Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-13


| sensational climax there must be a man IN
| the corridor keeping weather eye upon an
who approach the door. Privacy OF tliiS
severe and unbending description brings d
reward of publicity truly grateful to asplr-
| ing climbers.
A Royal Disregard for Cost.
royal atmosphere and a truly royal dis
regard Of cost mark and dignity state apart
ments. There are, perhaps, ten rooms In
| them-music room, parlor, breakfast and
dining rooms, reception cabinet, private sec
| retary's den, chamber, dressing room and a
bath fit for a Roman emperor. All the
woodwork Is solid mahogany; the floors are
deadened; the walls hung with brocade at
| $40 the yard, or priceless, genuine, antique
| tapestry; or paneled in rich woods ana
| oVerlaid with nlaryelS of the potter skill.
| The big bed stands upon dais out of def
| erence, possibly, to a royal shade Tor II
| belonged originally to famous king. Inc
rugs came straight from Persia, and more
than half the furniture is costly antique
stuff. The other moiety is all handmade
and beautifully wrought. Each room has
separate color note, but all melt insensibly
into indescribably harmonious whole
Here Is something beyond the glare and
gliding, the famboyant frescoes, onyx and
brasses, and mosaic. so plentiful elsewhere
In the great structure. Taste and genius,
severely refined, wrought here for the per-
fecting of all things 1t Is not strange that
some few occupants find themselves out OF
harmony with their surroundings. bored,
and in a degree envious Of the folk who
have lighter and gayer, If less distinguished,
| quarters. These mingle with the throng in
| palm room and smoking room; mount with
| the awed sght-seers to the dizzy heights of
sun parlors up in the fifteenth story, and
take afternoon tea in the palm room and
| the corridors where the dress parade warns
| the hearts cookies Of feminine onlookers,
while men play softly on stringed instru-
ments as the tea drinking and gossip go
| forward.
The "Swe1l' Apartment House.
| The apartment hotel Is very unlike all
! this. 1t is no more than an ordinary hand
some apartment. with exemption from
| housekeeping cares. Materially, it is less
gorgeous than the big hotel, yet more or
| nate than the average apartment house.
| In 1t one can be truly private person il
| one chooses One can also dine in public
| with almost the same show of damask,
| glitter Of silver and glow of flowers in
| evitable on the dinner tables of the bigger
| places. There are great ball rooms, foyerS
| and roof garden dining halls. The build
| ings are light and airy throughout well
| built. but each bears in some subtle fashion
| the earmark Of Its construction era. Change
| Is the apartment hotels law OF being.
| What was the height of fashion five years
back is distinctly out Of architectural fash
| lon in this present year OF grace.
One can rent here apartments complete
| to the tiniest detail or wholly empty, or
| only partly furnished. so as to leave room
| for ones special lares and penates. The
| tenant has little to do beyond paying the
| rent. Light. heat, service, meals all are
! locked out for by the management. 1t is
an easy life. and easy that 1t often ends
| by becoming strenuous. Variety is i'm
possible in the menu. or rather that sort
of variety which satisfies paiates strongly
| individual. So in the main it Is life suit
| ed only to very lazy or very busy people.
There must be a great plenty Of such folk,
| for apartment hotels continue to multiply
and flourish.
Thirty Rooms in a Suite.
Truly up-to-date housekeeping apart
ments offer all the discomforts of a home,
along with the splendors of a hotel. Incl
| dentallv. there are also many comforts.
| One can have thirty rooms IL it pleases
him. or ten even five. One can have
| apartments Of two stories There is an inn
| posing entrance. Light and air are in be-
| wilderfng plenty. Some big houses are
| built around a great central court with
four passenger elevators, one in each court
| corner. Others are in shape somewhat of
letter H: still others approximate the
| Maltese cross No bridesmaids wagon
| may stop the way for my lady's carriage,
| for there are separate drfveways for such
| vehicles. and clean out of sight
| The ground plan of one of these big cost
| ly apartments is as intricate as that of a
| country house. There are foyer halls, pas
sageways, arches and alcoves. y-window
| Conservatives. floors of hardwood or mo-
| sale, mail chutes telephones hot and cold
water, hot and cold air, gas and
electric ranges; two to three bath
and elevators: blessed plenty of closets
| for every conceivable need; open fireplaces
| brave In hlework and brasses; mirrors
| wherever they should be- and occa sionally
uba ShOn1d nd lie
! with whatever stuff the fancy of the oc-
| cupant may demand. Nearly always the
| windows supply enchanting outlooks
Guest Apartments the Latest Fad.
| Rents rise with the floors. The higher one
goes the more he pays. The construction
| is supposed to be fireproof. fact that is
largely considered in the rents Some few
| of the houses have automobile rooms in the
basement and charge batteries from the
surplus of their electric plants when lights
are not required. Nearly all have perfectly
equipped laundries independent OF the tubs
| in each kitchen. Store rooms are OF course,
provided. But guest apartments are rather
new. These are suites set apart to be rented
| in single rooms to tenants Hospitality in
| clined but who lack space for guests Ser
i rants quarters, outside of and apart from
the main nenage, recommend themselves
| as an innovation equally desirable. So do
| the sun parlors which crown some of the
| roofs These furnish Excellent nla.- places
| for little folk and old folk In storr.y
weather.
| Everywhere there Is a laudable attempt
| to let In the light and make the most of it.
| In the upper streets and avenues of New
| York, which are almost solidly apartment
| built one sees nearly every lima gfnabie de-
vice for ventilation and brightness The
days of the air-shaft are plainly numbered
Even in tenement construction there is a
chance that the central court may Gust 1t.
But 1t is far cry from tenements to the
costly piles where rents for single suite
vary from $1,000 to $4,000 year.
The Extinct Bookworm.
Andrew Lang in Longman's Magazine.