Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-04
7 IOUSE=
HOLD
| HINTS

In the city streets the long procession of
heavily laden moving vans proclaims the
TACT that spring has come, the spirit of I'M
rest Is once more dominant, and the house
wife, tired of enduring the evils she knows
about, is once more afield, preferring to
stake her domestic happiness on those she
knows not of. The old days, when one lived
year in and year out in the same house
that his ancestors had occupied for gen.
erations before him-satisfying the spring
demand for change by reversing the rela-
tive positions Of bed and bureau, rolling
the piano to another side of the room,
turning the carpet, banishing the stoves to
the attic and dragging out the iron vases
for the lawn and the rustic chairs for the
porch, are over for most Of us. In the new
regime an entire change of scene is de-
manded. Before deciding upon new
change or base there certain vital
Things that should be looked after-things
far more important than the fashiona BILE
ness of neighborhood-the decorations of
the parlor, the amount of grill work dis
prayed, or the style of the gas fixtures.
Take, for instance, the way the house
faces. While it is manifestly impossible
1or every one to live on the south side of a
street, or to have the living rooms facing
south or east that is the ideal situation.
This especially when there are aenemic
children. old people or any one inclined to
tubercular troubles The influence of air
and sunlight on human beings as well es
plants cannot be overeStimated. Facts
and figures" have recently been employed
by scientists to show that taking certain
number Of STREETS running east and west in
New York city the mortality on the north
SIDE OF any street will be found to be
higher than that the south side of the
same street. Pneumonia, phthisis and
nephr1t1s are cited as the chief contribut-
Ing causes to this mortality. AS an offset
10 this tendency people are urged to keep
their WINDOWS open and shades up as much
as possible, especially during the colder
months OF the year, when ventilation is
most neglected.
Still another important item to be taken
into account in selecting a new home is
the foundation upon which the house is
buiit. High ground is preferable to low,
and sand or gravel far better than rock, in
the estimation of modern sanitary experts.
Rocks often have pockets says Prof.
W1ngate, and there water collects and
stays" ---.-..--
Examine the cellar before you look at the
rest of the house. If there, is the least
sign Of mold on the waltz, II the cellar bot
tom shows signs of dampness,H or the wood
work falls apart like cheese if you take the
point of penknife tooit, don't take the
time to look any further in that house
flee! before those bogie men, rheumatism
ana PINE umonia, have a chance to get you"
II the cellar seems all right, look at the
plumbing Note whether the, pipes are all
properly exposed, whether there is the
slightest odor of sewer gas or soggy, de-
caying wood Nothing that II old or worn
out will do in plumbing. If one is not well
up In sanitation, call in some -disinterested
plumber and let him examine the drains
and pipes. small sum of money spent
In this way may save much larger ex
penditure later on. Choose a bath room
with an outside window If possible.
Then the neighborhood. If the family are
all adults, the matter of approach and sur
rounding does not make SO great differ
ence. If there are children who would run
the risk of contamination by association in
school or play with an undesirable element,
ii is far better to pay more rent IL need be
and economze in other directions.
In this matter of rent. What proportion
it should bear to the income is question
that should be carefully considered I'm
der normal conditions the general rule Is
that 20 per cent of any income between
$500 and 5000 year should provide the
housing, whether it go as rent or as taxes,
insurance, repairs and improvements. In
the latter case 1t ought to suffice to keep
up the grounds and garden as we'll.
II in preparing for the cleaning and set
ting of the new house, -or the clearing and
reimbursement of the old, the housewife sees
to it that all her tools and cleaning sup
plies are in readiness, an incalculab,e
amount of time and strength will be saved
An excellent plan is to make an itemized
list of necessarfes efore "tearing up. and
then see to it that everything Is on hand
Nothing Is more vexatious than 70 md out