The Lamar register., 1897-03-27
VACANT "HAuNrgp~ HOUSES.
A hsmer Ma. or-n Ruined valuab,.
Property.

PROBABLY the majority of people have
oeen momeanrily struck from time TO
ume ey the sight OF dwelling-houses OF
4 sad deserted appearance. curlousIy
snssestife Of rats and romance. which
Oeear at Intervals In the streets OF
L-onaon and most other big human
aAEes. says Household Words. There
'Aey stand, year after year; no one os-
eupies them. no one seems to make in
VuiEles about them. or 20 regard them
- aabitable; generally they erumble
tAroaSh sheer damp and disuse. OF are
eventually razed by the legaiized
hoase-hreAker" OF course. many
houses answering to this description
fSahd empty for years pending decisions
"a the e1ari Of ehancary or because the
sanitary authorities have seen nt to
condemn them: but II Is q. fact that
hundreds o. such houses remain vacant
simply because OF some queer local
aversion or superstition. which has
gradually surrounded them with a fatal
atmosphere OF iIl-luck- Call house
haunted" and With many people the
ghost is taken Tor granted. Occasion
ally the reasons why certain dwelling
houses should have been marked out
and stunned IN this way are humorous
to degree not TO say ridiculous. The
write- knoss Of one substantial pile.
standing In a northwest suburb. which
has been practically doomed TO perpet-
val emptiness solely through local re-
port that a dastsrdly crime had been
done In one OF the rooms. Not an atom
Of hass for this rum0T was 20 be had.
but In a short space OK time the belief
obtained such credenco that Il was no
uncommon thing for one or more NOR
BID EightseSrs TO be found staring up
Al the blank windows and specusAting
as 10 the nature OF the deed. Finally
the street nrchins took every oPpor-
tanlty to riddle u With stones. while
every possible tenant was solemnly
warned against occupying the premises.
The despairinE owner reduced the rent
from time 10 time. but A bad eonstrue-
tiou Sas placed upon this action, and
the building II now an unlnhahitahle
she'll Another house, In the very next
street. had stood tcnantleSs for long
tine for 3 somewhat similar reason-
II appeared that the last occupants had
mysteriously disappeared. owing money
u ali directions. This was no uuprece-
tented occurrence in itself. but 1t so
hAppCued that local busybody dis
covered In one Of the upper rooms a
red stain. which was duplicated In the
passage below. and Immediately there
we're whisPeriugs as TO foul play. An
investigation disproyed this theory.
but the rumor had gone forth, and that
house was doomed. The fact that the
stains in question were found 10 be
nothing more than blotches OF red
paint made no differences. They were
red. Instantly the local mind settled
that they must be life-blood Even
those people who pride themselves
upon being above the Influence OF such
idle gossip very naturally do not relish
occupying . house that is pointed al
and talked about" while they can OBJ.
tain one with no such notoriety at
,ached. As a landlord bitterly re-
marked TO the writer recently: LET
a house be singled out for local suspi-
cson and whispers. It Is almost certain
70 be doomed TO future emptiness. NJ
one cares to put the matter to the test