Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-15
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9 We Absolutely Guarantee to Nta@n Any Other House in Omaha and Thereby Save You From 25% to 4% 9
PASSING UP THE FRONT DOOR
Peculiar Development of an EcOnOm-
ical Idea I'm Home
Building

Houses without front doors, the only
entrance being in the rear, are multiplying
at such a rate in this city that the postal
officials may need a big force OF extra
carriers to cover the routes OF else rule
against the back door delivery of mail.
In Fortieth avenue, between Twenty-sev-
enth and Twenty-eighth streets, a row OF
eighteen new brick houses is being con-
structed. There is not a front door nor
front entrance Of any kind in the entire
row.
This is only one Of scores of other struct-
ures that are now being erected on the
back yard entrance idea. Hundreds al
ready have been completed and now are
occupied by tenants or owners. In a big
southwestern territory between Twelfth
street and the drainage canal, and between
California avenue and Forty-sixth street,
the back door houses are seen In almost
every street. They have been building for
some years and still are being planned.
The new houses now being built in For
tieth avenue are of brick set on wooden
frames. Cedar posts are sunk in the ground,
the posts are capped with wooden stills,
and then brick walls are built one story
high. From the wooden sill to the ground,
a distance of about ten feet, the framework
is boarded with matched flooring.
On the one floor above there is a front
sitting room and a front bedroom. There
is a double bedroom on the side, a kitchen
with a china closet, and two closets and a
bathroom. Each closet is provided with a
window. In the attic there is a back door
and a front window.
The city ordinances allow the building
Of what may be termed one-story houses
with rear entrances only, but if two stories
are built there must be a front door.
When one of the owners of a front door
less house was asked why he preferred 10
live in a house in which he is permitted
to enter only from the rear he said 1t was
done TO save room in the house and the
cost of a front door. Many Of the people
who live in this class of dwellings are pay
ing for the homes on time. They declare
interest is too high to pay for the luxury
of a front door and porch.
One man said he would not have a front
door in his house unless he could have a
good one, and any degree of pretension al
all would cost him more money than he
could afford to pay.
Many of these front doorless homes have
a neat and tidy appearance in front. There
is a small yard, enclosed in a painted pal.
ing fence, with grass and flowers inside
The big room on the ground floor is con.
verified into a laundry and summer kitchen
and there are partitions for storerooms anC
other purposes. In some instances q cemen'
floor has been laid.
Despite the fact that this class of dwell
ing is causing a great deal Of extra worl
for Uncle Sam it has one or two advan
tages that most householders in Chicago
would appreciate. The life of the peddler
book agent, and the miscreant who litter
up your premises with all kinds Of adver
Using matter is made miserable by thes,
back door ideas of city homes. In abou
nine instances out of ten a fair sized, sharI
toothed dog is penned UP in the back yard
Scores of individuals who poster persons by
pulling their door bells and littering NJ
vestihules prefer to throw up the chance o.
a sale rather than brave the watchfu
canine in the rear.-Chicago Post.