The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-06-19


Trouble to the Owners.
The first question put by the renting
agent was, What nationality, pleaseY
and the woman In the blue hat replied
byasklng, "Why do you want to KNOW
81 meant no offense," said the agent
81 only thought that by finding out
your nationality | could refer you at
once to certain buildings on my list
which would be apt to please you"
The woman I'm the blue hat had half
notion to get angry.
II don't see what my nationality has
to do with finding suitable fiat" she
said
1T has n good deal to do with it."
said the agent. Now, | can see
straight off that you are an American,
born and bred. This is delicate ques-
ton that you have plunged me into,
but since am In 1t mean to founder
around n little while longer and tell
you few facts pertaining to the merits
and dement's OF different natloHalties
considered In the Hight OF hathouse
tenants.
FIRST of all, | want to speak from
the standpoint OF prompt payment. If
my success in business depended upon
each tenant paying his rent exactly
when 1t was due, would try to fill all
my houses with Seotchmen Never
have | lost penny on Scot, and sci
dom have ! had TO walt.
Il am not making the rash assertion
that 1t is Impossible for Scotchman
to be dishonest while everybody else is
trying his best to cheat me out of my
very eyeteeth. The point | wish to
make Is that personally | have never !
suffered loss ut the hands Of Il Scot, |
But they give trouble In other ways. |
They are fearfully quarelsome and |
raise SO many rows with the other ten
ants through the dumb waiter shaft |
that 1t keeps the janltor busy straight
enlng out domestic snarls. In all my |
buildings where Scotchmen reside | |
select janltor with view to his even
disposition and diplomatic gifts 1t
doesn't matter SO much about his abil-
ity for scrubblng and keeping the fur
mace going. Unitarian accomplish
ments are n secondary consideration SO
long as he is endowed with the blessed
qualities of n peacemaker.
Taken all In all, the most peaceable
people ! get In my houses hail from
Sweden. You never hear peep out
OF a Swede. He doesn't bother his
neighbors and he doesn't bother me
unless the proVocation IL extreme. AS
n rule he is good pay too. The only
fault l have to find with him IS his
fondness for moving A lease IS Il
dead letter in his eye, and he has no
more conjunction about moving with
out n days notice than he has about
going TO bed when he Is sleepy"
The woman In the blue hat asked
what We're the chief characteristics "f
Americans as tenants.
"Their supreme sellishness," said the
agent. "rhey have not sparh OF
consideration for landlord. thy
want the earth. They never set
through asking for improvements They
are not content to get the walls tinted
and the woodwork painted and TIE
plumbing fixed once or twice Il y.
They want new decorations ttrI!
month, and MI the trllnmiH..s laaat be
first class too. American tenants pay
big prices for their fats. but there isn't
really SO much profit In catering to
them as to other nationalities, fer tie
-,---- a.l
nearly all my income In trying to keep
up the building In the style they de
mand. On the other hand, the people
who ask for the least are the Italians
and the French. They take most any
old thing | feel like giving them. the
French mcckly providing their own
decorations and the Italians going
without.
81 like German tenants pretty WELL
too, but they are terribly hard on flats.
never could understand how they
manage to inaict so much damage on
walls and doors. Judging by the looks
of an apartment Just vacated by n
large German family. one would think
that their star piece of furniture was
batterlng ram.
"rhe ears former subjects also have
an abnormally developed bump of de-
structiveness, although they run to
glass instead of plastering. | have one
house down town that Is occupied by
ten Russian families, and If they We're
not compelled to repair their own dam
ages it would keep me poor putting In
new windows and buying new gas
globes.
81 also rent to colored people. | have
three houses full of them at present,
and l must say that | have never had
better tenants. But when YOU come
down to facts, all my tenants are nice
people. only | thought 1t might not be
amiss while ON the subject OF nation
ality to mention few Of the peculiari-
ties of each." New York Sun.