FOL. XXIII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY. SEPT. 15,1888.
NO. 37
ECONOMICAL HOMES.
HOW    THEY     CAN     BE    BUILT    AT
THE   PRESENT   TIME.
jjistakes People "Who Build New Houses
Fall into—Modern Ways of Living Not
the Old Ways—Floor Plans and Elevation of a House to Cost S3,500.
[Special Correspondence.]
Isdiaxapolis, Sept. 3..—One can build a
letter house for a given sum of money at this
time tban ever before.
Tie real reason for this is to bo found out-
ide tbe fact that material anil labor are
taper at this time than they have been in
tii. inst This is because of the thought that
B put into the planning and arranging of
duellings. It is the thought that saves the
money. There are other things which
tii-iight adds to a house; these are external
md internal attractiveness, convenience,
liter saving devices and arrangements.
Thought helps to make housekeeping easier.
It frequently happens .flat a man and his
•lego through life with the hopeof building
GROUND FLOOB.
"Bier nouse "some day." They are eco-
" ™*cal; they live carefully; they live in a
1 'muse; they are crowded. At last, by
™! 'lal(l work and careful management,
"'f "'Oi-ey is accumulated to build the
Home.- This is the great event which has
-""ought about for many years.
>e "lea in building this house is invaria-
w eet something as different from the old
«<1* aS poss,'ble*    II was square; the new
Wld*
!"i the
'*ere wer
S nmst be irregular.   It had no front
** new house must have a large one.
a,. e "° grates in any of the rooms; in
},, 0|,,W, use thel"e must be one in each. In
!i. i,   n*-d'lng the rooms were very small; in
'wrt™ b°USe they must be Tery larSe*
i.,ueW:lS1*? Porch before; now there must
•sejj, """ling across the front and along
'*»olil h the house* Altogether the idea of
, nonse and that of the new are in disposition  to each other.   In one  in-
••ct
''"Hee t]
».e n,   y We'*e crowded; in the other they
*UM* ^  y ot "x-m.   There can be no doubt
*Thel'°e Sundance of room.
Vbcmt ,| „ jng is finished; they move into it
*^M »i,      Pel'so'i to get out of it is the
•"«,« * they ha'-in the o]d house* She
Mo jmo,1»tof work which she will lave
■Hi. tti.,.feasy enough to sweep the old
"Wn-wn. sraa'l, compact plan. House-
''b the 1 i .,'eJatlv«*ly a small matter, bin
tfne»i,la sof economy which rendered
^i,aEj?'se P^iWe they will not hire a
^-*fv»nt      work wnicuis ,eft over **y
''"'J' *n *° *'"le ni>sr'ress.   Strange as
^-"heiJv"1" unrter such circumstances, it
^ of tlY't       a lo**e time to find out the
i'i""*e<i *iM, We" ***■ is the hm*se* **' was
ft1'* »«.ian entire disregard for the work
I'-OjUnt Th *i* done* ll ha<1 "ot l>een
■5 "hie'l, idca was mel*ely to get some-
^featBil*? different from the disagree-
^t .Ver ™.of the old home. They thought
s.4*"- *»fi^me wou-d **> easier and pleasant-
ni>ia*n, "Stable in everyway.' The
qe "wtter- with the old bouse wa»
they were too crowded. In the new they are
not, but have an impossible amount of work
to do every day. The difference between
what they wish to do aud what is done is represented by fretf illness in addition to the natural weariness at the end of the day.       r
But what has this to do with architecture
and economical housebuilding? Simply this:
Tho house which is economically planned is
economical as to money, carpets, sweeping
and strength. The architect mav do a trreat
S.oal for housekeepers by going through life
with this thought in his mind.
To recur to the idea of economical house
building in a direct sense it may be borne in
mind that economy and good construction go
hand in hand; that none of the conditions of
permanency are sacrificed for the sake of
cheapness. Of two houses which cost the
same one ma3' afford more conveniences and
room to the occupants according as there is
an avoidance of waste space and unnecessary
material. Evidently one flue stack will cost
less than four. Therefore, if a house can be
constructed which has only one flue stack,
that house will cost less than one which bas
SECOND STORY,
four; but the demands of the housekeeper
and those" who live in the bouse'are that the
one stack afford the conveniences of the four.
