The Coolidge examiner., 1936-06-12

Prepared by National Geographic Society,
Washington. D. C.-WNU Service.
IF ANYONE wants to know the
English countryside, let him go
house hunting. On such quest
he will discover Natures cozy-cor-
ners that casuals never find. They
are everywhere, but as ingeniously
concealed as a birds nest. There
may even be sign which says, Dan
gerous narrow road. Enter at your
own risk" But that is just the kind
Of place to insist upon penetrating.
Enter on foot if you are afraid,
but the car can squeeze in. You find
yourself in one of those incompara-
BILE roads like tunnels of living
green. Earthen banks of ivy and
wild flowers rise ten feet high to be
topped by tall trees sprung from
the original hedge planted a hun
dred years ago. The road keeps you
guessing by making such curves
that there is no penetrating the Sc
cret of what lies ahead.
All at once a gate. Within, a bit
of woodland, 1ower-brightened; be-
yond that, sunny garden, moldy
mossy walls, lattice windows, creep
ers all abloom and reaching to the
roof tiles, which are toned from
dull red to gentle green by two cen
turies of soft rains and sun.
Who would not penetrate the wood
to gaze closer-especially when
armed with a handful of permits
from a real estate firm? You pass
through the bit of flowered wood
land gay with yellow primrose
patches and massed bluebells. But
ON emerging from the screening
trees and seeing the open garden
lying in the sun and the house form
ing a part Of 1t, you gasp and halt.
This is the house of your dreams.
A servant appears and explains
that the house is to-be-let and is at
your service; the lease is for sixty
five years Exclamation marks rat
tie about in your head.
Peculiar Rental Customs.
You select another house which
you consider a perfect gem, only to
be told that it is not available for
instant possession" The present
tenant has the place for four years
longer.
These, and other interesting rent
al customs you may learn in Eng
lish real-estate offices. Mayfair is
full of fascinating real-estate Off
ces, most of them seeming like pri-
vate homes, with their open fires,
Chippendale chairs, and bookcase
desks.
"Mr. hyperion and Partners" is
the diverting and reticent sign over
the door of one Of these. Lovely way
of expressing it; hyperion, Stoggs,
Chair and Jones is outdone by the
dignity of land Partners"
Any of these gentlemen can teach
the eager American client new uses
of English words and phrases in
real-estate jargon, whether or not
he offers the ideal ancient house and
romantic garden. And it is here that
you learn that the rent of unfur-
nished houses is denoted in pounds
sterling, while the furnished house
smartly demands guineas-an extra
shilling on each pound.
You also learn that cOmpanys
water "laid on" merely means that
domestic water flows from taps in
stead of being pumped up from well
or cistern. Indeed, one must not
visibly shud0er to learn that for
200 years houses have been occu-
pied by gentry, modern smart peo-
pie among them, who have had no
running water. no lights except
kerosene lamps, no telephones. In
credible! Without the tireleSs Eng
lish servant, the English gentry
must have died out for lack of COM
forts.
One of the Partners may ask you
strange-sounding questions.
"Are you prepared to pay dila-
pidations?"
That is diScOncerting.
"But | don't want a house that is
actually in a state of decay"
The Partner patiently explains
that any sort of damage or break
age. must be restored by the tenant.
Your bill for adaptations may be
only four shilling, about one dollar,