Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-23
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Active Demand From People Who
Want to Rent Houses.
SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE MARKET
Delay in Building Caused by the
Scarcity of Iron.
S U 3 DIV IDIN G L AN d

The renting season is well under way
and the real estate dealers with long lists
of houses to rent ,ook with satisfaction as
they daily dwindle in size The activity in
this direction is perhaps greater than has
been known here for some years past, and
the indication is that either people are set
ting up independent homes i'll greater num-
hers than has been the case during the per-
iod of financial depression, or else the pop
ulation of the city is increasing. 1t is
thought likely that both of these causes
have something to do with the present i'm
proved conditions and it is believed that
next July, when the census of the District
is taken by the United States authorities.
the results will show that the number of
residents here has materially increased.
Although building has been going on and
new houses erected and there have been
especia ~ Il large number of apartment
houses put up the market is not livestock
ed. There are more buildings available for
residences in this District than was the
case few years ago, and for this reason,
also. it is believed by many that the popu-
lation statistics will show an increase.
Kind of House in Demand.
While there has been change in the sit
uaticn in this particular, there has been
practically no change in the kind of houses
most in demand. This year, heretofore.
there are. more people inquiring for houses
renting from $25 to $50 per month than for
anv other class At the same time there are
more houses of this class than of any other.
According to the opinion of dealers, the
supply of such houses is not equa! to the
demand. Apartment houses are largely de-
signed to meet this need and this fact ac-
counts in some measure for the large num-
Der of buildings of the kind that have been
erected in recent years.
There is another class of houses for which
it is believed there is market. and that
is those which are in good localities but
are moderate in size. The small house is
economical because it takes less fuel to
heat it, less furniture to fill the rooms and
fewer servants to care for it, and in this
way the occupants can live in good style
and in a good neighborhood at a smaller
annual outlay than those who have large
houses. In other words the needs of the
average householder are along the lines
above suggested, and as that class out
numbers all the others in a community
real estate investors consider their wants
when putting up houses for sale or rent.
The demand for less expensive houses as
well as for those which are held at high
figures is aso apparent in the market at
this time. Later in the season, however,
houses, furnished and unfinished, of the
more expensive kind find reader market
than exists at this time of the year.
Dfsfisuring the City.
ers of considering that the side walls of
buildings, merely because they are side
walls and not front walls, cannot be seen
by the public, does more to make the ex-
ternal aspect Of city uninviting than per-
haps any other one cause 1t is not unusual
to see a house with handsome stone front
showing a crude and uninviting stretch of
rough bricks of the walls at the end and
sides. If such walls were party walls with
the prospect that they would soon be COW
cred up, that would be one thing, but when
such raw surfaces face on alleys on
spaces where there is no chance of their
ever being concealed, then the injury done
to the appearance of the ne:ghborhood by
such construction cannot be atoned for by
the money that is spent in the adornment
of the front.
OF course the chief explanation of
such policy of Disagreement is econ
omy. In place of stone for few
square yards. rough bricks are substi-
tuted. and it cannot be denied that
bricks cost less than the stone. It
may be questioned, when the actual saving
thus effected is calculated. whether, after
all, such course will seem worth while
even to an economical builder. The fer
ence in most cases is so small that it is
hardly worth considering and most people
are of the opinion, wher they look at such
houses, that 1t would have been the part Of
wisdom to have saved the few dollars In
some other part of the house.
Plans for Convent Chapel.
Plans have been drawn by Mr.. L. Norris,
architect. for the building and chapel which
are to be erected on street between 18th
and 10Th streets northwest for the use of
the Convent of Perpetual Alteration, a
Catholic society. The convent building it
self IS to be three stories in height with an
attic while the chapel, which adioins it,
will be one story in height. The material
used will be brick and stone and the design.
while showing plain lines will be effective
frnn
the property will be sixty feet and ths
depth will be about the same. Mr.. John S
Larcombe is the builder.
Scarcity of Iron.
Owing to the difficulty in getting iron
used in building, contractors find that their
work is subject to vexatious delays 1t is
found that no reliance can be placed on
the terms of contracts, and when the
stipulated time arrives for the delivery of
the material the iron men calmly state
they are unable to fill the order as they
have not the iron rolled. They are glad to
have the contract thrown up, as in all
probability the price has advanced since
the date of the agreement and they will
have chance to dispose Of the stock at
higher prices. On this account in all build
ings where iron is used unless the supply
was obtained before the actual building
operations were begun the work makes
slow progress
circumstances is rather unusual and for
this reason the progress Of the building Of
the addition to the establishment of S.
kann, Sons & Co. has been noted with
some interest. This addition, which is
4Ox65 feet and four stories high as design
ed by the architect, Mr. Glenn Brown and
built of brick and iron, was erected in one
month. Fortunately the architect and own
ers saw that there was a likelihood of q
scarcity of iron and ordered all that would
be needed some time ago, that when the
building was begun the iron was on hand
and there was no delay.
Ex-senator White Stricken.
Ex-senator White is lying dangerously i'll