The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-09-20
The Old Superstition Still Rife
in New York
WILL NOT RENT OFFICES
O. the Thirteenth Floor and Rents Ac.
cordiugly Reduced
In All the New Sky-Scrapers Some De-
partures Will Be Made-Reporters
Are Superstition Proof.

Rents on the thirteenth floor Of the
American Tract society's building were
reduced q third on Saturday. 1t was
forced by the superstition with which
professional and business men regard
the number thirteen. Two or three sky
scrapers are in the same predicament.
1t is probable that thirteenth floors will
soon become a big item of worry to
the agents Of many Of the towering
Office structures that are going up.
The thirteenth floor problem in new
and unexpected. For several months
after the Tract society's building had
been opened the renting agent, MIR.
Read, had been mystified as to why his
thirteenth floor remained vacant.
Business men, lawyers and all kinds
Of professional men were anxious to
take offices on every floor save the thir-
teenth. Those above it were full, like
those below it, but up to a few weeks
ago not a soul would venture into the
handsome suites on that floor. The
rents were the same as those on the adj
jacent, and the offices were as pleasant
and apparently as desirable.
Finally the thirteenth floor began to
be regarded with some degree of mys-
terry, even by the superintendent of the
building and his staff. 1t was noticed
that all who came to look at the offices
there were delighted with them until
, tucy udppcHcU u ulScONeE tIldt tney
were on the thirteenth floor Then they
gracefully, though mysteriously, trans
ferred their inspection to some other
floor.
It was about month ago when Mr.
Read and the superintendent became
convinced that the superstitious aver
sion to the number Is was the secret
Their building is one of the tallest on
Manhattan island, and it was to be
expected. perhaps, that those who had
some lurking fear that accidents might
come would not further tempt fate by
installing themselves on the ticklish
thirteenth floor. Especially did this
seem an unnecessary proceeding when
they could get offices of the exact coun-
terpart on the floors directly above and
beneath. So Mr.. Read was finally Sriv-
en- to balance the superstitions of office
renters against their cupidity, and he
found that reduction of a third in the
rents on that floor was about sufficient
10 cOunterbalance the "hoodoo" which
the tricky 10 had fastened to the offices
there. Several of them have already
Oeen taken, and the superintendent
now looks on the thirteenth floor as
about equal in renting qualities with
the rest of the great structure.
The Manhattan, the American Surety
the Havemeyer. the Syndicate and the
Mutual Life annex buildings are the
other prominent office structures that
have thirteenth floors. The Syndicate's
ana the Mutual Life's are their top and
are not rented to the general run of pro-
fessional men. The others have had the
same dilemma as has confronted the
American Tract. The Manhattan and
the american Surety were rapidly filed
all save theirsethirteenth floors. They.
TOO, are among the four or five taIlest
ONCE buildings on the island running up
past the twentieth story. Their suites
1nefxo IL
Pierson, the renting agent of the Ameri-
can Surety, as well as the superinten-
cent OF the Manhattan, was in the same
Quandary as was Mr.. Read for a short
time: Then they began to see that they
could not expect to rent the thirteenth
moor offices until nearly all Of the others
We're disposed of. They say that they
have not had to reduce their rents on
that floor, but neither have thew filled
all OF their offices there yet In the Man
NATHAN building large part of the thir-
geenth hoor was finally taken by the
significant, too, for ex-Mayor Gilroy.
who is guiding spirit in the company,
IS a prominent member of the Thirteenth
club. which was formed to combat tbs
very superstition. OF course, he would
not let the popular aversion to the thir-
teen association interfere with his COM
pany, ana he was glad, indeed to get
peter offices by taking advantage of it
tnan he might otherwise have secured
At the same price. There are still Sow
eral offices vacant on the American
Surety's thirteenth floor. Those who are
tnere look their quarters after the rest
OF the building had been so filed that
they could not get similar offices on any
OF the other floors
The Havemeyer has three or four va =
cant offices on it's thirteenth floor which
nave never been filled. The rest of the
building is so we'll occupied, however,
that Its agent does not think it wort h
while to reduce the rents in combatjne
the thirteen superstition. He puts the
vacant rooms to good use
Inc giant st. Paul building, at Broad
way and Ann street, is already far
above it's thirteenth story. Its agents
have already considered this thirteen
problem. for 1t is being forced to the front
more prominently than one would i'm
agine They have not decided how they
VIII get around it, but they think that
part of the thirteenth floor may be used
Tor the superintendent Office.
AS II in recognition that they must
either stop at the thirteenth story or
skip 1t entirely, if they want to make
use or their entire structure. the only
big office buildings that have been built
within the past few years have adopted
the former plan. The Postal, Home Life.
Vanderbilt, Metropolitan, Union Trust.
Mutual Reserve Fund and Downing
bulldogs stop at the twelfth or thirteenth
stories. The Times building uses its
thirteenth story for its printers, who are
generally regarded as ironclad to all
superstition. The World puts its re-
porters on its fatal floor, for reporters
too, are VIGOROUSLY proof against such
mental alterations. It is said that all
of the new sky-scrapers will make some
departure in their thirteenth floors as