The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
The SEASON FOR MOVING
RENTAL AGENTS NOW BEsIEGED BY
CITIZENS THAT ARE RESTLESS.
When Spring Comes the ssMOving Mad
ness" SEXES Upon PeOple-Anx-
iety' of the Women.


rental agents of Indianapolis are being be-
sieged by men and women-especially the
iatter-demanding lists of vacant houses
that have many rooms, all modern con-
veniences, fine outlooks and low rent"
great many people are seized at this time
of the year with wild desire to move. no
matter how well situated they may be.
Their restlessness may be a certain phase
of the spring fever. or it may be due to
an Unborn trait coming down through the
centuries from our first ancestors-a trait
that has not been rooted out of US In the
many generations of evolution.
There are some birds whose ancestors
ages ago used to migrate at certain sea-
sons OF the year, but these descendants
have not outgrown the old habit. Now,
when the migrating season comes these
creatures Of the air become dazed and
wild, flying madly around in circles, call
ing to each other in great excitement and
finally settling down again in their old
homes and taking up their routine existence
where they left off. Edward Seaton Thomp-
son calls this period 1.-The mad MOON" and
this term seems quite applicable to the
present moving season, when so many hui
man beings are DESTROYS of migrating while
not being entirely able to account for their
uneasy feelings.
Thomas Hardy, in his many English
stories, the scenes of which are laid in
the County of Wessex, speaks time and
again of the moving madness" that takes
possession of the work folk on "Old Lady
day." 1t has become such general Gus
tom in some of the English provinces for
the people to hunt new dwellings in the
springtime that in some localities the first
weeks of April are devoted entirely to NOV
ing. This Is mentioned particularly in
Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles." In
one chapter the author says: "At length
1T was the eve of Old Lady day, and the
agricultural world was In fever of mo-
bility such only occurs at that particular
date of the year. 1t is the day of fulfill
ment; agreements for outdoor service dur
ing the ensuing year. entered into at Candle
mas, are now carried out. The laborers-
or work folks as they used to call them
selves immemorially, till the other word
| was introduced from without-who wish to
remain no longer in old places are remov-
ing to their new farms. These annual mi
grations from farm to farm were on the
| increase here. With the younger families
it was a pleasant excitement, which might
| possibly be an advantage. The Egypt of
one family was the Land of Promise to the
| family who saw ii from a distance till
| by residence there 1t became in turn their
Egypt also; and SO they changed and
| changed
WHAT HARDY SAYS.
And in another chapter of this story
Hardy again alludes to the moving season
as follows: During the small hours of the
morning, while Ii was still dark, jewellers
near the highways were conscious of a dis
turbance of their nights rest by rumbling
noises, internationally continuing until day.
| lighthouses as certain to recur in this par
| ticular first week of the month (ApriD as
the voice of the cuckoo in the third week
Of the same. They were the preiminaries
of the general removal, the passing of the
| empty wagons and teams to fetch the goods
of the migrating families"
Here in Indianapolis during the mad
| moon" you will find the woman who hasn't
the least idea In the world of moving. but
| who cannot possibly pass a vacant house
without going to each window and shading
| her eyes from the sunlight while she peers
| inquisitively into the place. She will care
fully survey the structure from different
| angles and she will take a critical scrutiny
of the adjoining dwelling places ito see
| what kind OF neighboring houses the ten
ant would have" and then, IL she is a
| woman Of sufficient nerve she will march
| boldly up the front steps of the house next
| door for the purpose of asking its occu-
| pants what the vacant house rents for"
| But IL the occupant of the house next door
| has seen the woman of the mad moon
peeking and poking about the empty dwell
| ing she (presuming the occupant to be
woman) will not pay any attention to the
doorbell when 1t rings. for she knows just
what this caller wants. as she has already
| answered the bell dozen times before that
| day TO reply to questions fired at her by
women who demanded TO know all there
| was TO know concerning that vacant house
women who. nine times out or ten. had no
intention OF securing the houce as an abid-
| ing place.
II IS alWayn the Womau's privilege 70 se-