﻿44 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  February, 
  1907 
  

  

  Monthly 
  Comment 
  

  

  EW 
  statistics 
  are 
  so 
  interesting 
  to 
  the 
  house- 
  

   holder 
  and 
  the 
  landowner 
  as 
  those 
  relating 
  

   to 
  the 
  increased 
  valuations 
  of 
  real 
  estate. 
  

   Day 
  after 
  day 
  the 
  comforting 
  assurance 
  is 
  

   given 
  to 
  landowners, 
  that 
  during 
  the 
  pre- 
  

   ceding 
  night 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  their 
  holdings 
  

   has 
  increased 
  by 
  so 
  much 
  per 
  cent. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  

   wonderful 
  story, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  nowhere 
  so 
  wonderful 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   large 
  cities, 
  where 
  values 
  increase 
  so 
  prodigiously 
  that 
  dwell- 
  

   ings 
  have 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  change 
  hands 
  several 
  times 
  during 
  

   the 
  process 
  of 
  construction, 
  each 
  time 
  at 
  a 
  handsome 
  advance 
  

   over 
  the 
  preceding 
  figure. 
  Neither 
  prices 
  nor 
  buyers 
  seem 
  to 
  

   have 
  limits; 
  the 
  golden 
  stream 
  of 
  money 
  flows 
  on, 
  apparently 
  

   without 
  end, 
  reaching 
  out 
  into 
  most 
  unexpected 
  regions, 
  and 
  

   distributing 
  wealth 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  generous 
  manner 
  possible. 
  

  

  The 
  movement 
  which 
  is 
  reflected 
  in 
  real 
  estate 
  values 
  is 
  

   typical 
  of 
  our 
  time. 
  It 
  is 
  an 
  expression 
  of 
  unrest. 
  The 
  desire 
  

   to 
  sell 
  and 
  to 
  turn 
  one's 
  real 
  estate 
  into 
  money 
  amounts 
  to 
  a 
  

   positive 
  mania. 
  Why 
  retain 
  land 
  which 
  one 
  has 
  held 
  without 
  

   profit 
  for 
  a 
  term 
  of 
  years, 
  when 
  a 
  hundred 
  per 
  cent., 
  or 
  more, 
  

   can 
  be 
  gained 
  through 
  its 
  sale? 
  Neighborhoods 
  are 
  changed 
  

   in 
  a 
  few 
  weeks, 
  "improvements" 
  of 
  one 
  sort 
  or 
  another 
  are 
  

   projected 
  and 
  carried 
  out 
  without 
  regard 
  to 
  their 
  effect 
  upon 
  

   others. 
  If 
  one's 
  neighbors 
  have 
  sold, 
  why 
  refuse 
  the 
  golden 
  

   bribe? 
  There 
  is 
  seemingly 
  no 
  answer 
  but 
  to 
  sell 
  and 
  start 
  

   life 
  afresh 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  The 
  architect, 
  the 
  builder, 
  and 
  the 
  real 
  estate 
  men 
  are 
  

   helped, 
  and 
  often 
  amazingly, 
  by 
  these 
  operations. 
  Few 
  pur- 
  

   chases 
  of 
  real 
  estate 
  are 
  now 
  made 
  save 
  with 
  a 
  desire 
  to 
  "im- 
  

   prove." 
  This 
  means 
  new 
  work 
  for 
  the 
  builder, 
  fresh 
  oppor- 
  

   tunities 
  for 
  the 
  architect, 
  additional 
  gains 
  for 
  the 
  real 
  estate 
  

   man 
  in 
  further 
  percentages 
  he 
  may 
  exact 
  in 
  later 
  transactions. 
  

   That 
  many 
  of 
  these 
  operations 
  are 
  so 
  conducted 
  that 
  persons 
  

   previously 
  unable 
  to 
  own 
  homes 
  may 
  now 
  do 
  so 
  — 
  by 
  assum- 
  

   ing 
  fresh 
  obligations 
  of 
  indebtedness 
  — 
  is 
  true. 
  In 
  many 
  

   senses 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  gain, 
  if 
  the 
  debts 
  can 
  be 
  properly 
  cared 
  for 
  in 
  

   the 
  end. 
  But 
  the 
  new 
  purchaser 
  is 
  quite 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  bitten 
  by 
  

   the 
  selling 
  microbe, 
  and 
  be 
  ready 
  to 
  dispose 
  of 
  his 
  new 
  home, 
  

   at 
  an 
  advance, 
  to 
  any 
  one 
  who 
  will 
  pay 
  his 
  price. 
  

