New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-28
TENANTS IN MODEL HOUSES.
THE NEW TENEMENT BUILDINGS GEN
ERALLY APPRECIATED.
SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES WITH THE MORE IG-
NoRANT CLASSES - MR.. FLAGG's

SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES WITH THE MORE IG-
NoRANT CLASSES - MR.. FLAGG's
NEW DESIGNS
1t has been proved to the satisfaction OF all
those who are acquainted with the pracucai
workings of enterprises either public or private
designed to relieve the poor, that almost every
thing depends upon the manner In which 'he pe'
sons TO be helped housed No matter no"
roanv beneficial influences are brought to bear
upon them from the outside. they VIII seioohi
rise far above the general tone of their nome sur
roundings That the average New-forK tehe-
ment is about as wretchedly planned dwelling
as could easily have been devised is freely ad-
mitted by everybody. Its faults are so deep
seated that in the majority of cases attempt
10 repair them is useless Sometimes slight
notifications and improvements can he accom-
nlisbcd hut upon investigation it is found that
the only adequate remedy lies in tearing down
and building up anew totally different
scheme.
Although II has been pushed more vigorously
of late and seems nearer the desired fuhlment
now than ever before, the idea of the model tehe-
ment is not a new one. AS long ago as lo'i'
what was called a model building OF the sort
was erected between Elizabeth and Mott SITS. III
contained 5fS apartments and cost S6o.ooo AT
the present day the features OF this buiding
would not commend themselves to architects
and when compared with some Of the later tene-
ment structures. il would undoubtedly seem
rather poorly contrved model" but II was good
for its time and the fact of it's existence showed
the interest taken even then in this important
problem Among the other buildings styled
model tenements which have been erected since
then are those of W. Bayard Cutting and X.
Fulton Cutting at Fourtecnth-st and Avenue "A;
Miss Ellen Collinss tenements, at Nos. 80, ~
and so Water-st.: The Monroe, No. ia to 'i-o
Monroc-st.; and three houses on Cherry-st., NOS.
334 :;}G and 33S. In Brooklyn. the Riverside
tenements" built by Alfred T. White, were nota-
bly, successful In their purpose.
4 GOOD THING APPRECIATED
1t is an encouraging fact that all the buildings
above mentioned proved both profitable TO their
owners and satisfactory to the tenants Inc
people Of the tenements do as a rule. appreciate
a good thing when they see it, and there mas
never been any trouble about renting apartments
in the model buildings. 1t would be stretching
the truth. however. to say that there nave oeeh
no difficulties or disputes between owners and
tenants as To the latters methods of living Inc
most enthusiastic philanthropist could hardly
expect that being suddenly transplanted into
better dwenh- would effect an immediate and
per,nanent change in a family's habits Such
improvements require some time, and While the
decent and comfortable home brings them ABOUT
more rapidly than any other agency, II VIII ne
long before all the faults of tenement housekeep-
ing are corrected
The social condition and nationality OF the
tenants are large factors in determining no"
well the building will be kept When the mouei
tenements in Cherry st, referred to ABOVE were
built they were at once filled with Russian Jews
hos 10
them unusually troublesome tenants the owners
experiences with them may be taken as l!plCdI
of those to he met with in dealing win the
lowest class Of foreigners. For one thing they
have an apparently unconQueraple plopehsIt!
for taking boarders or dodgers That tneT en-
tire apartment may consist OF TWO snlal iooiis
is no bar in their minds to the carrying out Oh
this plan. BY the very simple ARRANGEMENT al
night of having the family occupy the beds, ana
the dodgers the floors of the rooms. or wee versa
the thing is accomplished The overcrowdlng
which results is horrible. and would undoubtedly
he fatal To the health of Americans, nut thcse
people manage to exist in some way unuer the
1yretched conditions Another practice when
the owners have trouble in preventing Is tle
conversion of the living apartments INTO sweat
sbons To guard against this regulation Is
sometimes made that the family may possess not
more than one sewing machlle -, ,
Some of the other rules LAID down VIII snow |
perhaps better than anything else the tendeh- |
cies which the owners have TO combat. one re.
fers TO the dis position of garbage ana states 'lat
this positively must not be thrown out OF the
windows or emptied into the sinks or pasihS' |
thereby TO choke up the pipes in the house. An
other says that tenants when ABOUT 10 WASH
their windows. must first warn the famlly on |
the floor directly below OF their intentions.
Needless 10 say these rules are continually beng
violated the latter not so often as the former,
however. because It implies leaning toward
cleanliness which is not strikingly common.
The fondness which the poor have for olstoVes
Is also a source Of woe TO model house-owners,
who find themselves obliged to kalsomine smoke
blackened walls at all too frequent intervals.
As for the fire escapes, most OF them are so
thoroughly blockaGed with bedding furniture
and household effects of every description. that
evil bv means of them would probably be an i'm
possibility in it should become necessary.
WINDOWS AND BATHTUBS DISUSED.
In addition TO these practices OF the most undo
sirable class Of tenants, there have even been
snstances of the boarding up OF windows in some
Of the new. well-ighted buildings lest too much
cold might be admitted. The use of the bathtubs
as receptacles for coal is not uncommon That
a. is nossible however 10 educate the people TO a
point far beyond this sort of thing Is the opinion
Of those interested in the improved housing plans.
In regard to the last point, for instance, 1t IS
Justly pointed out that, in weH-cohstruclea
building with facilities for storing household
articles a place would be provided for the coal
There would then be temptation 10 use the
bathtub for that purpose. which expedient, as
one critic naively remarked was better than
leaving it in the middle of the floor, at any
rate" ,
which grew out of the Improved
Housing Council is to have ready by next No
yenher a set Of model tenements. from which
great things are expected These are TO be
situated in Sixty-eighth and Sixty ninth SITS. be-
tween Tenth and Eleventh aves. The plans for
shem were drawn by Ernest Flagg. and they en-
body ideas of construction entirely new 10 this
city 1t is Mr. Flagg's opinion that the division
of New-York City land into 25x1VO feet lots was
The greatest misfortune that the town ever suf-
fered 1t Is responsible for the putting up of the
long narrow buildings which have so long rep
resented the only style of tenement. The new
houses are TO be built. far as possible, square,
The sides measuring ninety feet. In the centre OF
each there is to be an open court thirty feet
square or about one-thrd the entire depth Of the
building.
LIGHTED FRONT AND REAR.