Evening star., 1894-03-17
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Suburban Property Now Advances a
Claim to Attention.
4 home IN THE COUNTRY FOR ALL
Progress Made in Introducing Here
the Apartment House.

the Apartment House.
SOME NEW IMPROVEMENTS
There Is undeniably a more general inter-
est manifested on the part Of residents Of
the city In the country and country life at
this season OF the year than at any other.
There is generally some change to be made
In the manner Of living. and the spring is
the time usually fixed upon % inaug,na.e
the new departure. 1t is seldom that the
plans Of one summer have sufficient vital
ity or attractiveness to do for The succeed
ing summer. Places that were highly
thought Of in the family circle at the OPEN
ing Of last season will hardly he mentioned
in making the plans for the coming season
There are some people who 90 to ,ne came
summer resorts year after year and whose
plans continue unchanged. but such people
are in the minority. Everybody. ncluiIng
his uncle and his aunt begins anew tie
new year. In this city. fortunately, there
is not that stress laid upon the residents to
go away for the summer. except for pleasure
trips. as Is the case In other ties. The
healthfulness Of this city during the hot
weather. and In fact all through the year.
has been demonstrated.
1t is also q cool place to spend the sum-
mer. although now and then statements
are heard which would indicate that this
was the hottest section in this region of
heights of Mount Washington or the craG-
gy meadows Of Alaska, but neither Is there
here that sitting atmosphere which is found
In cities with narrow streets and Nd breath
ing places. While all these attractions Of
summer life in this city are permanent and
fresh each year. still the fact is not over
looked that the suburbs AFFORD delightful
summer homes. This fact has been per5cn-
ally discovered by SO many thousands from
the time which Is now over Century ago,
since this city was founded, down to the
present, that IT has become pretty we'll
known. 1t is probable that a great ieal Of
attention will be paid to the sIburhs this
year. and the hope is entertained that the
country population will be largely increas-
ed. There is a good deal Of land that has
been subdivided into city lots and connect
ed with the city by means Of steam and
electric railroads. so that there Is An abun-
dance Of opportunity for those who desire
to do so to procure site for a suburban
home.
City In the Country.
It Is not uncommon to ind those who
have homes in the city and also In the
country. The house in the country remains
closed during the winter. and then when
spring comes again the owners return TO it.
There are others who have established
homes In the country and live there the
year round. and owing to the proximity TO
the city and the facilities which Are now
afforded the country residents they can en-
joy practically all the conveuiencss OF the
city while living In the country. Independ-
ent Of the desire which is not quite so gen.
eral as to be termed universal. bu- Is never
theless quite general on the part Of the hu-
man family, to get away from 'he heat and
the noise and the hustle OF ;he grea; city
to the peaceful beauty and .he restful quiet
of the country. suburban life has another
attraction OF sterling quality. especially
to the resident of this city.
1t opens up a prospect for a man Of linn
tied means T. make quite a prosperous
start on the road which ends in his becom-
ing the owner Of his own home. There are
such opportunities in the city, but, owing
to the difference in values. man gets more
for his money-that Is to say, more in guam
tity-in the country than he does In the
city. He has a bigger house and larger
grounds for the same sum that would be
asked for rather small house in n rather
questionable section Of the city. Some
how a mans income does not seem to be
quite so small when he is the owner of a
house that has a real lawn about II, and
perhaps in one corner a kitchen garden and
perhaps a small stable.
Not Very Expensive.
There is one thing about a home in the
country. especially II It is only intan led for
summer use. and that is that IL can be put
up cheaply. People make a mistake in try
ing to have their country homes just as fine
as their city homes. with all the comforts and
conveniences Of a modern city house. All
these things add to the worry and vexation
of life, to say nothing of the expense of liv-
ing. A house can be put up very simply
and very cheaply. One resident of WASH
ington has built his country home OF the
rough boards which had been sawn from
the logs. They are nailed against the
framework, and serve every purpose of
keeping out the rain and the heat.
In other ways this sensible policy is car
rfed out There are no more rooms than
are absolutely needed and as 1t is the in
tention to spend the greater part Of the
days out Of doors or on the porch, IL is not
a great matter whether there happens to be
separate rooms for the parlor and library
and d ming room CT whether all these rooms
are combined in one. The house Is fur
nished In the same simple way, with mex
pensive furniture. and as little of IL as pos
sible. and when the cold weather returns
and the owner is ready to go back to his
city home all he has to do is to turn the
key In the door and leave the house with
the confidence that he will find Il IN the
same condition when he comes back Car
rying out this program, a few hundred dol
lars will buy lot. and few hundrai more
will build a house, and so, at a compara-
lively slight outlay. the home in the country
Is provided.
The pnrtment House Problem.
1t is proposed to increase the height of
the Portland apartment house by the addi-
ton Of two stories. The roof is TO be fat
and will be protected by a parape. so that
it can be usei a roof garden. This build
ing is the original apartment house OF the
city. The suites of rooms are supplied with
kitchens, but very few of the kitchens are
used, as the occupants Of the flats prefer to
take their meals in the cafe. The Rich
mond, another apartment house which was
put up some years after the Portland. was
also designed for people who wished to keep
house, but somehow those who rented the
suites were perfectly willing to resign the
pleasures of housekeeping With the cxcep-
tion of the Concord, and perhaps one or
two small apartment houses. in all the
other buildings in this city used for this
purpose kitchens are not a part of the
suite. The new apartment house which
Mr.. Schneider intends to build on , street
Will also be without these adJuncts.
1t seems. therefore. that people in this
city desire to be entirely free from house.
hold cares even when they live in n fiat
building. 1t would seem, however. that in
/ this citv a q hpr ha