The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-07
LUXURY IN SUBSCRIBERS.
LACK OF IT Nv THE NEW
TONES OF BUSINESS.

The modern sky-scraper ONCE building Is
beco ming steadily q ar safer marvel of accom-
mediation. Looking hack over the few years
Of the history Of such buildings. comparing
what tho earlier Of them did for the accom-
mediation OF their tenants with what those
enormous structures which are now receiving
their last touches are Offering. and then con-
templating tho future. one wonders where the
keen competition will find q limit.
There is no end in sight yet. for, although q
man can now get included entirely In what he
pays as rent such an array of services and ac-
| commodatioLs as he could not have bought
for any amount Of money q generation ago.
tho newer competitors for his patronage have
discovered defects in that service which they
propose 70 remedy, and a dreamer could think
| Of many moro things beyond those now prom
ised. But why pay attention to the dreamer?
Because these are the days when dreams como
true. There were once drcamcrs who told Of
palaces like that Of the Beast. to which Beauty
was taken. where all things necessary wero
accomplished by invisible hands. without re.
auirine anything moro than tho expression Of
. wish on the part Of the guests. Such must
have been tho dream of the LAWYERS. brokers.
and other hurried ofiee men In tho old days.
and IL Was tho desire behind tails dream that
led to the erection aLd equipment OF the nrst
modern office bulldin 9. Il seems nos as II the
tenants had only to wish all the comforts OF n
home In their Offices to obtain them.
Watch the prosperous. gray-Laired man
the many.storied structure. which tower on
lower broadway. He begins his days work
,nder circumstances infinitely superior to { rose
which he knew before his hair WAS yrizZled. In
those days. II he rode down broadway II was
in an uncomfortable stage. with straw In tho
Office nay have stood then upon the ground
low occupied by the sky-scraper, but wherever
II Ma vac TO- s Si sss sse r ,nss 'R ke. .sn en-. S,i iaenS'i in.
sured. ana possibly 20 have the main hall
ways aud stairs cleaned at his expense. Any
thing else that the tenant wanted he either
paid for himself or went without usually ne
vent without. Now. before he reaches the
wa,chfui eye of one OF the employees OF the
AREA; pile In which lac makes his business home.
on in neon nnS ebSut the s;dowslSs that t sdioin
the building. lie sees that ice and snow are
cleared away PROMPTLY and not allowed to &C
cumulate even during the worst storms. He
has the pasty mud OF rainy weather scraped
away as fast AS busy feet bring II up To tho
consrexate along tho curb to the annoyance OF
tenants or their clients. and he regulates all
the cab and carriage and truck traffic which
comes TO u busy building housing thousands or
persons every day. He is In uniform and he
touches his cap 10 the prosperous tenant.
There is not even u dinginess about the door.
way that the tenant PASSES through. for It's
plate-g ass parts are polished daily, as y. every
pane OF glass I'm the whole building. Two or
three doors are at the entrance and perhaps it
has q patent revolving doorway TO shut out
the winter air from the loSHy. Does the pros
pViou' ttheh $3.50
fore he goes to his office. q cigar, q shave. a
shine, or a drink Does he want TO buy u new
along tho lobby il h. doe-. Here are booths
where reputable merchants set forth all that
he may want. The tenant gets his newspaper
and Lis cigar and steps to the elevators. Not
for o moment has he been beyond the sight
and care Of the EMPLOYEES OF tne building.
Had a pick po ,ket tried to rob him while he
made his purchase or chattrd with acquaint-
arces in the lobby, y ~wat"hman, with spe:ial
police powers. would have collated the thief
Al once. even supposing hat he hal not recog.
niEei the rascal the moment he tried to enter
and turned him away then. Here are indIces
TO ia. names OF the tenants and hallnen TO
give general information aud watch over all
who come and CO.. Elevators standing. side by
sids IL banks. with one car always waiting Tor
him. confront the tenant when he is ready to 90
20 his Office, and they shoot him inward n the
he knows. for safety. but he never uses them,
and he knows that his office r. higher up or
n lHmss aG OF hi n a sSs 0' Whssh eri !. i Ss on the q sh iHi
io.I, Tho sixth, the ninth. or the twenty-thitd
10 ali one. except that when 1t is above the sixth
floor IL usually has a lookout above the roofs
OF the surrounding buildings over one or both
OF the bosuriful rivers that bound New York.
The tenant snters his oflcc. lie needs no
signs to keep gu. peddlers OF other intruders.
for these cannot get into tho building W .thout
permits. and permits are not given freely.
Everything about tho room is spick and span
as the busy man opcps his desk and piunges
into the ~ork OF tls day. All day long he
strew the floor. discarded cigar butts and cigar
ashes, and street dirt are all about. and the
Does Tho tenant want he.tf He turns Il on
from the steam pipes. Does he, need Light
There are gas lets and electric lights ready for
use In every part Of the rooms. Before the
days work is over he needs lunch. He pulls
the lever Of tho Distriet MESSENGER call. In
in n minute. and he orders lunch brought
from tho restaurant In tho building, or Dor
laps he goes there and cata When the days
work is over the tenant walks out, locks his
door upon tho disorder and dirt and goes home.
When he comes again tho next day everything
| Is CLAN and orderly again.
When the hour comes for closing the ONCE,
there swarms out into the hall way Through
out the big oflce buildings an army OF cleaners,
9th utensils ne. dcl to make all neat and clean.
walk level. and often spreading out away be.
yond the walls OF the building Into the spaces
actually under the Sidewalk. Is q region Witch
exo!u lively devoted to his comfort. II he ex,
plored this region he would md some intri.
Here are boilers ~hich supply the power. and
engines which. work the elevators. drive the
Iating tho of,ces, pump water to all parts of
the big building. and can supply tbs fre hose
T TSi' boilers il s1 sspp 5s"s also 70: .tes sas t on s sssfy n00F'
These are features common to all the large
mice buIiainSs II this city: IN EDITION. l. there %.
In the Equitable building. Ths.s thing,
keen competition for tenants came in sigh,
with the eonstructlon OF the great Bowling
Green building, the 81. raul bulldlhg. ant
half q dozen others which are either lust I'M
ished or under way. The first general i'm
provement IN the service which these new
buildings will offer Is that the buildings will
be kept open twsnty-four hours a day, 38i
days IN tho year, and an extra day. In lear
years, and that during every hour of.this tint
OF least one elevator will DO kept In service
II has been the custom In almost every Guild
ing TO stop tho elevator service early In thu
evening aud not to run the elvntors At all or
Sundays or holidays. Newspap per mon ant
district messenger boys who used to have u
climb 70 the Weather Bureaus perch at the tor
OF the Equitable building Mt night can appreci
ate what a boon the new service will DO. Their
we're many times when t,nants and clients
also were forced to mako weary journeys oil
foot UP 20 sky Offices. Several OF the oldel
buildings nave taken a hint from the new one
in this respect, and It Is likely that all of tn,
larger onos will soon adopt the ever-open plan
Even In the smaller ones signs are not uncom
mon now telling that one elevator will. run
hereafter every night until 10 or IL O'Clock
In the Bowling Green building one elevate,
has been made exceptionally large and strOni
so that it can DO used upon occasion 20 carr!
safes and ether heavy freight. II Is a reIula
passenger elevator. but IL has a floor SKI feet
and can safely carry 5000 pounds. Thi
great building, whi,h covers is. 800 squar,
feet Of ground and towers seventeen, stories
has n number Of unique features. The prob
lem OF renting such u great building naturally