The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-08
VERITABLE SKY PARLORS.
THE ESrIxBLE Lor OF THE HEsIDEyr
JdNITOR OF BtG BUILDING.

JhNITOR OF Bta BUILDING.
The Loftys. for Instance, Who Have q Roo
House on Top OF the Moant Buiiainr
| Have Lots OF Roofs. Fine Breeze., Ample
Lisht, nnd Space for summer Tent
Something about the roof of the MofYat build
ing. on the corner OF Broadway and Worth
street. attracted the attention OF q Sun 70.
porter the other day. Curiosity. with the aid
| OF tho elevator. carried him to the top floor
| There flight Of stairs led to mysterious sci
OF apartments higher than the rest OF the
building. A door on the TOP evidently opened
upon the roof and the reporter was Just about
| to step out when man appeared at the head
OF the stairs. He did not say anything. but
his expression was easily interpreted. 1t said:
STAND and delveri"
The reporter did. and at the mention OF TIE
| Sun the man at the top OF the stairs smiled
HOSPITALITY. announced that ho was tho jani-
| tor. and invited the reporter to come up into
his parior. The parlor proved to be large
room with numerous windows. whose awnings
tapped agreeably In the strong breeze that
| skurried over tho housetops.
Tho reporter had caught gimpses along the
hall OF various other rooms evidently devoted
to housekeeping, and was therefore somewhat
prepared for tho vision OF the jnnitor's wife.
seated by a broad window, surrounded by
books and pictures, and apparently given up
to loafing and inviting her soul. as Walt Whit
man would say. big easy chair was drawn
up between an open piano and another big
window. and TIE Sun reporter sat down. This
domestic syris. perched way above tho hot.
noisy streets and the layers on layers OF bustl-
ing offices, was n most pleasant surprise.
Who wouldn't be O janitor Z" the visitor
ferveRtly exclaimed.
"oh. but they're not all like us" responded
host and hostess In unison. And then the
mysteries OF janitordom were laid bare. Mr..
and Mrs Lofty of the Moffat building said that
they are not at all in the same category with
the unhappy people who take care Of flats.
The latter live In the basement and are tho
alternate slaves OF the landlord and the tenants.
The Loltys belong to the Broadway janitors.
and OF these II seems there are three varieties.
First. there are the men who have charge OF
such buildings as tho Equitable. Mills. and
men are They arc superntendents. not
ianitors. They have homes in the country. run
property alter ten aTu years Of Service.
Then there Is another CLASSY OF which how
%s not the sss 65
ings. men who live in tenements and como
home late after welding the mop and broom
But there is still another class. and to this
belong the resident janitors. This janitor
anS for rs bs nr
He has helpers to scrub and sweep and dust
IN under his supervision. and. for majority Of
the twenty four hours. great echoinG build
ing. which Is his castle. and on which some one
else pays tho taxes.
don't jantors lie. TSsy have six good rooms
in their arartment. which is practically flat.
aoo SH Of 0e hs .9 has ii hs
which arc furnished in good taste sH and thers
intelligence OF the occupants.
One man Is regularly employed as an assist
on. your-knees s: and scrub" part of the jani-
tors work. Hs sleeps on the floor below.
W2msn are also emPloysd and as soon ,hs
war tasks. The janitor, oversees, the work.
the towels for tho toilet rooms are washed and
ironed; attends to the small repairs; and keeps
Inv IS bdd t&an The Tia sno4 Is
prsGtls menaT:h Of a.! he has
The janitor himself admits them. IN winter
there re are gay rarfiss up Ct Mount ISokoIt."
whistles around the corners at a lively rate
there and plays all manner Of dismal airs on
have lived there sixteen years. and they don't
Aithough it Is ane thing to b. a resident
such member Of tho Lofty household. He
Of tho Slofat building. little s.y S ar Old
sister has done the same thing. but she is
sss n Fl. Ps1
has built enough snow forts on the roof In win.
ter to have hesieGed all Europe. Snow men. Of
over the chiR,neys at the stream OF humanity
below; and one time. after q fall Of sleet had
Lofty rescued her young son from sudden
death as he was trying his skates along the
In summer the oueer thing nm tha Nofrat
roof is broad tent two Of them, In fact. and
under them IRE rigs and hammoeks and big
chairs. Here tho Lottys and their friends
make themselves comfortable on warm even
Gently the great sweep OF the Brooklyn bridge.
Ssss sss IL 81. tSs fsJ: $Ss
5000. thing. sleeps on the roof. For
feet wide. with row, OF low chimneys
parlor under the tent the Loftys can get an
occasional glimpse OF other happy families OF
sdsn. Ssr Sss ssnt sS
rao and SoHss n
souls raise their own early vegetables among
The chimnoys
he Of Brosdwss and Pea strss
What tenement people would consider pala-
.ial apartments up on the top floor. though he
says they are not what he used to have before
MS sons and daughters were married.. The
Did couple live alone now. except for the com.
oany OF yivacious green parrot called 10:
windows OPENING on Pearl Street W." i /. Is
equipped with brilliant plush furniture There
$ a piano in one corner; and there are books
lining room. kitchen. office flor tho janitor
himself. and two or three bedrooms.
The janitor OF the Equitable building lived
here before 1t was reno elled. and enjoyed
he distinction OF having the finest roof gar
s no longer a resident. He is a superintend-
mt and lives in the country. Tho roof ia given
~ to those deceitiul therm ometers belonging
urs, is a proud man, hut he and his family
'ade farewell to an enviAbe lot when they de-
erted tho foot and came down to live with or
inary mortais who will have TO wait for a
more or less untimely death to furnish them
With mansions on high