Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-06-29
JEWELLERS In FLATS.
A NEW YORK REAL ESTATE AGENT ON
THEIR CHARACTERISTICS.

Peculiar Lines Which, According to
His Experience, People of Different
nationalitics Take In Causing
Trouble to the Owners.
The first question put by the renting
agent was. What nationality, pleaseY'
and the woman in the blue hat replied
byasking why do you want to knowY'
II meant no offense," said the agent.
Il only thought that by finding out
| your nationality | could refer you at
once 10 certain buildings on my list
which would be apt to please You"
The woman in the blue hat had half a
notion to get angry.
Il don't see what my nationality has
to do with finding n suitable fat" she
said
ut has a good deal to do with H."
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 It mean to founder
around a little while longer and tell
you few facts pertaining to the merits
and dement's Of different nationalities
considered in the light of flathouse
tenants.
First of all. | want to speak from
the standpoint Of prompt payment II
my success in business depended upon
each tenant paying his rent exactly
when 1t 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 n Scotchman
TO be dishonest while everybody else Is
trying his best 10 cheat me out of my
very eyeteeth. 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 fearfully quarrelsome and
raise so many rows with the other ten
ants through the dumb waiter shaft |
that 1t keeps the 1anitor busy straight |,
ening 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 scrubbing and keeping the fur
mace going. Utiltarian accomplish
ments are II secondary consideration so
long as he Is endowed with the blessed
qualities of peacemaker.
Taken all in all. the most pcaceable
people | get In my houses han from
Sweden. You never hear n peep out
of a Swcde. He doesn't bother his
neighbOrs and he doesn't bother me
unless the prOvCcation Is extreme. AS
a rule, he is good pay too. The only
fault l have TO find with him is his
fondness for moving \ lease is
dead letter In his eye. and he has no
more compunction about moving with
out a days notice than he has about
going to bed when he Is sleepy"
The woman In the blue hat asked
what were the chief characteristics of
Americans as tenants.
'Their supreme sclflshness," said the
agent. "They have not n spark of
consideration for landlord. They
want the earth. They never get
through asking for Improvements. They
are not content to get the walls tinted
and the woodwork painted and the
plumbing fixed once or twice year.
They want new decorations every
and all the trimmings must be
first class too American tenants pay
big prices for their fats. but there isn't
really so much profit I'm catering to
them as to other nationalltles. for the
simple reason that have TO pay out
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
md the French. They take most any :
DID thing | feel like giving them, the
French meekly providing their own
decorations and the Italians going
without. ,
Il like German tenants pretty WELL 4
co. but they are terribly hard on flats
never could understand how they +
manage to inflct so much damage Oh p
walls and floors. Judging by the looks y
# an apartment just vacated by +
arge German family, one would think f
hat their star piece Of furniture was 6
batterlng ram. n
'The cars former subjects also have h
n abnormally developed bump of de- n
although they run to {,
lass instead of plastering. | have one Il
ouse down town that is occupied by h
en- Russian families, and If they were h
OF compelled to repair their own dam n
ges it would keep me poor putting in y
ew windows and buying new gas "
lObes. n
81 also rent to colored people. | have +,
lree houses full Of them at present,
nd must say that have never had
etter tenants. But when you come
own to facts, all my tenants are nice 81
eople. only | thought it might not be 7
miss while on the subject Of nation Il
lily to mention few of the peculiari- Ii
es of each. New York Sun. ~
- - NJ
Feelings and Fingers. VI
A boy was asked which was thu Ill
reater evil, hurting anothers feelings Il