Middletown transcript., 1897-08-28
THIRTEEN Is A HooDoo.

hCutS OH Iu0 tuiAtCOutu AJUA Va Shs
American Tract Society's building were
| reduced third on Saturday. 1t Was
forced by the superstition with which
| professional and business men regard
the number thirteen. Two or three
sky-sc rapers are in the same predica-
ment. It is probable that thirteenth
floors will soon become big item of
worry to the agents Of the many tow
ering Office structnr. 9 hat are going urs
The thirteenth-foor problem is new
and unexpected. For several months
after the Tract Society's building had
been opened, the renting agent, Mr..
Read, had been mystifed as to why his
thirteenth floor remained vacant. Busi-
ness men, lawyers, all kinds of profess
sional men, were anxious to take of
fees one very floor save the thirteenth.
Those above it were full like those be
low it, but up to few weeks ago not
soul would venture into the hand
some suites on that floor. The rents
were the same as those on the adjacent,
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 offices
were delighted with them until they
happened to discover that they were on
the thirteenth floor. Then they grace
fully, though mysteriously, transferred
their inspection to some other floor.
It was about a month ago when Mr..
Read and the superintendent became
convinced that superstitious aversion
to the number Is was the secret. Their
building is one of the tallest on Man.
haitian Island and it was to be expec-
ted, perhaps, that those who had some
lurking fear that accidents might come
would not further tempt fate by install
ling themselves on the ticklisa thir-
teenth floor. Especially did this seem
an unnecessary proceeding when they
could get offices of the exact counter
part on the floors directly above and be-
meath. So Mr.. Read was finally driven
to balance the superstitions of Office
renters against their eupidity and he
found that a reduction of a third In the
rents on that floor was about sufficient
to counter-balance the ''hoodooD which
the trick thirteen had fastened to the
offices there. Several of them have al
ready been taken and the superinten-
dent now looks on the thirteenth aoor
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 o flee structures that
have thirteenth floors. The SyBdicate's
and the Mutual Life's are their top and
are not rented to the general run of
professional men. The others have
had the same dilemma as has confron-
ted the American Tract. The Man
hattan and the American Surety were
rapidly filled, all save their thirteenth
floors. They, too. are among the four
or FIVE tallest Office buildings on the
island running up past the twentieth
story. Their suites are considered very
desirable, and Mr.. Pierson, the rent
ing agent of the American Surety, as
well as the Superintendent of the Man
haitian, was in the same quandary as
well as was Mr.. Read for short time.
Then they Legan to see that they could
not expect to rent the thirteen floor
offices until nearly all of the others
were disposed of. They say that they
have not had to reduce their rents on
that floor, but neither have they filled
all of their offices there yet. In the
Manhattan building large part of the
thirteenth floor was finally taken by
the Trinidad Asphalt Company. That
was significant, too, for ex.Mayor Gil
roy, who is guiding spirit in the COM
pany, is a prominent member Of the
Thirteenth Club, which was formed to
combant this very superstition. OF
course he would not let the pop ular
aversion to the thirteenth association
interfere with his company, and he was
glad, indeed, to get better offices by
taking advantage of it than he might !
otherwise have secured at the same
price. There are still several Offices
vacant on the American Surety's thir-
teenth floor. Those who are there took
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 Hayemeyer has three or four va
cant offices on its thirteenth floor which
nave never been flied. flied The rest rest 81 e. tAA tAA
building is so well occupied. however
that its agent does not think it worth.
while to reduce the rents in combating
the thirteen superstition. he puts the
vacant rooms to good use.
The giant st. Paul Building 1t Broad
way and Ann street, is already far
above its thirteenth story. Its agents
have already considered this thirteen
problem, for it is being forced to the |
front more prominently than one would |
imagine. They have not decided how
they will get around It, but they think |
that part of the thirteenth floor may
be used for the superinteDdent's Office.
AS If in recognition that they must
either stop at the thirteenth story or |
skip it entirely If they want TO make
use Of their entire structure, the other
big Office buildings that have been built
within the past few years have adopted |
the former plan. The Postal, Home
y 1