The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-03
ideas for dMn1nen.

s'If you won't go to the roof garden
make the roof garden come to you.'
That is what one New York society
woman said; and now she has her own
little individual roof garden perched ul
on top of the southern wing of her town
house. where gracious hreezes come
drifting across from river and sea, and
aid the big punch FOWL materially in its
efforts to make the roof garden guests
forget that there is a huge city. parched
and sweating below.
The society woman's private roof gar
den is not so brilliant and dazzling as the
big public ones she does not care to pa
ronize. 1t does not bloom with so many
feverish bulbs Of colored lights. but it is
daintier more inviting, and cooler h
the others, and 1t possesses the additional
charm that its mistress may choose her
own guests and her own talent"
This is the second season of the little
Individual roof garden. Last year its
owner and manager, who in winter time
lives In a big brownstone house in the
most aristocratic quarter, heard her
masculine friends and relatives sing the
pAaIrCS Va ~ tS0A 6aAtShS
ly that she decided to investigate. The
garden scheme itself impressed her favor
ably. but it's environment was a trifie too
boisterous: SO she decided to improve up
on it and have one to suit herself.
At the rear of her house a large wing
has been added, which extends nearly
through the block and REACHES to the
third story. On two sides it is inclosed
by the walls of adjoining buildings, but
the other W sides are unobstrueted and
give fair play for. all the zephyrs that
may be towering In the neighborhood.
1t was upon the roof of the wing that
the future manage decided to build her
roof garden. Work, was begun on 1t
without delay. First a doorway was cut
trough from a sleeping room, which
faced upon 1t. The door was concealed
chino a light portiere of bamboo. "a tiny
lantern was swung from the easement,
and the approach to the garden was COM
plete.
Next a railing was built around the
two exposed Sides, and a light cnvas
awning in red and white stripes stretch
ed from the roof of the adjoining house
and supported by bamboo poles at the
corners. A japanese mating of Oriental
patterns was used to hide the tin roof,
and over it were scattered rieg rugs from
the drawing-room below.
The ratings were hidden behind rows
of palms and plants, and in and around
them were swung as many quaint old
lanterns as could be found in a search
thronpb Chinatown. Underneath the
awning, suspended from wire strings,
more Chinese lanterns and fairy lamps
were hung, and under them were swung
hammocks, draped with Bagdad rugs;
in the cool, secluded corners were placed
steamer chairs, covered with rare stuff
that the roof garden manager had picked
up abroad. The other furniture consisted
of bamboo divans, where the guests
might lazily flop down and congratulate
themselves that they were there.
Pretty little tabourets, which might
serve either as tea tables or for pipes
and cigars, were brought out, and the
whole was set off with a big, cool punch
bowl in the centre.
When the. private roof garden was for
mslly opened the neighbors marveled
much. The top of the semhre old wing,
instead of losing itself in darkness, was
TRANSFORMED nlO d dAh
riniature, where lanterns blinked and
waved invitingly and the jingle of the
banjo was heard.
From the first the. roof garden was a
great success. It's managers made a
s.Eit" with 1t, and an invitation to drop
ur' for an evening was one of the things
sought for by the roor city toilers who
were compelled to email in town. When
the hostess closed her house and went to
her country place in Westminster, the
decorations and appointments of the roof
garden were not disturbed. Additional
storm awnings were put up to shelter
them from the rain, and when the man
ager returned to the city for a days
shopping, the roof garden could be opened
at an hours notice. There she invited
her friends to comesand spend the even
ing, and any especially good artist who
happened to be doing the roof was
called in to sdo" the private one. All in
all, the guests found the entertainment
quite as satisfactory as at the regular
~playhouses.
Since opening her garden a great adj
dition has been made in a collection of
posters plastered over the bare walls of
the adjoining houses. This collection is
one Of the best in New York, and includes
specimens by nearly all the renowned
poster artists. Between the window of
the back walls shields and armor have
been placed. and this roof garden, If the
improvements continue, will soon rival in
richness those from which the society
woman first got her inspiration.
When the thermometer persistently
keeps over so degrees, or varies its course
only to drop to s. degrees and 70 degrees,
when everyone is wearing their linens,
IT, is much more difficult to pursue the
even tenor of your way than it is when
the air is a tonic and furs are SO COM
forting. 1t is in July and August, then,
that so-called pleasant people" are a
boon to themselves. a never-ending de-
light to others.
1t does not matter In what guise they
appear, their presence is unmistakable In
its effect n their influence invariably
the same. 1t may be an early market
woman boarding a downtown car which
Is filled with jaded people, weary before
they have begun work. If she is pleas
ant somehow the " hole car wakens up
when she arrives; the knotted wrinkles
that have been puckered up behind news
papers smooth out imperceptibly as she
genially looks about; even the tired con-
d,,o+re urouye ppnfIc acFShe SrpiIeS I'M at