid splash. His aversion t.
bathrooms is akin to his horror OF gn
''aboye tho drawing room" J. Is. pro
fers to go to bed by candle light, III
has a notion that gas will suffocato hin
In his sleep. Perhaps no cannot trus
himself to shut of the illuminant b,
turning tho "tap,"-London Cor. BostoI
Herald.
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