Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-12-02
Last Letter From Mahers Tells of
Many Fasteners Going TO Sunny
Land
RENTS HIGH BUT NO
COAL BILL TO PAY
Hollywood Grows Rapidly, Now
Has Population of About co.
900 inhabitants

Mike and Hanna Maher, still we'll
and enjoying California's beautiful
climate, send the following interest
ing letter:
Behold the tourist tidal wave is on
its way. VA myriad of Fasteners
who had waited to deposit their
ballots on election day, are now
thronging the stations and crowding
every transcontinental train. Many
had their grips and trunks packed
and reservations made in advance
All are bent on reaching southern
California at the earliest possible day
Within a week heavily laden trains,
will be discharging their human
freight by thousands, hotels will be
iammed and the search for houses
will be intense and anxious. Highe4
rates do not deter them; the GER
tainty of warm climate lures them.
What if rents are high out here!
They are the same back east and
you save that fierce coal bill. Then
too the prospects of shivering and
possible pneumonia are too fearful
to contemplate. In southern Calitor
MIA at least, one may not suffer from
cold. The people that are cominS
are we'll aware of conditions here;
they know that the cost of living is
less here than in other sections OF
the country. So we must prepare fol
the reception of 100000 visitors this
winter. Six years ago Hollywood was
the size of Baraboo, now it has caught
up to Long Beach or 10000 inhabi~
tants. All the cities in the southern
part of the state are growing very
fast and this makes it that much
harder to supply homes for the people
The grasping landloard we have
with us yet. The tenant and landlord
have parted company. The tenant
calls him cutthroat, pirate, skunk
wolf, miser and skinf1int. All sum
mer most everyone found home or
some kinda good many in tents, but
as the winter tourist season approa-
ches, tenants are warned out under
penalty Of a fresh advance. Fur
nished flats that were begging 1O1
tenants at $25 a month two years ago
now display their $125 month
sign. There is one little apartment
house in which woman purchased
the lease and furniture for $4,000.
The rents were already high, but she
raised them so per cent and kept the
tenants The income showed a big
profit on the investment and in 5
months she sold for $4,000 in casn,
After she sold shep switched shoddy
stuff for the table and bedroom Ii
nen and also the rugs. She not only
got her $4,000 profit but had enough
stuff left to start another apartment
lin a small way.
The rent profiteer did the City a
great wrong last winter through his
heartless greed. Los Angeles has
always been the favored spot fol
those of modest means. One could
| live cheaper here than almost eny
city in the u. S., but the rent hog
did his best to spoil this picture.
People who left Los Angeles in an
ger found that they could do no bet
ter anywhere else but they got their
first taste of it here and were inclfn
/ ed OF blame Los Angeles rethe
| whole disagreeable business. Much
Of the blame comes from the tourist
class. They are crazy to buy leases
and pay whatever price is asked.
| There are flats that changed hands
IA or 5 times in tie last year and in
J each case there was a substantial
increase in the rent and all done by
newcomers.
Thanksgiving day will probably find
$4,000 families in this city liy-
ing in tents furnished by war depart
ment to meet the desperate need for
habitation. ALI it will cost each fam
Ily is $50 for months. That will be
cheap rent and give the rent hog the
Jolt of his life. Surprising all pre-
records the enrolment i'll the city
schools reached a total of 114,S02 in
October, according to Mrs. Dorsey,
lSupt. This is an increase of 1882
compared to the same month in 1919.
Tourists and new residents is the
cause.
Bread Drop in Price
The leaf of bread has finally drop
ped penny or two in price. probably
by this time the bakers have all the
dough they knead" and any time