Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-02
Ownership of a Home Within the
Reach of All.
EFFECTIVE MEANS OF SAVING HONEY
The Advantages Of the Present
Time for Building.
So BURBAN STEAM ROADS


city OF Philadelphia. was given the title by
which that city is commonly known. name
~. the CITY OF Homes" AS every one is
aware. this name has been won by the adj
mirable system OF erecting small houses,
which are, to a considerable extent. owned
by the occupants, who are people of limited
means. Broadly speaking, 1t may be said
that 1t has been possible to do this in Phil
adelphia because Of the large extent of ter
ritory over which the city has spread, and
1t may be presumed that land values have
not been high. In this city the advantages
of home holders have been tested in so
many cases. 1t may be said that the bene-
fits of owning the house person lives in
are generally conceded. In fact, there is
very little difference Of opinion on this
point and the main question is how the
home can be secured
1t would appear from the statistics fur
nished by the United States census that a
rather small proportion of the people of this
city. as well as OF good many other cities
In this country. work this problem out to a
successful solution. According to the CEN
rus figures of 1880, in the city of Baltimore
there were S6.451 home families, and of this
number over % per cent rented the houses
they lived In, while the balance owned their
own houses in whole or in part. The same
authority states that in this city there were
$3.50 home families, and nearly 80 per cent
Of that number rented their houses, while
the remainder owned their homes in whole
or in part.
There is no reason to suppose that either
OF the two cities named are exceptional in
the list of cities in this country; certainly
there is little cause for people in this city to
continue TO pay rent If they have any desire
at all to De their own landlord. The facili-
ties offered here for home-getters are the
very best. Any man of industrious habits
having small sum of money can make a
start on the road that will bring him to the
paint where he is the king in his own castle.
Besides ali this, the advance in values and
the activity of property Is of benefit TO
small owners.
Every One "a Home Owner.
An active real estate operator here is Of
the opinion that the census statistics above
given relating to this city are incorrect. and
expressed the belief that not more than 65
per cent of the home families occupied
rented houses. He claimed that there is
really no reason why anyone in the receipt
OF an income should not be the owner in
whole or in part of the house which is &C.
cupied a home. He said that there ere
lots in this city which could be bought for
500. and after a lot is secured and paid for,
loan could be obtained of a thousand dol
lars. for example. TO be used for the purpose
OF erecting house. He said that in this
way \ small but comfortable home was
within the reach of the most modest income.
1t Is true that such home would not be
sumptuous either in its proportions or In its
appearance, but. nevertheless, il would be a
Homeland home Is place that is appreciated.
wherever it may be located. and whatever it
Is The present is a good time for those
who are without homes to think of begin
ming TO get one. for just now people are
constrained to not only talk about economy,
out TO practice it, and there is probably no
more effective means of saving money than
that OF gradually paying for a home.
Coed Time to Build.
In this connection, 1t is asserted that the
present is favorable time for building, and
that building materials of all kind can be
obtained on bet.-r terms than has been the
case for some -.Ts past. 1t would be well
10 make a practi-Si test Of the truth of these
assertions There are great many people
VINO nave money to invest, or have building
enterprises OF various kinds contemDla-
ton, and If the present offers the opportu-
NIFTY OF doing more with a certain sum of
money than was possible year ago, IL GER
fanny VIII be good business to take i'm
mediate action No doubz all who are inter-
ested in the building trades are really and
"ll1ns TO undertake work that Is offered,
and TO encourage building enterprises
mere Is not as much building going on
Just at present as was expected would be
the case earlier in the season The opera-
tons in the early spring were quite active
and gave promise of prosperous year but
this early squirt has not been maintained
and 50 the building trades are rattle
slack In spite of this. there is quite g
good deal Of building going on and while
perhaps, the record OF the year may not
surpass that of former years. yet ii will
show quite a respectable addition to the
buildings already erected
Railroad Treatment of the Suburbs
Some day there is likely to be an uprising
on the part of the people who live In the
suburbs and who do business in this city
They like to do their business here and
they are in love with their homes in the
country, but as a rule they detest and abhor
the facilities. so-called, which are fur
nished by the steam railroad companies for
transporting them between these two
points The service is SO poor and meager
not only in regard to the trains and the
time table, and the roadway and depots so
cheap and neglected, that the daily trip
amid such SURF. findings is a very nauseous
dose to the people who spend their DAVIS
In the most beautiful city in the world and
live In the midst of the picturesque scenery
of the suburbs
What is needed is something to rouse the
Tdifoah managers TO an appreciation of the
1rlsnt1ui conditions in which they have
allowed their suburban lines to fall. There
ought to be better cars and more of them
more trains, and what would be an entire
innovation. artistic depot buildings and
green expanse of grass in place of the ugly
clay of the cuts and fills on the route of
the roads 1t is not expected that such i'm
proVementS- would involve a very large ont
lay of money, but it certainly seems that
Importance and yields enough revenue to
the roads to make these corporations alive
to the necessity Of doing for Washington
what has been done so effectively and so
thoroughly for other cities. 1t NAV be that
IL will require something in the nature Of
an earthquake to stir to action the railroad
corporations, but it seems that If such Ia
the case the earthquake cannot be long de-
ferred-
store and Flat buildings
An attractive improvement at No lib O.
street northwest will he the new store and
fats to be built for NJ. Loeb. and for which
c. A. Didden, architect. is now preparing
the plans This new building will be 21xsO
feet. four stories and cellar, and will have
q front Of Italian Renaissance design.
Old gold brick, with brownstone trimmings,
Will be used There will be a heavy copper
orlei bay window extending from the plate
glass show window to the roof There will
be q prestily designed balcony on the second
noor, bavins an ornamental wrought iron
railing and copper balsstrade at the roof
The second. third and fourth floors will be
devoted to fats. each having separate com
municatiOn. containing six rooms and bath.
The first and second floors will be finished
N nard woods, and the rest in white pine
An Apartment House.
C. B. Kefersteln. architect is finishing
plans for the Columbia Apartment HousA