The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-01
LOW COST HOMES
. FOR WORKING MEN
Few Practical Remarks the Subject by One Who Has
! Had Large Amount of Experience in
Providing Such Homes.

neapolis to have living examples of what
can be done, by what has been done.
II will quote you two living examples:
Ten years ago I had tenant in house
paying me $12 a month. This tenant is
still in the house and has had spent in
repairs during that period less than $40.
About the same time I sold another man.
a railroad conductor. house equally as
good for $1,000 on monthly payments of
$12 a month. To- day the difference is
this: No, 1 is still tenant, No. owns
house with only $500 debt on 1t, which he
subrents for SIG a month.
This sounds like magic, but It's not;
its only facts. To-day in Walton Park
am Offering to build and sell $1,000
house and lot at s12 a month for ten
years. This house the man can build
himself if he can or so desires. and will
give him $500 to do it with. I, know he
cannot build it as economically as l can,
because lie cannot buy in the quantities
that I can; but anyhow, for ten years he
pays just S12 a month"; no additional
charge for interest and insurance, moth
ing but a small tax. Ten years is short
time, and at the end of that time the
house is free and clear, decided to him, all
his own. This man would pay $40 a
month rent for a poor, broken-down,
rattly old miserable house with no COM
fort at ali or So month for three rooms
somewhere and have nothing but dirt and
sickness. But here he gets seven
roomed house, new and well built, with
city water, fresh, fine air, fine car service,
fine schools and churches, fine view and
| fine rich soil. Here he can grow all his
summer vegetables with little labor and
| thought, and have as charming home as
| man could desire. There is no fear of
| loss; in case of sickness his payments
are suspended, and in case of death all
| the money he has paid is given back to
his wife without discount or fines.
is this philanthropy, or charity? 1t
| sounds like both but it is neither; it is
business pure and simple and common
sense. I want: that man, and he wants
me: that's business; he wants q home to
live in, and I want good man in a com
Portable house to help advertise my prop
erty: that's common sense.
| eve only continue these Workingmen S
plans in any one. location until We have
| so many houses and so many people, then
we move over to another district. Tha t
man is just as necessary to our welfare
to help get street improvements, schools
and churches, as our plan is to him. and
| he gets everything at cost and charming
home, while we get him and, later, II ne
is satisfied, his friends.
"There you have the two sides Of the
| Workingmans plan as viewed by my
| Office These lotteries or universal
plans are worked on different ideas and
principles, some live on forfeitures, some
on common robbery, some on endless
chains; they have no gain from the mar
as an individual only as an autonaton
and figure their profit like the gamble,
with double zero roulette wheel.
. "Adyice therefore, to, home hunters
use your individuality and education az
part payment of your home, make your:
i self desired, your society of commercial
. value and you cannot help but make
money