Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-12-13

ooiho ol inc lluuc ana shocking Sur
prises One Receives When He Sets
Out to Find Il Place Where lie Can
Park HIS Furniture.
Recorded Symra hctically and more
or less truthfully by
(James j. Montague)
You remember the poor real es.
tate agent who had to be a notary
public to help out, and who painted
his own "For Rent" signs? He usual
ly had desk room in somebody clse's
place and agilely stepped out of Tho
back door when the bill collector came
IN the front door. You always used to
feel sorry for him.
We'll you don't need to feel sorry
FOR him any more. He's got an Office
with mission furniture and q filing
cabinet in it, two enographers and
clerk. When you want to see him
he's usually out on the golf course
taking lessons from the professional
Hes being urged to run for Mayor
to save the city from ring politics and
people who used to call him "Bill"
cal him mis- err.
| went to sec him the other day.
Some friends from Western city
wanted house in our suburb. His
clerk said he wasn't In and listened
languidly when we sta cd our bust
ness.
mo USE" said the clerk, 1--WE Amt
got nothing TO rent"
Not single house In town."
Nope
That seemed final, and we were
about to leave when Bill came in.
lie was in a hurry but he listened to
us.
"l'vo got just one house for 5000"
he said. That sounded reasonable. My
friend and his wife looked at each
other hopefully.
l guess we can pay that, said my
friend. How do we pay 1t?
Monthly in advance.
What kind of house?
Ton rooms, thrco baths, two-car
garage
Gee! That's some house to get for
$50 month. thought houses were
high around here.
Bill lost interest.
Six hundred dollars n month. not
year, he said.
we went away from there.
At another office down the street
we found a house listed for 500.
Making sure that it was 500 month
not week we went to see Il.
The family that occupied it was
about to move out. The lady showed
us the house.
or course she said, If You have just
got to have Il house, like we did, I
suppose You can live here. There isn't
any water in he kitchen, the furnace
won't heat but one room at a time,
the roof leaks in five or six places
there is foot OF water In the cellar
alter every rain and tho landlord
won't make any repairs. I'm not say
ing any hing against the house, you
understand. 1t will do If you havo to
have 81 roof. But you'd probably
freeze to death or die Of malaria If
you took 1t. And I forgot to mention
that it's full or rats.
We cast no lingering, longing look
behind rs we left
AS we walked down the street I
happened to remember about Jones's
place. Jones I knew, wanted to sell
1t. He had bought 1t lour or five
years ago for $4,000. 1t wasn't much
OF n house and there was only n
pocket handkerchief lot in front of
1t. 1t ought to be bargain.
l te!cphoncd Jones and he referred
me to real estate man.
| promised him I wouldn't sell Il
except through him." he said.
SO we went to the real es ate man.
lilo was in n hurry like the other
real estate man but no paused long
enough to look up tho house in his
card index.
Fifteen thousand dollars, cash, he
said.
But the place only cost three thous
and, said.
That was three years ago Houses
are up. II you want it youll have to
hurry. because four or five other PEG
pie are after it. I'll close with one OF
them this afternoon sure. Do YOU
want f.?
We didn't.
think said my friend, that Il
would be cheaper to build house.
Then We can have it just az we want
It. Do you know any builders?
l knew couple OF them and We
went to see them both. They were no.
encouraging. As nearly as we could
learn from their conversation the val
lie Of do'lal In the building bust
ness was about $0275.
The first man said he had so much
to do anyway that he couldn't under
take any new contracts before next
August. Tho second said that what
with labor strikes. slow deliveries OF
material and general shortage of
everything builder needs he'd only
take the job on cost plus basis.
What does that mnon2