Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-08-29
JEWELLERS IN1FLATS.
AMEN Y, TAX REAL ESTATE AGENT ON
-, ~ NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Peculiar Lines Which, According to
His Experience, People of Different

Peculiar Lines Which, According to
His Experience, People of Different
Nationnlities Take In Caup1nE
Trouble to the Owners.
The first question put by the renting
agent was, what nationality, please?"
and the woman in the blue hat replied
hyaslSing, why do you want to know"
u meant no offcase," said the agent.
II only thought that by finding out
Your nationality I could rcfc. you at
once to certain buildings OIL my list
which would be apt to please YOU"
The woman i'll tho blue hat had half a
notion to get angry.
II don't sec what my nationality has
to do with finding suitable fiat" She
said.
"It has good deal to do with it,"
said the agent. Now, 1 can see
straight off that you arc an American,
born and bred. This is delicate qucs-
ton that you have plunged me into,
Sbut since am i'll it l mean to iloun,ler
around Il little while longer and tell
you few facts pertaining to the merits
and dement's of different nationalitics
considered in the light of tlathouse
tenants.
First of all, l want to speak from
the standpoint of prompt payment. 1T
my success in business depended upon
each tenant paying his rent exactly
when it was due, would try to fill all
my houses with Scotchmen. Never
have lost penny on Scot, and sell
dom have | had to wait.
II am not making the rash assertion
that 1T is impossible for Scotchman
to he dishonest While everybody else is
| trying his best to cheat me out of my
| very cyctcctll. The point l wish to
make is that personally have never
suffered loss at the hands of Scot.
But they give trouble in other ways
They are fcarfully Quarrclsome and
raise so many rows with the other ten
ants through the dumb waiter Shaft
that it keeps the janitor busy straight
ening out domestic snarls. In all my
buildings where Scotchmcn reside
select n janitor with view to his even
disposition and diplomatic gifts. II
doesn't matter so much about his abil
ity for scrubbing aud keeping the fur.
mace going. Utilitarian accomplish
mcnts are q secondary consideration sc
long as he is endowed with the blessed
qualities of n pcacemaicr.
"rallen all in all, the most peaceablc
people ! get in my houses hail from
Sweden. You never hear peep out
of Il Swedc. He doesn't bother his
ncighbors and he doesn't bother mt
unless the provocation is extreme. AS
a rule, he is good pay too. The onl,
fault have TO find With him is his
fondncss for moving. \ lease is I;
dead letter in his eye, and lie has M
more conjunction about moving with
out IL days notice than he has abou
going to bed when he is sleepy"
II The woman in the blue hat askef
what We're the chief characteristics OF
Americans as tenants.
'"fheir supreme sellishness," said TIL,
agent. "Thcy have not spark o.
consideration for landlord. The,
want the earth. They never &c
through asking for improvements. The,
, are not content to get the walls tinte,
and the woodwork painted and TIL
plumbing fixed once or twice year
They want new decorations ever,
month, and all the trimmings must b
first class too. American tenants pa,
big prices for their flats, but there ism
really so much profit In catering t,
them as to other nationalities, for TIL
simple reason that have to pay GU
nearly all my income in trying to keel
up the building in the style they dc
mand. On the other hand, the pcopl
who ask for the least are the italian
and tie French. They take most an,
old thing feel like giving them, TIN
French rlceI.ly providing their owl
decorations and the Italians goin;
without.
81 like German tenants pretty well
too, bet they arc terribly hard on flats
| never could understand how the
manage to illicl SO much damage CT
wall; and floors. Judging by the look
81 an apartment just vacated by
!ar%e German family, enc would thin
that their star piece OF furniture wa
Il battering ram.
"rhc cz,,i's former subjects also hay
an abnormally developed bump Of dt
structivcncss. although they run I
glass instead OF plastarina. ] have Oil
liouse down town that is; occupied b.
ten Russian families. and III they wcr
not compelled To repair their own dam
ages it would keep me poor putting j
new Windows and buying new 50
globes.
~ also rent to colored people. hav
three houses full of them ut prasen
and ! must say that ! have never ha
better tenants. But when YOU com
down to facts. all my tenants are mic
people, only thought it might not b
amiss while on the subject OF nation
: ality TO mention IL few of the peculiar
E ties of each.''-New York Sun.
n Homemade Stoves.
In many parts Of Spain the stove