The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-28

the struggling crowds he Iencoun-
tiers every day! II he only would
realize what fine places could be
built up on the roofs he could have
infinitely more time out of doors
and with infinitely less trouble.
'.All this life in the open air
makes for efficiency. I'm not the
kind of man to take long vaca-
tons, and as for commuting-well,
l wouldn't do it l believe if more
New Workers would use their roofs
for health resorts they'd find they
would gain in health, add to their
efficiency and continue to be ef-
ficient longer"
A Yacht.like Dwelling.
Another picturesque roof dwell
ing belongs to a well known New
York yachtsman, who years ago
decided that he would like to live
oh top of the Berkeley Arcade
building in the midst of his clubs
and the theatre district A salts
factory long term lease for a GER
tain portion of the roof was ar
ranged. with adequate provision
for renewal and also for elevator
service and heat. Then an archi-
tect was called to the roof and re-
quested to design an appropriate
bungalow. The result is we'll worth
seeing.
The exterior walls Of the place
are Of brick and hollow tile COW
cred with a rough stucco: tie
base, window Stills and chimneys
being of dark, red brick. The
roof is covered witb~Spanish roof
ing tile, and small dominoes are
built into the roof with ventilat-
ing lowers opening into the air
space over the ceilings in order to
make the rooms cooler in summer.
On the west side of the house are
pergola and lattice that enclose
and screen it from that portion of
the roof reserved for the use OF
the building. This lattice is broken
by an archway and gate and is COW
cred with vines-real ones this
Unexplained in flower boxes ar
ranged along its base.
The living room is designed
somewhat in the fashion of a
yachts cabin, with beamed and
trussed ceiling, high windows on
the north and east sides and on the
south side glass doors opening out
on the roof. There are built-in
lockers and book cases and gener-
GUS window seats in place Of
buRks.' A fireplace between the
windows at one end gives touch
of comfort not Wound on the ordin-
airy yacht
Not all of the roof dwellings in
New York are as attractive as
these two, but because they are
novelties they are all extremely
expensive. There is one now va
cant on the top of private house
, in Madison avenue which is in a
most dilapidated condition. 1t con-
sists of five oddly shaped little
rooms that would wiring tears of
despair from an interior decorator,
with only one shallow closet, low
ceilings and no space at all outside
on the roof even for couple Of
chairs. Yet, according to the jani-
tor. it rented for $4,000 last year.
With the least attractive roof
bungalows renting at such high
prices, it seems strange that real
estate men do not display more in
terest in providing new ones in
good condition.
I'D like to contract for all the
roofs on a certain private block in
this city," declared one New York
business man not long ago, but
there's no chance of my getting
them. There are upward of 10000
or 10000 square feet of roofs there
that represent waste space. But the
owners don't want to realize its
value, and they won't rent it to
those whoAdo
IF 1 could get that space I'd
build row of fine California
bungalows for which there has
never been enough rooom in New
York. 1t could be easy to rent each
of them for $1,000 year. If /
wanted the space for roof garden
or sanitarium or a children's
! playground, l might get it-there
are plenty of them on the roofs Of
New York. They build restaurants
and stage cabarets on roofs; they
have hospitals up there; / have
even seen chicken yards and green
houses on roofs, but for some rea-
son the people have not yet decided
that they want to live up in the
sunshine and fresh air. Some day,
however, they'll have to take to the
| roof. There won't be any other
place left upon which to build