Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-11-22
LONDON APARTMENTS
Renting a Furnished Flat In the
English Metropolis. .@
THE TRICKS OF THE AGENT.

After the Place Is Taken the Woes
Of the Tenant Begin With the Ad-
vent Of the Inventory Man. nsl
To the uninitiated American the rent
OF a furnished Hat i'm London seems a
very simple and remarkably ineXpen.
Sive matter Every one is extremely
polite, and your path is made easy
Bot no sooner have you closed the
door of your new quarters than YOU
are beSet 10y the bogy OF extras"
While YOU are taking contentod
glance at the new domicile, congratu.
latiug yourself on the bargain and
thinking how much more Il similar
place would cost you in New York.
your musings are interrupted by the
arrival Of the man with the inventory
HIS business is TO make an inventory
Of every blessed thing your Hat cou-
.taius. from a four post bed to a kitch-
en spoon
Al urst YOU are vastly amused over
the listing OF such apparently insignifl.
cant items rs "a lincrusta Walton
frie1c," the number OF tiles I'm the fire
place. the bolts on the windows. the
locks on the doors. n description of the
handles on the dressing chest and The
number of screws therein. but when
YOU have been dragged through every
room. going over theSe--to us-abSurd
details. Won plunge from rage TO de
Sfnir ana finally collapse when your
tormcntor ut last departs. For this
entertainment YOU have paid from half
4 guinen about S26O) upward. accord
ing Ia the rent OF your fiat. s-s3.
But the real power OF the inventory
is only felt when you take your de
parture. You may be morally certain
that the only damage you have done
has been to break one or two teacuDs.
for which you are quite prepared 20
phy an eXtortionate sum without
murmur You may be sure OF this. but
presently you will receive "a bill uli
neatly written out and covering sew
eral pages of fooiscap and entitled
"DUapdations"
You will find that in every room the
walls hive been "chipped." the enamel
on the bathuIb slightly married" "A
monogram on a napkin ring scratch.
ed" several saucepans damaged"
knife handle bent" number OF
plates cracked" and so on am
quoting from list OF "dilapidations"
presented 10 friends OF mine who had
occupied n fiat for two months. during
which time. after strenuous cleaning
efforts, they left the premises i'm much
better condition than when they went
I'm The bill amounted TO f1 1Ss. Cd.
roughly about S9.GS.
Here there is no such fact reeog-
-nizcd as ordinary wear and tear on
furniture '""t" Oh
For the lease. which Isl here called
agreement" you have TO pay from 10
shilllngs up TO guneas and more. ac-
cording to rent Then the government
sta mp affixed thereto. without which
the document is not legal. costs you
from half n crown (62 cents TO guinea
or more again according 10 rent. |"''
You may have taken your nat by
"the month" but when your agree.
tnent IS sent you find out Il is for every
-four weeks. You will probably phone
the agent calling his attention 70 the
error. and be will inform you IL is cor
rect that way.
In renting an unfurnished nat. the
shortest term for which Is three years.
you discover that the electric light ok
lures are not included IN the rental
Protest unavailing you buy them
yourself and pay for their installation.
You must rent also your own gas cook
ing stove. You fancy the Tenders FOR
the frcplaccs must have been over
looked. but not so; you must buy them
YOURSELF As you have been so accus-
toned TO a continuous supply OF hot
water it never occurred TO you to In
quire into the subject You find you
can obtain it only by keeping a con.
tInuous fire IN your Kitchen range.
AS the penetrating. clammy gray
horror Of an English winter draws on
you begin 10 appreciate what Il mems
10 be minus steam heat Your only de-
Tense are the coal fires. romantic fro
story. but totally inadequate 10 defy
This marrow reaching, damp cold Of
London Bathroom and halls remain 81
arctic temperature. for the crate fires
do not radigtc beyond a few feet. so
you may SIT close ana burn or retire
70 corner and freeze
. AIleT having learned through pain.
mi experience The fudlty of struggle
against English ways and methods II
Is amusing 90 watch the explosive
American. who zoo hotel Office. at ram
way station and ON steamships holds
forth as 10 The various things hc win
not submit 20 Tie is usually listened
10 With certain cxaspcratfhg defer.
cnco no which tbc British underliue is
past master But nothing is chnueed.
and hr has f1 submit and the sOoucr
thc lesson IS learned tbc more comfort
able no will be- n.
The impcrmroblc sto'idity oftbe at-s
crago Eritor s not ~ Do dmnirqcd
md tbr longer one -cm0irstlu dis
country fHo more definitely ono ifarus
th1t thD English people bayc profit,
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