The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-28
Frederick Haskin's [ letter.
ROOF DWELLINGS


washington, D. c.. Aug. 2s.-Ths
IDEAL place to live in New York is
on . roof, II IL said. On the roof
of q tall building. particularly, the
air Is marvelousiy fresh and clear,
the view is usually charming, and
it is possible to achieve q degree
Of quiet and privacy unobtainabie
anywhere else in the city. As the
site for a summer home it exceie
the finest suburb, for It Is cool
and mosquitoless and can be reach
ed without the daily tedium Of,
committing. \
Yet roof-dwelling is still COM
parativelN rare there. Except for
a few prosperous business men who
can afford expensive novelties end
some lucky janitors who are pro-
vided with living quarters attached
to pent-houses on the top Of apart
ment houses and Office buildings,
New Workers for the most part
cling to the old-fashioned idea
that a roof, having been designed
as protective lid, and that only.
should not suddenly be called upon
to fulfill the duties Of floor.
This view is held with particular
firmness, for some mysterious rea-
son, by the city's real estate own
ers, who stubbornly resist the idea,
long since urged upon them, CT
building bungalows on the roofs
Of apartment houses, office build
ings and private houses. Because
of its extreme narrowness, there
is woeful lack of residential
space in the lower part Of Man.
haitian, although there is any
amount Of it going to waste up ON
the roofs. With millions Of square
feet ready to be developed in this
manner, there are probably not
more than so roof dwellings in
the entire city.
One Of the most interesting Of
these is the home of Henry l..
Doherty, we'll known New York
banker, on top of the Battery Park
building, where the outlook is mag
nificent. On the one hand lies the
harbor, with its quiet islands and
strange, bustling craft. And on
the other hand, there is the New
York skyline-that unparalleled
stretch of giant Office buildings
which, lighted up in the night time,
suggest wierd, jewel-studded cliffs.
Mr.. Doherty not only has COM
Portable, spacious apartment on
this novel site, but a tennis court
and a curious, painted garden as
well. He prefers painted gardens
to real ones, because they do not
harbor flies and mosquitoes. Sit
ting on his back porch these sum-
mer evenings. he looks out upon a
picturesque rural landscape with
rolling hills and green fertile val
leys, mountain top or two in the
distance and in the foreground a
lovely garden with trellises of
climbing roses and lily pools set
here and there on a green lawn or
| between flower beds. Everything is
| painted.
MY idea is to make this place
real health resort" explains Mr..
Doherty, lone that l can reach in
a few minutes walk from my Of
fee. The principal thing is to get
lots of good, sweet air. I never
could see why people want to 60 to
places in search of fresh air, and
then screen themselves away from
it. l haven't a screen in my place
and l don't want any. Neither do
/ want any mosquitoes or flies. So
I have the plants and evergreens
which are out on this place in win
ter taken away in summer, and. as
l don't want it to look too plain
and bare, l have had the walls and
floor painted to give an effect of
foliage, pools and flowers.
IF New Workers would only real
ize how fine it is up on the roofs.
more of them certainly would build
| roof garCens and Fairgrounds"
he continued. 1t seems amazing
! though that when by simply TAX
ing an elevator to the roof they
| could get glorious fresh breezes
| and air as sweet as in the country
they continue to ignore these pos
sibilities and spend their time
| down at the ground level, or trav-
cling to and from summer resorts.
THE average New York subur-
banite travels a long distance from
his Office to his country home and
gets there just about in time to go
inside to get away from mosqui-
toes. Or perhaps he has his veran-
da screened and sits outside, de-
luding himself that he's getting
just as much benefit as if he were
really out in the open. Think of
the time he passes in the cars and