Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-09
STORAGE ROOMS
OF RENTERS SOLD
Homeless Must Now Move
Household Goods From
Warehouse
SPECULATION CONTINUES

Sale of storage house in which
scores of families had placed their
household goods is the latest develop
mcnt in West Philadelphia real estate
speculation.
All of the families affected were com
PEELED to move on account of the sale
of their homes.
Nearly all storage houses. incident
ally. are packed from cellar to roof
with the furniture Of residents who
have been obliged to give up their
homes. and hundreds are at loss to
find place for their effects
The storage house sold is conducted
by Mrs. John f. Montgomery at 115
South Sixtieth street. property Of
which she is the tenant. Many of the
persons who stored their goods at her
establishment are widely scattered
Some have left the city and others have
changed, their addresses two or three
times since placing their goods at the
Montgomery establishment.
Mrs. Montgomery must move by June
/. In order that all the goods may be
removed from the storage house before
sic is compelled to vacate. Mrs. MoIt-
gomcry is sending out special delivery
and registered letters to locate the own
crS Of the goods Should she fail 10
find all of them. it will be necessary
for her to transfer the furniture to an
other storage house at her own en-
penst.
Sale Surprise TO Tenant
'"The house was sold. and this action
came as great surprise" said Mrs
Montgomery.
eve have the household goods Of a
great many families in our storage
house, I have sent registered letters
to all of them. explaining that we have
to vacate by June 1. OF course. many
of tie people have moved from the ad-
dresses which they last gave, and it
HAY be difficult to find them. I am
doing nv utmost to locate them, how
ever. and hone that all will be found
before We go.
I'VE have to refuse a great deal of
work. as most of our time is consumed
in irving to find those who have their
goods with us. The people themselves
have been driven frantic. Many Of
them cannot give us definite address
when they make arrangements nor can
they say how long they desire their
goods to be held. We moved one family
seven times in two months
Charles G. Whiteman, secretary Of
the Pennsylvania Furniture and Ware
housemcn's Association, said it was al
most impossible TO find storage room
for household goods in West Philadel-
phia.
AS an illustration Of conditions, he
said. several families who came here
from another city found it impossible
had their goods shipped back to the
place they left. direct from the railroad
station in Philadelphia
The storage houses are almost all
filled up. he said. and like everything
else. tho cost of storage has increased
because of the increased cost of labor
and other incidentals in connection with
the business. Most of the storage mon
he asserted. were now devoting their
energies to a rgular moving busi.
ness.
Speculation Goes, On
Meanwhile the speculation goes mer-
riiy on. 1t is most persistent in the
block on Sixtieth street from Cedar ave.
nue. to Catharine. Some places have
been sold six or seven times in this
block. One butcher shop has scared all
the way from $4,000 to nearly $50, 900
in few months.
On several stores the occupants have
placed placards informing. the public
that they have been forced out by spec
ulators. Some of these signs are framed
in candid language. On others the oc-
cupants thank the people for their pat
ronage. Several of these proprietors
thus forced out have sons in the army
and navy.