The morning times., 1896-10-11
NARROWING DOWN.


The next house which he visits for the
purpose of inspection lie finds belongs to
an aged lady, who insists on retaining a
room for her own occupancy. She desires
board in the family and prefers not 10 rent
the house only to some responsible family
who can so accommodate her.
Again the young man starts forth. By
this time he becomes heartily sick OF the
house-hunting business and swears that
he'll take the first place that has room
enough to store his household effects, and
which lie can get into by any means, fair
or foul. On well-appearinS little house
he sees the sign: For rent; apply 10 Smith
& Jones, 1 IA Blank street, He goes TO
Smith & Jones and is informed that the
house has just been thoroughly overhauled,
repainted and decorated, and IL he, a re-
spectacle and responsible young man, and
his wife want the place they can have 1t
for $14.S1 per month, but under no cir
cumstances would children be allowed to
live on the premises.
Mr. Househunter stares blankly at the
agent and in a voice thick with suppressed
indignation, says:
Look here, I've seen the house and
I'm extremely anxious to lease it for a
year at the figures named, but unfortu-
pately I've got two children. If you'll
let me have the house III quickly dispose
of the children and give you guarantee
that III turn the house over to You upon
my retirement in n condition even better
than it was when l moved into it,"
k,.,I Il ic h.. MI ,fnI,
the ntmakes, and he watches the house
hunter as he goes out, unmindful Of the
laugh which follows him.
Right here let the question be asked:
isn't there something radically wrong
with our social system? Has it become
a crime for a man and woman to marry,
and is it a breach OF good breeding to
allow children to be born unto parents"
1t seems SO.
young man well kno wn to many in this
city, an honest, intelligent man, and the
husband of young la dy who stands equally
well among her friends in the community,
found it necessary, last spring, to change
his place OF residence. The very first man
he applied to for a house which he ha had
shown to him, Piled him with such questions
rnat he turned on his heelin disgust and left
ihe man sitting toolishly at his desk.
Among the questions asked We're: What
is your full name? Who are your parents?
Where are they? How long have you been
in the city? Where are You employed? How
often do you receive your salary? What
guarantee can you give that you will pay
your rent promptly? Other questions OF a
similar nature were asked, but the young
man thoughthe had answered quite enough.
Here wasa young man who had lived in the
city with his parents for number Of years.
His father was business man and tax
payer who stood quite as well In the COM
munity as the man who owned the house
and offered it for rent The young man
had married the daughter of another busi-
ness man, and he himself Was receiving
salary enough in one week to pay the rent
for six.
+ Yet, because he found 1t necessary tomake
inquiries for a house which he thought
he might want to- occupy, he was put
through a critical examination concerning
his personality by a man who, perhaps, pre-
ferred to have his house remain unoccu-
pied rather than run the risk of losing
months rent by allowing an irresponsible
(?) person to live In 1t. 1t Is needless to
add that the young man secured "a rent"
and that it was equally as good, IL not bet
ter, than the one owned by ''the particular
landlord"