Omaha daily bee., 1893-08-20
HAPPY In A HAUNTED HOUSE
After Looking in Vain for a Desirable Mod
ern Cottage at Reasonable Rent.
TALE OF WOE OF AYouNG MARRIED MAN
Omaha Has Few Empty Houses with All
Modern Convcniences - High Rents
Where Such Are Found-Chance for
Judicious Investment of Capital.


but when it comes to looking for an unfur-
nished house to rent, with all modern con
veniences, at $50 per month, in Omaha-thcn
comes the crucial test of devotion between
husband and wife. OH its such bed of
roses"
The speaker turned to BEE reporter and
gave utteranco to these pcssmistic views.
with biting sarcasm. that evidently had
full, well developed set of teeth. Hc was
young man whose face is familiar picture
in the ileeting panorama of humanity
daily witnessed on the streets of Omaha.
While young in years he oore
evidence of the cares of married life.
Father Times fingers had chalked his halr
with slender streaks of white. These silver
threads were scattered among the auburn IN
profusion for one so young.
Only fow years ago this young man
walked down church aisle with a majestic,
bridegroom-e elect stride, accompanied by one
of Omaha's fairest widows.
As he stood beneath u floral horseshoe on
That occasion and placed plain gold ring
upon the brides finger, his picture of the
world was beautiful E'lorent:ne study
framed in sections of an iridescent rainbow
of romance. That picture of the past is now
supplanted by n plain, rough "etching" of
the present, lined in prosaic frame of
reality.
why he Is sad and Weary.
Marriage is not failure in my case, YOU
understand" continued the speaker, as he
pulled vigorously at perfecto and sought
to explain his sentiments more explicitly.
so far as domestic happiness is concerned
it exists to n very large extent in the house
hold of which am the head-or rather tho
occasional head, because my wife takes n
periodical notion to wear the trousers, you
know, and run things. OF course we love
one another. There is n beautiful motto of
Home, Sweet Home in the parlor, and l al
low her first husbands full life
! sized crayon to adorn the wall of the dining
room. We have Il sweet ray of sunshine in
the way of a cute little, golden haired child
We patiently bear the burdens of calls from
the plumber-the yell of the ice man is
| sweet music---answering the door bell and
holding a reception for peddlers is pleas
ure-putting up stove pipes is redolcnt with
| enhancing joys-chasing the ncighbors'
chickens out of the flower beds is pastime
| fraught with enjoyment-but when it comes
| to looking for a house to rent that will meet
the mutual approval of my wife and self,
| then comes the red fire and slow curtain on
| the stage Of harmony.
| Demand Exceeds the Supply.
''You see, work on a salary, like thou
| sands of other men. / am neither prince
! nor pauper. This is an age of progress and
| in such an age man wants the best for the
| least he can get it-a sort of live and let-live
/ policy. Naturally, man whose home is
! his fortune, wants to live in house with
| all modern conveniences; such as bath,
| furnace, gas or electric light city and
! cistern water, good cellar, yard for the
| children and at least one shade tree to sit
| beneath on hot day and drink a glass of
| lemonade or put up swing for the
! baby; Now, all men working on
spare to buy home of their
| own. Besides, man on salary
does not enjoy life lease on his position
| and may get the grand run at any minute.
| So, an investment in a home is not always
| looked upon with favor by such L man. Con-
| scquently he pays rent.
''It is a fact. and speak from experience,
| that while Omaha has many large basement
| houses with modern conveniences, for rent,
| there is an appalling scarcity of modern six,
seven and eight-room houses at such prices
| as S25, $50 and s35 per month-such rent as a
| salaried man in goou position would be
| glad to pay and pay promptly. Detached
houses of this class are scarcely vacated ere
they are gobbled by eager house seekers 1t
| is splendid opportunity for home capital
| lists TO avail themselves Of
Chasing n Rainbow.
cit is this scarcity of desira BILE houses that
/ causes a man and wife seeking q house to
| rent to tramp the city over and contract
several spasms of disappointment. jaw each
| other with frenzy and gnaw at the heart
| strings of devotion. / moved a few months
| ago. After wearing out considerab BILE shoe
| leather and an immense amount of patience,
| l finally found a house. They said it
| was haunted, and that is why it was
| vacant so long. Notwithstanding The
| fact that the house was pictured to me by
trembling neighbors, as a rendezvous for
| hobgobins and weird incantations. / looked
! the place over | found all modern con-
| venIences, including place in the concrete
! cellar to keep beer cool over Sunday, and So
in paroxysm of delight, took it.
Prefers Ghosts to Nightmare.
'The fear of ghosts is nothing compared
with the nightmare formerly suffered, when
would return home nights after vainly look
ing all u,a day for a.o, modern hIs house; house
beautiful eight-room cottage, with bath.
gas, cellar etc, within walking distance of
the New York Life building-lovely shade
trees, large yard rent $50 to good tenant,
etc. awoke to find it but dream, and in
me back to sleep and put horrible night
mare in the shape of a row of flats and Il
basement house, on my stomach. screamed
out in terror, as l struggled beneath the
weight, and awoke just in time to hear my
wife saying, in her sleep, 'Pshaw! there
isn't any bath room in the house
THE result of my experiences IN chasing
| after rental agencies and staring at big
bright cards of For Rent on the sides OF
houses. is only one OF many cases in Omaha.
1t develops the fact that Omaha has few
vacant modern houses, with the possible ex-
ceptlon of basement houses and flats
| women Us u rule 40 lOJ ike 10 i've III IL DhSe
ment house. There are too many stairs 10
climb. Men, too, especially when they
come homo with an imposing Jag on, would
prefer less number of steps TO surmount IN
reaching their bedrooms. Physicians will
agree that it is better for a woman's health
not TO wear herself out running up and down
several flights Of stairs dozen times a day
Hence the demand for cottages,
Something Is Lacking.
SIN searching for modern house, a per
son, even one easily suited, invariably en-
counters some objection. Where there is
bath, cellar and lawn, there frequently is NJ
gas, and, during warm weather, gas stoves
are looked upon with favor by queens Of the
household. Again, some houses have
all conveniences except furnace
or they are short on yard, gooC
location, or something. Where yol
do find house, complete IN all its appoint
ments, the real estate agent smiles sweet,
over his cinch and taxes you $40 or $50 TO
the privilege of breathing behind the fou
J walls of that section of domestic paradis
for one month. A man is more easily suitet
than woman as rule, and there Is wher
Cupid's mouth Is drawn into the shape of al
! inverted crescent and great big tears o
} trouble roll down the dimpled cheeks of tina
god of love, when husband and wife quarre
} over the selection of a rented house.
Romeo and Juliet is pretty rose tinte
romance, Paul and Virginia is pctur