The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-09-26
N15HIEc1S' MISTAKES
Queer Errors That Have Hap.
paned in House Building.
OWNER PAYS THE PRICE

Own Qesisn--Stairs Too steep to
Climb Down and a Fireplace With a
Wooden Beam In the Line Of the
Flames.
on one of the hills Of Westchester,
there Is slowing rising structure or
mysterious and unusual ugliness. II
is tour stories high and Is surmount-
ed on one end by q square superstruc-
ture which looks like an enormous red
brick packing box. Vowed from the
front this building has all the grace
ful lines and picturesque beauty of
canal boat Its lateral view looks
like section of cigar factory on
Avenue A, says the New York Sun.
It's purpose is not in the least sug-
ststed by its appearance. 1t Is
summer residence.
The owner OF this house designed II
himself. There could be no doubt or
that after one view. A child might
have designed 1t on a slate at school.
since its proportions are exactly OF the
kind that youthful scholars draw with
slate pencil and write under it "A
House." 1t would clear up matters II
the owner should paint on one of ,,s
red brick walls "a House"
"I've got an architect" ne said the
other day. "Of course / have. !
cant recall the number now for /
never go near him.
~ t11l
b added emphatically, that Is the
only way to have an architect. For
yet his number and don't go near him
at any rate until your house Is
built"
such Is the advice Of the man who
is prejudiced against the profession
and has put up the loft building on
against the architect. A reporter tried
70 find out what the architect might
have done to lose favor.
'Ill tell you what an architect did
70 me-" said woman who must weigh
$50 in spite OF her shortness, and
You can understand why | should Oe
prajudiced against them. | wanted
Ey house built with a broad room
on the second floor They said could
have that although 1t might make 1t
necessary TO have the stars little
steep, as there was only a certain
space on which to build did not OBJ
iect to that and the men went to
work on that understanding.
Il was too stout to go prowlins
around climbing up and down the lad
dsrs, but my daughter watched the
progress Of the house. She Is slight
and spry. and could of course go about
any where without difficulty. The
house was finished in fact before
went into it. having come Uack from
Europe just the day after It was finally
furnished
Why in the world are those stairs
SO steep?" | asked of my daughter
oh, that's on account OF the large
drawing ROOM" she said. They're all
right
Well. | got up them with difficulty.
1t vas like walking up the side OF a
house. That was nothing. however
to the surprise | experienced when /
started TO come down. I stopped my
self with horror and looked over the
precipico lney had built. With my
size 1t would have been impossible
to have got to the bottom. The steps
looked like little shelves about two
inches wide. ran to the telephone
and the architect had somebody there
within an hour.
You see how impossible 1t is,'
said. Nothing could induce me to
take my life in my hands by trying
to go down those steps. You will
have to change them or realize that
you have made me prisoner for life
on the second story. | would not try
those steps for anything
He said 1t had been expressly un-
derstood that the stairs were to be
narrow and steep for the sake Of more
room on the second floor. II never
could have been understood about any
stairs, however, that they were to be
too steep for the woman who owned
them to go up and down. The car
penters arrived the next day and be-
gan to change the angle. They work
I'd for three weeks putting in the new
stairs, Then | had to pay an extra
$500 for the changes that made 1t pos
slble for me to use my stairway"
That was not dangerous" said a
man who heard the recital Of this
mistake, but think of the peril that
man put me into. My house was
finished and looked all right. We
moved in late in the spring and ev-
erything went swimmingly until the
autumn came. Then 1t was time To
build fre There was large open
chimney place in the drawing room
and we decided to try it. The first
attempt brought cloud Of smoke
which we could not account for, al
though 1t filled the room to suffoca-
tiOn.
We found that the architects who
DUR the house had left across the
chimney at "a 1ictappp Of nbOut six