The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-02-12
FLAT HUNTING
IN GAY PARIS
Takes Strength of Samson, Patience
of Job and Agorcssiveness
of Roosevelt to be
Successful
by Margaret Robe, Written for The
United Press.l

By Margaret Robe, Written Tor The
United Press.l
PARIS, Jan 10.-(by maiD-If you
have the strength Of Samson, the pa
dence of job. the wealth of Croesus
and the aggressiveness CT Theodore
Roosevelt, then you are fairly well
equipped to become a successful hunt
or OF furnished fats in this beautiful
city of Paris in these beginning days Of
peace.
Before you start out as first class
Diana or Nin,rod TO stalk the elusive
apartment meuble' to its lair be sure
and lay in an extra stock of your
sense Of humor. It's worth more than
bullets in this form Of chase.
The first step in the merry round OF
all the agencies. English spoken is
invariably emblazoned in letters OF
gold on the front window Of every one,
and invariably when you enter you
find their silence in that language is
as golden as the lettering.
Blithely and guilelessly you state
your wants OF a small apartment, not
too far out. with bath. heat and hot
water at about 500 Q month. They
gaze at you pityingly or contemptious-
ly,' and murmer like the beginning of
fairy tale, "Once upon a time there
were such things but now since the
hordes Of American correspondents
and journalists and diplomats and poll
ticfans and congressman from Kansas
and Virginia have oyerflowed fair
France there isn't any such animal
Finally IL you preseryere you man
age to scrape up three addresses ont OF
seven agencies. One has an elevator,
heat, two bedrooms, salon, kitchenet
and bath, all for $3.50. No. two Is
studio apartment up six flights with
no ascensor and no heat, at s129. The
third and last is parlor. bedroom and
bath fer only q paltry 5000
You dash Inadly out to hunt a taxi,
which is a sort OF a branch hunt or
offshoot from the main apartm ent
hunt. In two hours, If you have luck,
you find one that viii take you be-
cause he Is going that way for lunch.
You arrive at prospect No. one You
climb three flights because the ascen-
cor is out Of order, but the concierge
assures You 1t will be working In fiji
teen days. The heat and hot water and
telephone will also be working in fit
teen days, and as matter Of fact you
can't have the apartment till then any
way because there are four English Of
ficers 1 nit who won't be leaving for
fifteen days
In spite Of the delay and the fact It
is more than you intended to pay, the
place has possibilities. You recklessly
decide TO take It. The concierge goes
TO fetch the proprietor and leaves you
mentally shifting the furniture to
more aesthetic angles. She returns
with joyful tidings. The proprietor is
desolated but he has Just rented 1t that
morning to a minister of war. What
business has p minister of war now
anyway you'd like 10 know.
On TO No. two. This is IN Monmartre,
Up six winding flights Of stairs. When
You reach the top you realize that It
fairly reehs with Murgerism. fascina-
| ton and garlic. It IS much fuller of
atmosphere than you are of breath.
! The woman In charge ism. sure, but
She thinks she has already rented 1t
to K. OF G. man, but 81 you will call
Tomorrow at two she will let you know
| definitely
1t is tomorrow at 2. Yo1i have climb
ed the six flights OF winding stair.
I You reel, weak and gasping. against
the door which opens not TO your raps
| Nobody home,
] You totter down and out. Marvellous
~ corraling a taxi, you chu- miles and
miles across the river 10 the third and
last address. OF course It IT much more
than you can afford to pay, out desper-
alton goads you TO It. You arrive
| bankrupt and broken. TO find IT has
been rented for tire days.
At last 2 gibbering and total wreck.
| you decide to take the next boat home
All yes they assure you at the French
steamship line they have q rice berth
left on boat leaving six months from
tnext Thursday.