The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-03-05

W60NY gardens, Is not much more
remarkable than the later evolution
from the large and comfortable house
to small non-housekeeping apartment
with a restaurant on the ground door
That this sort of home is increasing
more rapidly than any other kind IN
nearly all cities is not to be doubted
In New York the increase has been
more marked than elsewhere, but the
type is appearing everywhere. The
idea OF home has suffered deteriora
ton, until now, for the many people
1t is an extremely primitive idea. shell
ter merely. and sleeping place. as
In the days Of the cave-dwellers.
In u recent book entitled The Cost
of Shelter" Mrs. Ellen II. Richards
instructor in sanitary chemistry in the
Massachusetts, Institute of Technology
traces this evolution and deterioration
of the home idea. Her arraignment
OF the kinds of houses existent at the
present time is severe. AS iegacies
from tile nineteenth century the pres
ent generation possesses four classes
OF houses: the family homestead in
the country ''set low ON the ground
with damp walls and dark cellar. one
OF a cluster Of rambling buildings;
with well the only water sup.ly. in
close proximity TO soures Of pollution
.... Now and then a grandson rescues
the old pIace, brings water from u
spring or bro-k, digs drain. let's light
into the cellar, ana builds on kitchen
and dining-room."
Next comes the village or suburban
house, which is usually set too near
the street, but which has bit of
ground around 1t ard may be very
comfortably arranged interlorly. Mrs.
Richards poipts TO the dilapidated
condition OF these houses in most sub
urbs. The second generation of dwell
ers fed 10 -he city boarding houses
and fats as soon as they could. leav-
ing their parent houses TO go the way
of the grandfathers' farm houses.
Some families made a compromise
and built what is called modern
house with bathroom and furnace taf-
ter the air-tight stove craze passed..
with Jig saw ornamcntation. outside
and in. pretentious looking dwellings
with no proper kitchen accompani-
ments. and an unsavory garbage BAR
rel in the small back yard, under The
next neigabc. windows Houses OF
this sort are altogether too frequent
~ found. occupying good locations and
jarrlng the nerves Of the better trained
young people Of .o-day .rhey are too
expensive TO pull down. d, hence. are
the last resort OF these Who find they
must retrencl. THE plumE ~ is usual
ly OF a cheap order. and drains are
not infrequer tly broken. 50 that sani-
tally dwellings are often more sus-
picious thai. the abandoned farm
houses
II these hcuGes abound Ia towns and
their prototype is the city
block OF city houses. wnieh sprung up
In the Ugly Sixties" They are four
stories high. sixteen to twenty feet
wide, and as dark and gloomy as the
aboriginal care must have been. IN
New York " hole blocks of them are
given up to boarding and lodging
houses. Everyone who has had the
to look for sin Ic rooms.
knows them well and knows how
musty they smell and how depressing
their influence is throughout.
The first fiat builders were bene-
factors OF the human family. The
fat. Mrs. Richards declares. was
perfectly natural evolution from the
conditions which the eigh-
ties and nineiies developed. The In
vasion of business ON Manhattan ISL
and is sweeping away these hideous
blocks of houses in wholesale fashion,
and everyone should be glad OF ii. But
The fat houses and apartments which
are supercediug them are far from
Cheaply constructed and
at the lowest cost as far
as repairs, etc, are concerned, the
OF most fats is a familiar
People are continually
fleeing from one locality to another TO
escape from it. They travel from the
East Side to the West Side. from
Harlem to Washington Heights, ex-
changing one set Of vanished and
,yer decorated rooms for another. but
never materially bettering their con
litions. The number of New York
antilles whose rents increase every
rear must be remarkable. Probably
most city dwellers pay more for rent
han their incomes warrant The ten
sment dweller pays at least twenty
our per cent. OF his income for rent. |
The HAT dweller uptown pays nearly |
is much, as 4 rule.
And what do they get for the mon
y? Leaving the tenement dweller
tut OF the question. Mrs. Richards
lsked in behalf of the family OF mod
rate fortune: rs any part OF the
rouse. as we now most frequently fnd
I. adapted to the uses of the twentieth |
century? The careless capitalist who
makes possible the ''cockroach land |
ord" he who sublets and crowds and
ikimps the tenants for his own gain,
4 greatly to blame for the distressing |