Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-02

old part, have been economy In space
"a demand traceable perhaps 10 the
days when the town was walled-and
protection from the sun. IN both these
respects the ends sou9lit have been ate
tanned.
The building line In the old part Of
the city Is flush with the inner edge of
the diminutive sidewalk. The iron graf
ings. therefore, which always cover the
windows opening to the street on the
ground floor, are a natural protection
against an arm reached into the room
even by the casual passer-by. The
windows are large, being usually four
or five feet wide and eight or ten feet
high. They are never glazed. except
perhaps border around the edge, or a
sort of gabled section at the tip. which
may contain ground glass. decorated
with illuminated paper.
s These windows are closed by shut
ters usually provided in part by adj
justible Stats for the admission at will
OF limited amount OF light and air.
After the traditional style of domes-
tic architecture in Spaln-and even in
ancient Pnmneiii. es :'oa.. as In iiiexico
and countries exhibiting Spanish infiu-
ience further south-the house is always
built around q court. An alley is a thing
unknown in the city, as is also any
spassageway from the street between
separate houses or buildings. The 'front.'
age upon the street is continuous.
There are party walls at the rear and
sides of each lot, and q house can be
entered from no other point except the
front door.
In the better houses one notices two
sdepressions eight or ten inches wide cut
in the stone door sill. These are for the
wheels OF the carriage. and indicate the
prevailing custom of keeping horses;
and vehicles within the one enclosure.
In the larger and wider houses the
carriage is often stored in the capacious
front hall. The horses are kept to the
rear of the court and all incidental feeo
and refuse must pass in and out thru
the front door and hall.
The front room is the parlor Behind
that and opening off the court are the
sleeping rooms, dining room, kitchen
E(with the closet always next to III, and
the servants, rooms. if there are such.
and the stable, ii there be such. Cane
seated furniture prevails everywhere.
The ordinary home contains rather
walls. The cooking, never including the
baking Of bread and only in rare
cases OF wealthy families the making
of pastries, is executed over tiny char
coal fires. In the better houses these
are kindled in little CRATES get in rather
6pcnderous brick structures which are.
built in the kitchen, covered with tile,
and situated beneath a great hood
leading into the flue. In the poorer
houses these fires are klndled in small
movable metal Grns.
Residence on the second story Is
preferable to living on the first floor on
account of dampness below-due In
part to the porous character of the
walls-and in many houses of the we'll
sto-do the first story is largely given
over TO the spacious front hall, with.
servants quarters and the stable. In
the poorer houses the floors are of dirt
only, in the better ones of tile. and In
the best they are of white marble. The.
general sanitary condition Of practical
ly all of the Cuban houses is bad. A
sewerage system when built will un-|
.doubtedly reduce this objection.
Indeed, 1t is to be borne in mind that
under the improved sanitary conditions
brought about thru American occupa-
ton and without any essential struc-
tural changes the city has approx
mated the death rates of other cities of
similar size. Certain essential changes
in the building laws are demanded. but
probably the really characteristic fea-
lures of the city's architecture and
those Which give it interest and worth.
are both compatible with those
changes and essentially adapted to To-;
cal climatic requirements.