Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-16
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Progress in Adding to Build
ing improvements.
PROPOSED ENTERPRISES
AGRICULTURAL DUTIES OF THE
AVERAGE CITY HOUSEHOLDER.
Facilities Provided for Those Who
Wish to Become the Owners
of Homes.


of Homes.
The improvements contemplated in the
Rection south of Lowell or Park street ana
west of old 10th street or Mount Pleasant
avenue will afford additional avenues OF
communication to Rock Creek Park and all
that region which is approached by the Lin
mean Hill road. When the changes that are
to be made are finished 1t Will be possible
to use either Joliet street or Grant street.
1t is designed to open Joliet street from
Mount Pleasant avenue to 18th street ana
to finish Grant street The tract or lana
through which these streets pass is known
a the Walbrldge subdivision. a number or
dwellings are to be put up during the pres
ent season.
Mr. James II. Twohey has large build
ing site at 18th and Grant streets. with
frontage of forty-seven feet. He intends 10
build there for his own use handsome res
idence Mr. Harry Barton has plans for
the erection of house for his own use on
Joliet street between nth and 18th streets,
and other improvements of this character
are likely to be made in the near future.
Agriculture in the City.
People who live in the city are not sup
posed to have any interest in the opening
weeks of spring, such as. for example, those
who make their living by cultivatns
the soil, yet in this city, in the great ma
jorty of cases. the difference is only one OF
degree, for here the average householder
has not only ground in the rear OF ms
house that must be cared for, but also con-
siderable area in the front. Instead or the
fronts of the houses extending to the edge
of the sidewalks, as is the case IN most
cities where the street arrangement Is not
Oh such liberal terms, the resident OF WASH
ington has a stretch of lawn in front OF MS
house which is a thing not only of beauty,
but a joy to the people who occupy the
houses and to those who pass along the
streets.
and 1t is the experience that the best ef-
fects are not to be had without. labor and
the expenditure of money. In some cases
both are lacking and the parking, as these
front yards are technically called, show
that very clearly. There is no need 10
make personal inquiries in order to ascer-
tain those who are careless in looking after
this detail of their household aIIalfs' Tor
the result is obvious to the most careless
paSSer-hy In fact, the contrast between the
relvety surface of most of the parkings
and the unkempt condition of others is so
striking that it is forced upon the attention
of those who otherwise might perhaps be
obvious of the existence of such things as
parkngs
A Hard Crop to Raise.
The general custom in this city is to give
special care to the bits of the streets which
are given over to the charge of household
ers. As the space thus available is, as
rule. devoted to raising grass. perhaps the
most difficult Of crops in the experience of
those who live in this latitude at least.
il is greatly to the credit of those who give
Their time to and spend their money in this
direction that their efforts are uniformly
successful Sometimes shrubbery adorns
these front yards and there are beds of
towering plants, but the popular and the
most general way of utilizing the ground is
10 have a smooth stretch of green grass,
which is refreshing s ght at any ume' Out
cspec!ally during the days of summer.
The back yards are not as conspicuous,
and what is done there is mainly for the en-
ioyment or qualification OF the fanlly.
This portion of the property is not merely
kept in an orderly condition, but is adorned
and beautified in many cases so that the
outlook from the rear windows, especially
where such a custom is general In the
neighborhood, is almost as attractive as
that from the front windows. and some
times more so.
The Rights of Others.
The residents of this city, as well as of
American cities in general. have never been
in that mental state which was so charac-
teristic of the worthy citizens of Havana
during the first few months of the Ameri-
can occupancy. The Cubans were filled
with what they thought to be just indigna-
ton at an invasion of their rights when
they were absolutely prohibited by the au-
thorities from maintaining heaps OF NTH
and refuse in the back yards of their
homes The idea that they could not do as.
they pleased on their own property was
new one to them, and it required time to
munity was of more consequence than the
liberty of individual property owners.
Outlook for House Building.
1t is likely the present season will witness
a considerable addition to the number of
residences in this city, and while apart
ment houses will be put up, it is thought
that these structures will not be the main
feature of the building season. as during
some previous years. 1t is not anticipated
that there is going to be building boom,
but Il is thought there will be a fair volume
of business done. One inducement which
will lead to the erection of houses is the
favorable condition of the rental market.
The supply of houses has practically been
exhausted and the belief no doubt will be
that the coming fall season will demon
strate that there is still demand
AS has been the case for several years
past the house of moderate size Is no
longer, a rule built by individuals. but
rather by large operators. 1t Is said in
this way money is saved to the purchaser.
In the majority of cases one can buy a
house much cheaper than he can build one
In fact. the conditions. 1t is claimed. were
never so favorable as at present for those
who wish to become the owners of their
own homes. This applies not only to the
purchase price, but to the terms on which
the property can be acquired. The system
of small payments which has been found
to be so successful In other lines of bust
ness has been adapted to house selling
with admirable skill. so that only small
amount of ready cash is needed in order
to start a man on his way toward becoming
property owner.
Sales of Realty.
LIebermann Hawn. real estate brokers,
have sold for John w. Pillng to Messrs.
Chas. E. Roach and VIM. N. Roach, jr., a
frontage of Do feet on the north side of
Willard street between 18th and 18th
streets northwest. upon which are being
erected eleven two and one-half story and
cellar apartment buildings, each contain
ing two housekeeping flats of five and six
rooms. respectively The fronts will be of
Pompeiian brick and stone. pleasingly va
riod in design and color; they will have
every modern convenience and will be built