The Ely miner., 1900-10-12
MODERN ELEGANCE.
Expensive bathrooms and Swimming
Pools in Some Fine City
Residences.

q
comparatively modern convenience,
but public bathing places are as old
as civilization. The Greeks and Ro-
mans spent large sums in fitting up
public baths, which were popular re-
sorts for all classes, but private bath
room in ones own house would have
been hard to find. Even to this day
the people of India consider bathing
in anything other than river or small
er stream of running water to be
disgraceful act. Pent water was con-
sidered defiling to the body by the
ancients and the public baths of Greece
and Rome were so constructed that
the outflow of water was equal to the
inflow so as to secure as nearly as pos
sible pure water for every bather, says
a Chicago exchange.
The bathroom in hotels and dwell
ings passed rapidly from the realm
of luxury to that of necessity; to-day a
house without bathtub is the excep-
ton. But with the belief, or knowl-
edge, rather, that cleanliness is next
to goodness came a sort of rivalry in
bathroom furnishings and sanitary en-
gineering skill and inventive genius
were called upon to do their best. A
few years ago a little room in an OBJ
scure corner with zinc tub was some
thing to boast of, but in these days of
great individual wealth and palaces the
bathroom often involves a large ex-
penditure of money.
Many of the wealthy construct their
bathrooms on lines that are as far
removed from the old tub style as it
is possible for the ingenuity of the
architect and plumber to construct
them. Instead of a $25 zinc tub pool
oxo feet or larger is constructed of
porcelain in the center of large room
say 14x20. Entrance to the pool from
the curbing level is by marble steps.
and the depth of the water may be as
much as four or five feet. The curb
ing is of marble and the walls and
ceiling of the room are lined with file
or onyx. The windows are of cathe-
oral shape and great palms and small
er plants are placed about where they
VIII give the room 'all the comforts of
nome" and the picturesqueness of a
garden. But that is not al that is
required of such bathrooms. There
must be another, but smaller. room
adjacent, lined throughout with mar
ble, with the floor inclined to the cen
ter. for the shower bath. Then there
must be another small room at hand
for a porcelain foot tub and still an
other for a wash basin, to say nothing
OF an elaborately appointed dressing
room All the floors should be in til
ing, done in mosaic pattern. with rugs
mere and there. Such bathroom costs
from $4,000 to $1,000, and it is said
there are few of them in Chicago.
In most modern mansions in Chi
cago the cost of the bathroom and ac-
cessorles range from $7OO to $4,000; the
latter includes pool instead of tub.
Cathedral windows are dispensed with.
the pool is porcelain lined, the shower
IS over the pool, and, in fact. one room
serves for everything except the dress
ing apartment. 1t is a fad with some
wealthy people to have the tub bewn
from solid block of marble, but such
folks are few and far between. There
is another style of tub that is liked
IL is solid steel porcelain lined sets
on the floor without legs and when in
place looks as if it might have grown
out OF the wall. These tubs are low
and roomy, but the shower has to he
separate work of art stationed on a
marble slab in another part of the
room.
Inere are many private houses in
chicago that have bathrooms costing
from $5Oo to $1,000, and some dwellings
nave one on each floor, as well as
lavatory, but as rule from $3.50 to
$500 is all house owners care to in
vest in that department..
A few swimming fadists have pools
occupying most of the space in the
cellar. Of course the cellar must be
constructed to admit of such thing
and also to give the pool the required
cepth. The correct house for a gen.
t.eman to live in has swimming nool
in the cellar and billiard-room in th.
top story" says a man who has both
Plumbers say that few zinc-lined
tubs are used these days. An iron
body with enamel lining costs little
more and outiasts dozen zinc tubs.
A gentleman who has a costly bath
room says the way to enjoy bath is
to submerge oneself in the water to
the chin, then light cigar and sip
lce-co.d champagne between puffs.
Keep it up until the cigar and the
wine are used up, then go to bed and
dream of fairy lands