The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-26

Two young women, MISS Mary Neval
Cannon and Miss Alice j. Hands, hav,
solved the tenement house problem
Plans for a building designed by them
have been filed at the Office of the build
ing department in New York. Within
few weeks ground will be broken fol
it in New York.
For year these girls lived among
the poor. They have suffered from
want of proper ventilation and light
They know the hardships of being coop.
ed up in two small, stuffy rooms. with
out breathing spot 20 60 TO on warm
nights Out of their experience has
grown plan so simple, so perfect, that
Jacob Riis, whose writings on tene-
ment life have won for him worldwide
celebrity, says: II consider it an extraor.
binary and marvellous achievement;
marvellous in its simplicity and demon.
stration We have all been cropping
within reach of the solution without
finding it. / am content to know that
the question judged incapable of solu.
ton has been solved after all "
THE house will be a fact before
many months" said Miss Cannon re-
Gently, ''for well known architects have
examined our drawings and there is no
doubt we shall soon receive permit TO
go on with the building
when Miss Hands and | made up
our minds TO plan tenement house.
we realized how very little we knew of
the life in one We could design home
for ourselves. We have built many pref.
ty villas along the Jersey coast and
elsewhere, but how provide for peo-
pie Of whose necessities we knew moth |
ing? That was a serious question, and |
there was but one way 10 answer ito |
go and get acquainted with such people |
and their needs.
1--WE went down TO Forsythe street |
and hired two rooms. Nobody knew US
or our reason for going there. We began
housekeeping under just about the same
conditions as though we were two poor
factory girls We made our home as
pretty as possible, but that was due to
Judgment in buying rather than ex-
pense We never called upon our neigh
bors unless there was some reason for do
ing so, but we went out Of the way TO
find reason, for we wanted 10 become
acquainted with them.
Take the smallest apartment in the
house we have planned and see what it
rooms all lighted and
well ventilated, and a closet by 6 feet
in each one, not built in wardrobes but
regular closets. First there is the living
room, which contains a built in range
for coal and gas, sink with hot and
cold water and large kitchen dresser.
Adjoining this room, but entirely sep
arate, Is room where the tubs are sit
1ated, sort of extra room. 1t contains
two stationary washtubs with sliding
partition between them, which when
converts them into a bathtub I
other convenlences are entirely sep
irate screened with partitions. The
1oor Of this room is cemented and the
walls are Of hard finished plaster, which !
permit OF turning on the hose and flush. s
ng II thoroughly The sleeping room is [
;ommodious and, like the others. is [
veil ventilated. All the rooms open
ither on to the street or inner court. !
which is 20. 6 feet by 90 feet At night |
MS will be lighted with arc lights. {
Zach apartment has a large balcony {
without any opening like fire escape,
nd Is capable Of accommodating the 7
ntire family :
There are no halls in this model {
enement The stairs are situated in the I
and the rooms are entered
Trough the balconies In the center of t
ne staircase is a freight elevator v
In building of this kind 10 particu- I
ir style OF architecture has been follow. il
q lt Is nearer the renaissance than
nythlng else. as near renaissance as \
tactical for the purposes intended. 1t u
ill be Of buff brick, with limestone trim. v
lings, six stories high and 80 by 100 L
ret There will be eight apartments on
ach floor and the rents will range from
to SIS month for three TO six rooms.
he building is fireproof, and we have q
cen given the lowest insurance rates of a
ny tenement house in New York. " ;,
1T would be difficult to tell what y
lare each of us has taken in the work" a.
nd Miss Hands I'VE are partners. a
nd we work together with Just one e,
IA az iON-suCCesS. Oue Will suggest | /,
the other something else. h
nd we work until we get what we o,
link is best We try to be practical q,
nd to remember we are planning for ;,
lose who are going to live in the NJ
ouse. not ourselves. In thinking of -
lie tenants we have not forgotten the -
who will put up the build. n
lg We have tried to utilize every inch II
space to the best advantage. "
While it is not a charitable scheme e.
is one which cannot fail to appeal to
lose interested IN helping the wage
irner secure for himself and family
3tter surroundings The promoters in. 3.
ude Clarence NJ Hyde. Mrs } Pier ~
mt Morgan James } Goodwin, Mrs :, -
orris X Jesup, John NJ Dillon and -
rs. Josephine Shaw Lowell -
Miss Cannon and Miss Hands are -
9TH graduates Of the New York School ~
Applied Designs They are the first -
omen TO have their drawings hung mt !"
e Architectural league Miss Cannon -