Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-13

exposition of 1889 is over. At the present
moment there is so-calied "krach OF the
of the signs of the times that "I'1llustra-
tiop," the highest-class pictorial weekly.
has begun to publish pages and pages OF
apartments to let" Heretofore Partisan
landlords were like doctors-too dignified to
advertise. The practice was to nail up a
| modest "shinsle.'' apartment to lei"
grand apartment to lett little apartment
to rent" apartment for young man." and
so on. Even now the practical way to go
house-hunting is to first select your quar-
ter of the city and then walk along its
streets, reading these signs. You know
whether you want large or small apart
| ment; a large apartment will have five bed
rooms. a small one, one. two or some
times three. That is the point of departure.
Across the street there is sign-'petit
appartement a louer, fraichement decore,
ONE de glaces." 1t is a little apartment to
rent. newly painted and papered, and or
namented with mirrors which are fixtures
You enter the great doorway Of the apart
ment house. knock at the concierge's little
door, open it without being told, and say,
Your little apartment, madame how
| much is it, how many pieces, what floor,
and does it give on the ccurt?" She replies in
a breath: Twelve hundred francs, salon, bed
room, dining room, kitchen, water closet
and one servants room above, on the fifth
floor, three windows on the street. Mad
anne. and how much are the taxes?" about
two hundred francs, including your contri-
button to the stair carpet" ''Ehank you;
". l. II IL
wish to see it, you go up with her and peer
about. I once knew an American in Paris
who had for time very little money to
spend. One of his chief amusements in the
daytime was to price and inspect apart
mentS.
There is surprising uniformity in rents.
Apartments on the embarrassing and char
acterless Avenue Wagram appear to be
held as high as apartments on the chic
Avenue Kleber, directly opposite the pal
ace of the Queen of Spain. Perhaps have
received this impression because l always
look from the standpoint of the fourth or
fifth floor, and small flats. suitable to a
young man who would marry If he had the
money. Such an apartment will have two
bed rooms, dining room, parlor, a
kitchen and some closets. You can scarce
ly get it on clean, airy street for less
than 1000 francs year.
In the very center of the city, on old
streets like the Rue Saint Georges, you
would have higher ceilings and more space
than the modern architects are willing to
give, and, above all, more light; but this
must be offset against draughts. anti 4uated
kitchens, damaged woodwork, lack of bath
and bad sanitary arrangements The
cheapest apartment 1 have ever seen, and
one into which l hope soon to move, Is a
fifth floor on the beautiful Boulevard Male
sherbes, a few doors below the splendid
open space around the Church of Saint
Augustin. All is new, clean and airy. 1t
is step to the Madeleine, and it is also
only step to the Avenue of the Champs
Elysees Its price is 600 francs, including
| taxes, and 1t has so-called dining room
Cor ante-saloD about eighteen feet by
eight, a bed room ten feet square, salon,
say, fifteen feet square, and an Anticipated
kitchen which might serve as trunk
room. 1t has a balcony. with an iron rail-
ing and.4hiee windows On the Boulevard
Maleshefbes. Sixteen hundred francs a
year is about $3.50 a week. OF course, fur
niture is not included.
The present occupant Is college pro-