The sun., 1895-05-19
SUMNER HOMES ron BAoHBIoas.
Possibilities In the suburbs OF New Tern
thai Ara alAdlH NoGlactnh.

that Are ODDLY Neglected.
Although there are baoi,uivr spsr TIM snt hou---
In New York and bachelor families where three
or four men regularly keep house, there are few
IL any such establishments in the spburbs for
the summer accommodation of bachelors that
earn their living in the city. Tho possibilities
of bachelor summering in tho suburbs Of New
York have been oddly neglected. The bungalow
system Of Anglo-Indisn bachelors Is quito pos
slblo in the suburbs of New York, and doubtless
should 1t once become popular capital could
be found to provide the necessary dwelling.
The number of such available dwellings is now
doubtless up to the probable demand Of this
summer and next
Something of this sort has been tried by q few
groups Of men with entire satisfaction, and
from data furnished by one Of them It is easy TO
get at tho economics Of the matter. The chief
difficulty is the question OF furniture. II Is not
always possible to hire a furnished house, and
many bachelors do not possess furniture of their
own. Such men have sufficient furniture
may rent comfortable unfurnished house,
with or without grounds, within dozen miles
of Madison square for something between $40
and S75 a month, according to size and situa.
tion. One group OF these men found that q lit
tie more than 81 q day covered the cost of food
ana service A company of four men would
find expenses per month running about thus:
Food and service .,Sl21
w
Travelling expenses 10
This would be about S55 q month eaoh. ID
would include two servants. plenty Of whole-
some food. and u commodious house, 1t would
not include wine or tobacco. Those matters
could bo managed individually or on the naval~
mess plan. To have fair table wine every day
at dinner would not greatly increase the total.
The estimate is large enough to admit of pretty
free hospitality. Men desrous OF more elabo-
rate establishment could at an expense of not
more than So a week each have horse at COM
mnnd.
and 1t Is easier for u family of bachelors to keep
and management that few housewives encoHr-
a scheme with the expectation Of keeping it up
year after year will lind it worth while to putt a
may be suitably furnished for summer uso at
between furnished and unfurnished houses
makes II worth while to buy furniture.
summer housekeeping on q more modest scale
may easily reduce expenses considerably from
the amount just estimated. One servant at Sl8
month can care for IL family of four bachelors.
provided the bugbcar of the laundry be pro-
AND this IN d"v nsout
woman may be trusted to wash outing shirts,
viii Se sh
linen properly. The summer bachelor consumes
an astonshingly small amount OF starched
linen, ana the country is q prime place to wear
out old clothes. Allowing $6O month for food,
$40 for rent $50 for travelling expenses, and IS
for incidentals of tho housekeeping, the total is
S13T a month, or u trihe over S34 "A month for
each of four. Bachelors that are content to do
most of their own work can reduce the total by
$40 or Sl2 month.
1t is pretty safe to say that experiment Of
this sort. once successfully made, will be re-
peated year after year, 30 long as the experi.l
menters are so situated as to make II practica.
BILE The bachelor family has the choice Of New
chester county. The further out the lower the
rent and the more difficult the problem OF SER
vice. Interior points are more available than
the seashOre. because houses by the sea are moro
likely to be in demand. The Park Department.
usually has to rent a few pleasant houses in Van
Cortlundt and Pelham Bay parks. some in tho
latter quite accessible to railway stations and
within easy range OF the Sound.