Popple do not like compromises in house
building, especially when they are building a
home. The compromises come easier when
one is planning rental property. Evidently
a house in which one-fifth of the floor space
is given up to halls is more expensive tban
one which contains a smaller proportion of
hall space. According as one is able to diminish the amount of passage room, and yet
meet all of the conditions of good and economical housekeeping he can reduce the cost
of the house as to its building, Its furnishing
and the amount of labor required in caring
for it. Thus economy in construction and
convenience and ease in general housekeeping
movements go hand in hand. Parallel illustrations might lie carried forward so as lo include eacli detail of the house, hut we will
take up a practical illustration of this idea by
calling attention to a house plan which is
submitted herewith.
Beforo dcscribinir it, it may be well to
say that it is designed to suit in the matter of
cost and other conditions the family of moderate means, which, by tha way, is so largely
in the majority. For such a family there
must be a sitting room, a parlor or reception
room, a .lining room and a kitchen and pantry on the first floor. Then above these
should be what is usually called the family
bedroom, aud connected with it should lie the
rooms for the children, boys and girls, one
for each. Then there should be a guest room,
and isolated from this part of the house
should l»e the servants room. The bathroom
should be accessible from all of the front living rooms. ..
The average household has the habit of living all over the house to a •..'•eater extent
than it used ta, an.J the awful stillness of a
parlor is not so apparent as in times past,
he plan given it isdiffieult to decide huh
should be used as a sitting room and*, lich
as a reception room. As now used p.ulo.
and reception room mean the same thins. A
matter of this kind would be largely n , ..rtm
of in.lividualpff.fe!*'"*. In.w»r?SK
the dining room ffl»' the one >™^* £* £
front of it would be used togethei  astbe*
ng or living part of the W»"-»^
the room to the left would be the pa. lor. I
Then again there are those who would keep
the dining room closed a good part of the
timo and would use the two front rooms together. Possibly the large one in front would
be designated as the sitting room. Still that
would not keep it from being used virtually
us the reception room. The two would be
used together as time and occasion dictated.
The room which is lettered reception room
contains the front stairway. This stairwav
lauds near the front of the house on the
second floor, for which reason we are enabed
to have the two rooms which aro mot used
oil each floor in the front part of the house.
We have the two front chambers above and
the reception room and sitting room blow.
If we had a long narrow stair hall constructed
in the usual way we would have the sitting
room toward the rear and only a little alcove
bedroom over the hall in front.
The dining room, which is a large room, is
connected with the front part of the house
by sliding doors. It has a grate in one corner of it. Ou general principles a grate has
no business in a dining room. It is nearly
always at some one's back and makes him
uncomfortable at meal time. Being in the
corner of the room the grate faces the table.
Its location brings it farther from any oue
than it would be if located on a side wall.
Hence it may be allowed. There is a porch
iu the rear of the dining room, and between
the door leading to it and the door to the
china cioset there is a space for a sideboard.
There are two windows at the end of this dining room. The door which passes into the
pantry should be on double spring hinges, so
that it will swing both ways. One cau push
against it and open from either side, and
when it.isjeleased it will ..take, its natural position.
The pantry is a large one. Pantries in general may be regarded as a kitchen annex—a
store room and preparing room. This pantry
is a combination affair. It connects with the
china closet by means of a slide. Aside from
this china closet which projects into it, there
ELEVATION,
is a cupboard with double doors at one end, a
flour bin at the side, a pastry table next to
it, aud a refrigerator by the window. One
reason for placing this refrigerator near the
window is that a pair of steps and a platform
mi^ht be arranged on the out-ide so that the
iceman could put. in the ice without going
through the kitchen. We eo down cellar
from this pantry, and it will be no iced that
the cellar way is abundantly well lighted. It
affords an easy "approach to the cellar. We
go to I he second floor and the servant's room
out of the kitchen. ,
There is a cellar under about one-half of
this house—the kitchen and dining room. It
should have a cement floor and numerous
windows for lighting it. Tho part under the
kitchen could be used for a laundry, under
the dining room for coal storage and furnace.
There could be an excavation under apart of
the setting room for vegetable storage.
