Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-04-19
TWO SIDESTO "FLAT"LIFE.
Owner CT Apartment Building Has
His Troubles.
JANITOR HASTHE SNAP
Rent Rcceipis Melt Away in Repairs
and Alterations TO Suit
the Tenants.

but also because dld hot ask MN 10
invest the amount / had paid in per-
manent improvements in my portion OF
the house. The landlord said there are
two sides to Hat life that of the tenant
and that of the one who owns the build
ing. He said the architect who designed
the structure claimed to be n Hat special
ist-that he knew all about what should
go into the arrangement of Il fat and
what should not. The landlords wife
went over the plans and called in q
number of her neighbors. who were IA
miliar with home building and house-
keeping. and they said the plans We're
without n flaw. Yet, there are sixteen
Mrs Flats in our building who say they
could draw better plans with their eyes
shut.
While l talked with the landlord Mrs.
Flat Two came in with bundle of mon
5ey and paid the rent on her apartment.
Mrs. Flat Two has never liked the paper
on the walls of her front room, although
the landlord said his wife selected the
paper. She gave the landlord notice that
unless paper of her own choosing was
pasted on the wall she would move out.
II would not 20 to such extreme meas
ures. mildly suggested the landlord.
You should remember you took the fat
for year, have your signature to
lense.
"oh." said Mrs. Flat Two, triumphant
", 'yon haven't my name to any lease.
1t was my husband who signed it. Re
member-no new paper, out L go.
In,o Ills Waiting Palm.
After Mrs. Flat Two had gone Mrs
Fiat Eight came in, dropped S34 into
the waiting palm of the landlord, and
demanded that the ianitor be turned out
of our building. THAT coon is so sassy
there is no getting along with him." Mrs.
Flat Eight said. "He talks too much
and bosses too much. The idea of being
bossed by negro! Why. my husband
hasn't the nerve to try to boss me-"
Mrs. Flat Eight left and the landlord
said: Il fear will have to call the
Jantor up by telephone and call him
down. | have had a number of COM !
plants today. prefer TO talk to him |
by telephone, because he weighs about
$50 pounds more than | do"
The mail came in while | was there
and gave the landlord an envelope con-
tanning the coal bill for January. An
other envelope brought the bill for two
telephones. garbage man came in and
collected his bill for months work.
On the landlords desk was an envelope /
with the word cantor on it. and into ,
it the owner of the building slipped the
month 5 rent | had paid him. On the a
desk was also bill for the hall lights. b
another for the wafer used in the build | f
Ing and saw note from the insurance
agent. telling the landlord not to forget v
that his insurance on the building should G
be renewed today. Ig
Transferred to Janitor. z
Yen see, | am turning your money Y
over to the janitor," the landlord said, 3
ms | fingered in the hope Of getting into :
the secret OF how much money this man !,
Is making of sixteen tenants every
month. THE $50 Mrs. Flat Two paid !
me. will have to go to the coal dealer I,
and l will have TO take $40 off another
flat and spend 1t for paper for Mrs 9
Iwo'S front room. | admit my building =
Is not hrepro0f and the insurance rate .
is pretty high. 1t will take all the rent i
of two $50 flats to renew the policy n
The water and the light bills viii cut K
OF all the profits of aat No. 0 this c
month";
Mr.. Flat Twelve came in TO leave
$40 and TO say that he did not want d
TO hear any more OF the janitor talking I
back" to Mrs Twelve. or there would h
be a colored funeral from our building '
and the janitor would not know it was 5
going on. The landlord said he would 5
speak to the janitor. Mrs. Flat Seven
came in, left $34, and said sne would n
be compelled to move at the end of the @
month. as she could no longer stand the I
piano banging in fiat No. II. Mrs. Flat | I
Six left $3.50 with the landlord. and | I
asked if the two electric bulbs in her i
parior could not be lowered two feet 7
from the ceiling The landlord said 1t ]
could be done, but she would have to nav
20 cents for the wiring. She gave the
landlord warning that the lights would
come down, at his expense, or she would
move the list Of next menth-lease or no '
lease. .
Rne WcmGu's Complaint. =
Mrs Flat Three left $50 and said the :
bell in her Tat had refused TO ring for a | 4
month and that she was getting tired |
of calling attention to the need of | 4
weather strips about the kitchen door. t
Mr. Flat -Four came in to deposit So
with the landlord and 70 say il the jani- 4
tor was found cold and stiff in the base. | +
ment some morning for the landlord not | I
TO be surprised. The landlord gave his n
word that he would not be. Mrs. Fiat | I
Five left So for the good OF the land r
lords cause, when she was told of cons 1
plants her neighbors had made about
her shaking dusty rags out the rear G
door Mrs. Fiat Five said she had so Y
many complaints to make against the y
neighhors that she would have to take 4
a Sunday off and write out the list for | (
the Landlord to study at his leisure I
Mrs. Flat Thirteen tried to be cheer
full as she contributed $50 to the grow !
ing fund in the hands of the landlord. i
She called his attention TO a sagging |
door between her dining room and !
kitchen, to the need of new paint in the !
bath room. and said she would be COM ,
PEELED TO drive some nails in the walls. {
even II it was against the lanlords rules H
The landlord said to drive the nails, but |
10 do II some day when she knew the .
ianitor had gone down the alley with
his bucket and a dime.
Landlords Expenses.
The landlord had several rows of fig
ures before him. which he had drawn
before | went in. l could see that he
had been estimating the expenses of his
building for the first month Of 1902, and
had tried 70 forecast the outlay OF money
he. would have to make during the year.
1t was also clear to me that he was
trying to determine whether his building
would pay clear profit OF Al per cent
on the investment this year. or il it would
only pay 40 per cent / left the landlord
whistling and waiting for Other tenants /
to come in and surrender their hard
earned wealth to him. As l raised the
latch on the door. he said
IF you are ever driven to the point
where you have TO decide whether to
own fiat building or be its ianitor take
the janitorship. His profits match his
inpOrOa every month and If is apafpst ~. |