The times., 1900-12-18
Apnrtnlent HOuscs.

If there IS any ore thing of which the
city of Washington is particularly in need
a. this stage OF its existence. ii is apart
ment houses of tho right sort. By this is
meant the apartment house which contains
ten or dozen suites OF small rooms. four
or five in each suite. renting for 4 mod
| crate price. With the development of the
| Capital into residence city there is an
increasing demand for small houses, or
places in which young married couple, a
bachelor, a single woman. or a small fam
lily Of any description may make for them
selves homes without the trouble and ex-
pense Of a large establishment
Hitherto the boarding house system has
prevailed. But lodgings are not homes
The essence of a home is separateness. In
the boarding or lodging house people Of
al; temperaments and various walks in life
are thrown together pell-mell. Il is good
discipline for the character but it is wear
ing; ard it does not bring out the finest
qualities in most people. The normal hu-
man being does not want to live in crowd
like hook of sheep. He wants to have a
place OF his own, in which he may do as
IF the right kind of apartment houses
can be built here-and there are few of
them already--it is almost certain that
tEey will prove a profitable investment. A
great deal depends upon the way in which
they are managed. the dweller in fiat
IS not going TO pay the rent of house. nor
is he going to put up with all the annoy
ances os lodgings. lie must be free to keep
his OWL hours and his own company; and
though some few may take advantage of
too great liberty, ii is better to lose few
dollars by them than to restrict all the
tenants so that they will be uncomfortable.
The question Of restrictions, moreover,
Is settled partly by the tenants them
selves. and they also must be prepared TO
De reasonable. There are too many peo-
pie who consider their neighbors' business
their own. and these people often behave
IS il they had special right Of enquiry
ever their neighbors' affairs when they
live in a house with other families. It
should he clearly understood that an apart
ment house IS practically the same as a
block OF houses. Most people would never
think OF enauiring into the morals or man
ners of those in the same block with them
they sEculd no more claim jurisdiction
over their neighbors in the next nat. OF
course, ar extraordinary amount of noise
Is a grievance. but if one lives next door
10 a house where there is a piano which
is necessarily played. one seldom goes to
the landlord of that house to complain of
the fact unless The noise is very bad. The
remedy is simply TO seek a quieter neigh
borhood. II should be the same in an
apartment house. The attempt TO know
aji ones neighbors in such a building is
rot wise. Country people often think that
New York people are heartless when they
eonf,,ss TO knowing absolutely nothing of
4heir hsighbors or the floor above or be-
low;- but II Is the wisest and most indie
pendent plan. In The country. where peo-
PIE settle down for life on adjoining farms,
neighborliness is necessary and right; but
it would certainly be crazy plan to make
intimate friends of the family next door.
when they may only be next door for six
months. Mischief can be done in that
way. as Wen as by going to the opposite
extreme