The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-02-23

THE CELLAR or ODD HOUSE
Milwaukee correspondent agrees
that q modern house needs no din
ing room. She has lived happily for
twenty years In q house the first
floor Of which Is L-shape and they
usually use the shorter end Of the
L for dining. \
After all, I suppose people have
to eat somewhere. Yet I can think
Of q good many otherwise attrac-
time homes where the pleasantest
part Of the house Is given over to
the eclusive use Of eating.
OF course II the linen is dirty or
the dishes are not as fine as you
would like to have the neighbors
think you have, 1t may be prefer
able, to your uncultivated taste, to
retire to the chamber Of horrors to
feed your face. But II you are not
ashamed Of the dump or obsessed
with conventionality there is moth
ing so pleasing and enjoyable as q
family having dinner in the living
room or on the veranda or In the
patio or on the lawn under the
trees or in the garden. Somehow
the genuine friendliness and hospi-
tally guest feels when the meal
is served elsewhere than the formal
dining room remains long In men,
ory.
Most people wonder, even II they
do not ask. whether q house with.
out q cellar or basement under 1t
isn't damp; whether living in the
basement isn't unhealthful or like
ly to predispose to the rheumatic
on account of dampness; whether a
low ceiling or q high ceiling in cell
lar or basement is preferable; and
whether ordinary basement win
dows or more expansive provision
for admitting daylight would be adj
visable.
I answer these questions In my
capacity as D. p. M.-Doctor OF
Preventive Medicine, unique degree
acquired as Kentucky gentlemen
acquire the title Of Colonel-and
leave to housekeepers. architects
and builders considerations other
than those Of health, hygiene OF
sanitation.
Dampness Is not q question OF
health or hygiene. It Is merely q
question Of comfort or economy. II
you find 1t comfortable and econ
omical to live In the cellar or base
ment you have my assurance thai
1t Is as healthful to live there as Il
Is on any other floor or level.
Low or high ceiling would depend
on the use you purpose to make oi
the cellar. OF course rooms witt
low ceiling may be heated at les!
expense than rooms with high cell.
ing, In cold country; on the othel
hand, rooms with high ceiling arr
easier to ventilate and hence natur.
ally cooler, In warm country o.
during a heat wave. A cellar serv
ing merely as storage space nees
not be more than seven feet deep
But If 1t Is to be an ATTRACTIVE
place to work. play or live 1t shoult
be at least nine feet deep.
The more window space cellar o
basement has the better. Wher
the house floor level is not mucl
above ground level window well
two or three feet wide and two fee
deep will permit better daylight
and make the basement NOR
cheerful.
Here in heaven the basement o
the average house is scarcely larg
enough to swing cat without mes
sing up the automatic domestic ma
chinery installed there, but then
there are plenty Of other places t
hide II an unwelcomed visitor calls
QUESTIONS q ANSWERS
Try u ON the Mistress
-. decided to try out your idei
myself. Began eating wheat germ
every day. Had been in poor healtl
for years. Presently found my healtl
and strength increasing so
gave some Of the left over whea
germ to our dog. He liked 1t, an,
has had 1t regularly since, and hi
fur Is better and he has put OF
needed weight and is hvelier thar