Evening star., 1896-06-18
"HONEYMOON. FLATS.
An Apartment House In Chica
Where HnnninenA AlMaYA Dwell

=" mere hNpplhehA Always DWellS.
From the Boston Evening Transcript.
The Honeymoon Flats" contain more in
nocent happiness than any other domicile
in Chicago. All it's tenants are young mar
ried couples. 1t is the adovecote of eighteen
blooming brides at present. and when they
all put their pretty heads out Of the
windows at once they present to the vision
bouquet of loveliness that Is unsurpassed.
Even the street cars stop to permit the
passengers to enjoy the Beauty of the spec
tacle.
This elysium of tht tne2ly welded stands
at Francisco and Walnuf streets. 1t is d
rather pretentious building of cream-color-
ed brick. 15O feet long by 100 feet wide,
and two and one-half stories in height 1t
incloSeS a cool court or plaza, in which all
the flower beds are in the form of hearts
or "Cupid's bow. Most of the flowers in
the beds are of bleeding hearts, columbine,
narcissus. heliotrope and the blushing red
rose. A fountain sends delicate shaft of
illuminated by four tall lamp posts with a
little Cupid on top Of each. The robin red
breasts, the blue jays and the sparrows
come irto this court to bill and COO too
In the windows of the Honeymoon
Flats are statuettes of such subjects as
Romeo and Juliet, Cupid and Psyche, Hec-
tor and Anoromache, Paris and Helen.
The pictures which adorn the rooms are
ing love in the summer fields. Canary
birds hang in the windows and sing of love
all day long.
All the bells in the vicinity sound like
wedding bells. Whenever they ring people
in the neighborhood say: Some one is 60
ing to move into the Honeymoon Flats "
Near by stands the Alfred Tennyson public
school, which suggests Locksley Hall to the
happy tenants.
The Honeymoon Flats" are the property
of real estate dealer Of practical turn
of mind. though he allows his tenants to
have their own sentiments. He decided to
rent his apartment house at Francisco and
Walnut streets to families without chill
dren. Now. families that have been mar
ried ten or fifteen years either have Off
spring or have borrowed or adopted chill
dren. So only young couples just from the
ministers were received as tenants, and
thus it came about that the Honeymoon
Flats contain SO many brides.
The youngest bride in the building is
only eighteen years old. beautiful blonde.
Others are nineteen and twenty, and the
building is divided into small apartments
of four rooms each like doll houses. and
in these the young brides play at house
keeping. They visit back and forth, chat
ask such questions as How long do you
bake cake?" How long do you broil
steak? ?" How do you make biscuits?''
Eighteen newly welded couples thus try
house. They get along harmoniously to-
gether, and when the young women ex-
haust their domestic knowledge they go to
/ two old couples who live in the adjoining
houses and act philosophers and guides
for the young people.
The brides who are already established
in the house make all the rules as to the
admission of new tenants. The only quail
| fications required are that they shall be
good tempered and handsome.
The most recently welded pair in the
Honeymoon Flats" date,thei nupt1als from
three weeks ago. None has been married
year. Many are in the third month of their
honeymoon. Two of the couples go out
bicycling together. Two of the most be-
witching OF the brides wear sort of
zouave costume when out for exercise a.
wheel.
The rule of the landlord prohibiting chill
dren IN the flats under any circumstances
Is already arousing discussion among the
tenants Some threaten to leave within the
next three or four years, at the very least
unless the rule is rescinded. 1t is believed
tnat chlldren born in the Honeymoon
Flats" will be considered naturalized and
will be allowed to remain. The brides visit
among themselves great deal. Some of
them eloped and they compare stories of
cruei parents, rope ladders and daring
flights to Milwaukee. Disputes are created
IN this elysium only when the brides try
to outrival one another in praising their
husbands.
,,] In the older part Of the Honeymoon
Flats" facing Walnut street, dwell the
eighteen newly welded couples. In the
new part>of the building, just completed,
IN Francisco street, lives one bridal pair,
ana three more couples recently at the
altar are about to move in. The new ad-
dition will offer flats for twenty-four more
tenants. Young men who expect to be
married next week or next month call and
engage flats in advance, saying, "I am not
married yet. Don't say anything about