The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-03
IA CLIFF DEELLER HITS BACK
SINS CHARGED AGAINST THE
MEN WHO RENT FLATS.

weeps to-day over the woes OF the real
estate agent a. detailed in that heart wrench
ing yarn in last Sundays SuNP" asked the
confirmed Harlemibe. Look close and
you'n see not a tear.
~They rsad the holler, too; a.cliH dNwsller
RIisses anything that by any possi-
hility can be twisted into n commentary
him and his habits. They aren't stony
in the cardiac region. either. No. They're
willing TO fall FOR real misery nc any time.
They withhold tears here because they
know the real estate agent.
"a friend Of mine moved . couple OF
years ago from the hive that had sheltered
him for six years TO n new building. He
got in early. before the decorators had had
q chance TO de1ace tho walls st all. and he
was able 70 pick out the least hdooun OF tho :
wall papers shown 10 him.
"This was all right. But he had an idea
that a dining room done In somsthing be-
sides red or green would b pleasant. n
great novelty. 80 to speak, and suggsased
blue-blue. dark and restful-to SGT on his
beer mugs and Delft plates and all that
sort OK thing. Do you suppose thesagent
would let him nave itl
well. hardly. The agent had never
heard Of blue wall coverings for dining
rooms. Blue for dining rooms was against
the law. Tho Health BOARD forbade 1t.
Finally. such a thing as blue wall covering
wasn't made; couldn't DO bought unless IL
was made to order.
"I'm not painting IL too thick That
agent actually lad the nerve to tell m
friend hat there was no such thing In the
market as blue buriap. and stuck to It until
~ A-----. A----A .mAA .lAa-
through. So this cliff dweller went 20 a
wall covering house and inquired.
-OT course they had blue burlap. MILES
Of 1t; It was a regular article Of commerce.
with trading lively. Why did the agent
disapprove Of it? 1 don't know. Why
did he lie about it2 Idon't know.
Il was Interested In the yowl Of the agent
THE Sum quoted about the dissatisfaction
OF tenants with new decorations selected
by the firm. Did you ever see q series OF
rooms decorated by a real estate frmP
II you have you know why tenants want
them done over.
1T seems as IL the agents must keep q
color blind man on their stan TO select
papers and paints for tho houses they have
to rent. They run TO painful pinks. yellows.
puppies and embossed monstrosities that
would give a dog q headache.
Did you observe the rage for imitation
tapestriesP The agents put tapestry papers
on dens, sleeping rooms. dining rooms.
sun parlors M ceilings. They spread
them on the floors. They revelled In them.
gloated over them and were hurt because
no one else liked them.
That Ii the great failing Of real estate
agents. They make no allowance for
individuality.
"A paper looks well 20 them In one
room. Therefore. they g that paper
will look well in every room to every per-
son at all times. They forget that some
persons don't like to have their homes
look as II they had been turned out Of the
same machine that perpetrated every one
else's home.
They don't bear in mind that their own
taste is likely to be obliQue. Nay. nayi
They know and thew are Jared because
poor old Mr.. Renter is 80 stupid and Crosse
grained and ignorant as to have Ideas OF
his own.
-Once an agent volunteered to give me
a months rent free in the second year II
kept the fat 1 had rented. was satisfied
with the rooms. except the parlor, in which
the wood was stained three different colors
ono on the window castings. another on
the b~aseboards. q third on the work around
the fireplace:
that IL might be all one color. The agent
promised to attend TO IL and didn't.
sFinally. I having signed the lease. Il
became impossible for me TO find the man
who had made the promise to me. and the
infant who h attended 70 me said no
such promise had been made. At last
they allowed me to do the room over at
my own cost,
when the time for the free month In che
second year came around the agents de-
MED having made any U bargain. L
said I had IL in writing. They could not
believe II possible. They asked for the
letter in which the promise was made and
/ like a chump sent 10 to thom.
After they got hold OF II they were
more insistent for the rent than ever and
they sent a collector to get IL. l put him
out. They threatened to sue. / demanded
sThey said they had never seen such a
letter. SO I threatened to have them ar
rested for theft. That brought the letter
to me and l got my month free, but l had
decided to move out.
sThereupon those agents had the nerve
TO ~reproach me for ingratitude and they
said particularly that l was morally bound
to stay in the house after all the money
they had spent doing over that parlor.
AAtA - W LNAA1A ~ al
" expense.
sThey had tried to swindle me, a threat
OF prosecution was all that brought nv
own property back to me and vet | was
accused OF ingratitudel Do you wonder
that I'm not inclined 70 tears when I hear
OF the troubles Of real estate agents?
"The agent 10 willing to promise almost
anything to get a lease signed. Having
got the customer committed the agent
forgets all his promises and refuses % do
aDrthinO Ha delava kba work aa nnuch a
possible, hoping that when tho tenant
cause Of the nuisance.
Il know an agent who volunteered to
have a mantei taken out and n different
style put In. He volunteered 1t. Mind
you. the tenant was surprised.
The tenant wasn't astOnishod when
another man from the same firm refused
20 take the mantle out, however. The
explanation in that case was amusing.
Tho man who had made the promise was a
new man. who didn't know what could be
lone and What couldn't Can't you SEQ
the dear little innocent being swallowed
alive by the remorseless flat hunter9
there need be no trouble between
agents and tenants, OF at least the amount
Of trouble may DO reduced to almost
nothing. I know ono firm. and probably
there are others, that tells fiat hunters the
truth, tries 70 find what they want, does
what Il promises, and does not promise
what IL does not intend 70 do.
Its yes means something; its mo- Is
final. IEs men do not try 70 fool the people
who 90 70 them. For instance, this firm