Evening star., 1904-02-27
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Brokers Predict Active Trad
ing With Opening Of Spring.
FLOATING POPULATION
USE OF APARTMENT HOUSES BY
TEMPORARY RESIDENTS.
Another House for Connecticut Avenue
Highlands-Brick Row to Be Erect
ed on Grant Avenue.

When Jack Frost" shall pack his grip
and give Washington reason to believe
that he will not return to these parts again
until next fall or winter. then will the local
real estate men be happy. They promise
a merry time in spring trading, under favor
able conditions with suburban property
probably leading in the matter of style.
The slight Insight of what spring would be,
which was given to the residents of the
District of Columbia last Wednesday when
old Sol was at his brightest and shed his
warmth over the city had decidedly good
though temporary effect on the local real
estate situation. On that day there were
a number of inquiries for properties for
investment purposes, as well as by home
seekers, ana the brokers feel that this is
but q forerunner of the activity that is
likely to commence when warm weather
opens up and stays open.
Local dealers report several deals OF
more than ordinary moment to be hanging
fire solely on account of the weather. This.
they say, is particularly the case with lie
properties that are desired as homes, 1t
being a matter of absolute impossibiity to
get would-be investors to venture out OF
doors to look at the various properties
offered.
The Floating Population
Realty trading is necessarily inactive
at this particular time said an uptown
dealer to a Star reporter this afternoon.
1.-The weather in the first place has been
all to the bad, and again the unsettled con-
dtion of the stock market is bound to have
it's effect securities that would other
wise be used for this purpose. Then, too,
the Japanese-RusSian must affect the
local as well as the general conditions TO
toyr r looI So, Il I;,,r
in the spring and see no reason why good
business will not at that time be done all
along the line. Washington, especially in
the northwest section, is growing, and
there appears to be no good reason why
investments should not bring good results
while home seekers can be taken care of
at figure they will not be able to get
few years later.
constantly. There is large floating pop
ulation that is not taken into account
Take those people who fill up the apart
ment houses as fast as they are erected
Where are they coming from? Not from
the smaller houses, for these properties are
by no means idle, and as a matter of fact
there are but few desirable ones that can
be rented. There have been between three
and four hundred apartment houses erected
in the District of Columbia since $780, when
the Portland the first one, was built at
the corner of 14th street and Thomas cir
Gle.
When the Portland was projected by Mr..
Edward Weston he was laughed at, and it
was said the people of Washington would
never come to living in tenement houses,
Yet look at them today Since that time
nearly 400 of these tenement houses have
been erected, and 1T is a matter of no little
difficulty to secure an apartment in them
when they are ready for occupancy The
people to fill them must come from some
where, nasmuch as they are not emptying
the small houses. Where then do they come
from? Many of them are of course resi-
dents who have left the boarding houses, but
there is an equally large number who have
come to make Washington their home for a
part of the year, keep their apartments.
and move about the country at will. They
could not do this with a separate house.
without leaving caretakers in charge, but
with the apartment it is different. They can
lock the door, give the key to the janitor
and go where they please. This, then, is one
of the benefits to the District of the apart
ment house, and l predict that many more
OF them will be erected to accommodate the
floating population.
New Residence Under Contract.
Arrangements have been by Mr.. James
w. Crutcher to erect an $1,000 house at
Connecticut Avenue Highlands. The struc-
ture will be 80 by 45 feet, and will be of
brick, two stories and an attic. This is the
third house in the Highlands for which
permit has been issued within the past
week or so.
Notes of Interest.
The work on the new building for the
American Security and Trust Company,
which it is proposed to erect on the old
Riggs Bank site, at the corner of 18th
street and Pennsylvania avenue, Is hang
ing fire on account of the architects plans,
which call for certain projections over the
building line. The plans have been re-
drawn, with the hope that the Commits
sioners will be able to approve them. The
plans 1t appears were originally drawn on
the idea that 18th street was a residence"
street. but this was an error. Fifteenth
street is a business" street, and for this
reason the old parking that once existed
from the avenue to III street can no longer
be taken into consideration and the build
ing line will have to be adhered to.
Osterman & Butler. owners and builders.
will shortly commence the construction of
twelve brick houses on Grant avenue be-
tween 18th and 18th streets. numbered 1901
to 1923.
Charles King has secured a permit for
the erection of five brick houses on Sheri-
dan avenue.
Work on the new municipal building is
again at a standstill, this time on account
of some agitation in Congress for additional
offices Of the District government being
moved into the building, which will necessi-
tate a radical change in the original plans
OF the archltect0.
Provocative Of Criticism.
"At this time of the year, when heat is
forced through furnace and steam pipes,
in newly completed houses particularly, the
mill work, or wood work. as 1t is better
known. and also the Arm that supplied it,
has to stand an amount of abuse that is
totally undeserved and the cause thereof
generally misunderstood" said local con-
tractor to q Star man today.
"The manufacturing of interior wood
work has reached perfection In all that the
mechanical portion implies, and the stock
from which the work is made must be- and
Is, thoroughly kiln dried just az the archi-
tects specifications direct, otherwise the
product could not be properly finished by
modern machines
But In this rapid twentieth -cenfury-man-
ner of building the house is not KILN
dried to receive the woodwork. The com
structiOn Is hurried, the owner wanta IA