"Why not put a cellar under the whole house?
It wouldn't cost a great, deal more,*' has been
asked many limes. It does not co.it a great
deal more, but it costs a littlo more. It is tho
little things, the smaller economies, in a
building of' thi. kind which make- the differ-'
ence between an expensive hou'sn'ni-d a house
of moderate cost. Every foot of cellar space
beyond what is needed for actual use'is a
burden to the housekeeper. The arrangement
has more to do with the number of apartments than with the amount of space.- We
have a laundry room, a place for furnace and
fuel, and room for.vegetables, which is about
all that can bo used! From the cellar we can
go up the stairway and into the kitchen, from
the kitchen to the second floor, and from the
jecond floor to the attic'■*  ■     •   •      '      '
It is'a large attic, a place for splendid
rooms if one should need them. Under any
circumstances this attic should be floored.
There could bo no letter place for general
storage, and at times loom for drying clothes.
There are many things which might be said
about this plan in a, detailed way which
would be of interest to those who would
build. The kitchen arrangements might be
considered, its ventilation described. It
might be told how the plumbing apparatus is,
arranged so that it cannot freeze so long as
there is just a little heat in tho kitchen, and
altogether a great many details could Ik* included in this description.
It very seldom happens that two houses
from the same plan are built in exactly the
samo way. While this plan has pleased a
good many people there are main* others
who would not lie attracted by it, who
would not care to build this house ns their
home. The universal floor plan has never
been made and never will be. There are
general principles running through all plans
which are valuable, and if rightly understood
will contribute to tho improvement of the
homes of the people.
A substantial frame house on this plan
could be finished for ?2,500.
• Louis H. Gibsoh.
CONDITION OF THE CHOPS.
The report of the Dspartment of Agriculture for Sept. 1st, makes the average
condition of corn for the whole country
94.2; wheat, 77.3; oats, 87.2; rye, 02.8; barley, 86 9; buckwheat, 93.7; potatoes, 91.6.
The returns show but very alight falling
off from the exceptionally high August
report of maize, the general average having declined but one point during the
month. The loss is almost entirely one
State, Kansas, where drouth, and hot, dry
winds caused a decline of 11 points since
last report. In the seven corn surplus
States the average condition is 95 against
61 at the same date in 1887.
Tbe average condition of spring and winter wheat,*wh6n harvested was 77.3,against
82 last year, and 87.8 in 18S6. In 18S5 it
was 72, and in 1884, 98. The winter-wheat
States show a slight improvement over
the last report of condition (July), but
there has been a serious decline in the
spring-wheat region of the Northwest.
YELLOW PEVEB.'
The dreadful scourge of the South, yellow fever, is prevailing to a frightful extent in Jacksonville, Forida. The people
are frightened and are leaving the city as
rapidly as possible, but as trains are not
allowed to run except occasionallly it is
difficult for many to leave. The official
bulletin for the twenty-four hours ended
at 6 p.m., Sept. 10, is as follows: new
cases, 132; deaths, 15. Total number of
cases to date, 632; total number of deaths
to date, 78. Nurses are being sent from
New Orleans and Charleston, and money
is being collected for the sufferers in most
of the large cities, north and south.
THE MABKETS.
Apples, peaches, plums, pears and all
kinds of vegetables are plenty in our city
markets, and sell at rather low rates. For
example, good apples bring from 81.50 to
§2.00 per barrel, pears from $2 00 to SJ3.00,
peaches, 30 to 40 cents per box or basket
for common, and 60 to 75 cents for choice,
grapes, concords, 3 to 4 cents per pound,
Irish potatoes?1.00tol.25per barrel,sweets
§2 50. At such reasonable rates there is a
very brisk demand, as the city is full of
laborers, artisans, etc., all of whom have
plenty of work and fair wages.
THE TBEA8UBY STJBPLTJS.
The Treasury surplus as reported Sept, 1
is 5103,950,000. The discrepancy between
this amount and the surplus as stated in
the President's letter of acceptance, $130,-
000,000, is probably due to the fact that the
President includes about $25,000,000 fractional silver coin on hand as part of the
surplus, while the Treasury officials do
not. * -       »   • • *