The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-02
So
Sal(y 3.
BeSS'
Comment,

1t is a source of continued wonder
that somebody doesn't build a set of
pleasant apartment houses in this
town. There are enough enterprising
men here but they seem to be possessed
with a lunacy for office buildings. Be-
tween you and me the office craze has
been overdone with respect to big
structures filled solely with these,
above a first floor devoted to store
rooms. Beautiful and convenient ac-
commodation for stores appear at fire.
quent intervals on our streets, but their
vacancy is as depressing as a series of
pedestrians each adorned with a black
eye. 1t isn't an evidence of our vaunted
prosperity and progress to see so many
empty stores and offices. OF course
the newer office buildings continue to
be occupied. The tenants move out of
the building erected last year to take
the one just finished. 1t is like buying
a '97 wheel. There isn't a toss up diff
ference in real value between one made
in December of last year, or one turned
out January 1897 but the bicyclist feels
that he has a reputation to sustain and
he must have the up-to-date wheel. 1t
is fashionable to move into the latest
building with the crispest frills. Then
1t gives an excuse for little advertis-
ing in the only way permissible to a
professional man, so the lawyer, the
doctor and all the others move and try
to look prosperous.
What some energetic real estate man
should do is to get up plans for sensible
apartment houses in the proper loca-
ton and his fortune is secured. There
is a lovely plot of ground on jefferson
avenue at the cornerof Mulberry street,
adjoining the residence of the late
George Throop. 1t isn't likely that the
present owners want to sell, but that is
an ideal location for an elegant and
fashionable structure and with light on
all sides, large number of tenants
could be accommodated. Some of the
apartments should consist of five or six
rooms to suit small families, who now
find it difficult to rent a dwelling at
all meeting the requirements. The rent
could include elevator service and the
care taker could arrange to furnish
domestic assistance when needed Such
a building has been devised under the
direction of a Chicago woman who is
likely to make fine income from its
proceeds
The difficulty with most projectors
| of any such departure in this city, is
| that they have proposed selecting the
wrong location. The sort of people who
would make this investment desirable
will not live on any or all streets that
might be suggested. They prefer a
| neighborhood such as they have been
| familiar with previously. Such a spot
as that already designated, or a lot
which might be secured on Wyoming
| avenue in the four hundred block, or
on Madison, Monroe or Quincy ave-
nues, would certainly be profitable as a
| site for such purpose.
Dear me" said a fair young woman
| whose bushes it is to make people
| look younger and feel better" every
woman ought to be in business for a
| little time in order to see how import
ant it is to keep her appointments. OF
course it doesn't matter to the society
woman or the girl of leisure, if she for
| gets that she made an engagement at
| 2:30 and goes off TO play golf instead.
| There are other days and she can make
a second appointment; But how about
| the other persons whose time is alb
| sorbed and whose plans are disar-
ranged by the failure?" Then she took
a car and went up on the Hill to fill
an appointment with a patron who was
| probably down town.
| This has been said so often of wo-
/ men that II almost seems they have
accepted 1t as a fact and act accord
| ingly. 1t means wasted hours and lost
dollars for the waiting one. There
are few dentists who hold their pa
tients to their appointments and ey-