  

  Where, 
  then, 
  is 
  the 
  American 
  home? 
  It 
  is 
  rapidly 
  losing 
  

   all 
  permanency 
  and 
  is 
  becoming 
  a 
  mere 
  temporary 
  expediency, 
  

   a 
  place 
  existed 
  in 
  for 
  years, 
  when 
  removal 
  necessitates 
  be- 
  

   ginning 
  all 
  over 
  again. 
  We, 
  as 
  a 
  people, 
  are 
  losing, 
  if 
  we 
  

   have 
  not 
  already 
  lost, 
  all 
  the 
  charm 
  that 
  comes 
  from 
  home 
  

   association 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  locality. 
  The 
  men 
  of 
  coming 
  gen- 
  

   erations, 
  if 
  present 
  tendencies 
  continue, 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  

   point 
  to 
  their 
  childhood's 
  home, 
  for 
  that 
  interesting 
  period, 
  

   as 
  likely 
  as 
  not, 
  will 
  have 
  been 
  passed 
  in 
  several 
  places, 
  not 
  

   one 
  of 
  which 
  had 
  any 
  relationship 
  to 
  anything 
  save 
  the 
  par- 
  

   ental 
  desire 
  to 
  realize 
  on 
  real 
  estate 
  values. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  singular 
  

   and 
  surprising 
  condition 
  that 
  we, 
  who 
  live 
  at 
  the 
  beginning 
  

   of 
  the 
  movement, 
  can 
  not 
  understand 
  nor 
  foresee 
  the 
  final 
  de- 
  

   velopment. 
  

  

  But 
  increased 
  prices 
  for 
  real 
  estate 
  are 
  not 
  the 
  single 
  

   agency 
  in 
  these 
  changes. 
  The 
  time 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  far 
  away 
  when 
  

   the 
  word 
  "improvement," 
  as 
  applied 
  to 
  real 
  estate, 
  will 
  be 
  

   viewed 
  with 
  a9 
  much 
  alarm 
  as 
  it 
  now 
  is 
  with 
  complacency. 
  

   The 
  march 
  of 
  trade 
  has 
  already 
  swept 
  so 
  far 
  up 
  Fifth 
  Avenue, 
  

   in 
  New 
  York, 
  that 
  the 
  rich 
  folk 
  of 
  the 
  metropolis 
  have 
  been 
  

   crowded 
  much 
  further 
  north 
  than 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  past 
  seemed 
  

  

  likely 
  ever 
  to 
  occur. 
  And 
  what 
  has 
  happened 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  

   fashionable 
  street 
  in 
  America 
  has 
  happened 
  in 
  a 
  thousand 
  

   streets 
  elsewhere 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  and 
  other 
  cities, 
  in 
  places 
  

   good 
  and 
  bad, 
  in 
  the 
  seats 
  of 
  fashion, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  outskirts 
  

   that 
  border 
  on 
  the 
  rural 
  regions. 
  The 
  slums, 
  everywhere, 
  

   have 
  perhaps 
  held 
  their 
  own 
  more 
  rigidly, 
  with 
  the 
  persistency 
  

   of 
  evil; 
  but 
  even 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  invaded 
  by 
  the 
  model 
  

   tenement 
  house, 
  by 
  factories 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  sort, 
  and 
  by 
  other 
  

   changes, 
  all 
  betterments, 
  all 
  welcome 
  innovations, 
  all 
  desir- 
  

   able 
  features. 
  

  

  But 
  the 
  great 
  home 
  belts 
  are 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  affected 
  other- 
  

   wise. 
  The 
  good 
  streets 
  — 
  streets 
  of 
  good 
  houses 
  — 
  grow 
  bet- 
  

   ter, 
  and 
  their 
  more 
  modest 
  inhabitants 
  are 
  compelled 
  to 
  seek 
  

   less 
  expensive 
  abodes; 
  the 
  poor 
  streets 
  grow 
  poorer, 
  and 
  those 
  

   who 
  would 
  like 
  to 
  live 
  in 
  a 
  better 
  way 
  can 
  find 
  no 
  better 
  

   place. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  loss 
  in 
  citizenship 
  here, 
  a 
  loss 
  in 
  civic 
  

   worth 
  that 
  may 
  perhaps 
  be 
  offset 
  by 
  advances 
  elsewhere, 
  

   although 
  the 
  individual 
  loss 
  can 
  scarce 
  be 
  bettered. 
  Thus 
  

   the 
  home 
  changes; 
  it 
  moves 
  from 
  place 
  to 
  place; 
  the 
  house 
  as 
  

   a 
  home 
  ceases 
  to 
  have 
  meaning 
  or 
  value, 
  and 
  becomes 
  a 
  mere 
  

   thing 
  of 
  furniture 
  and 
  personalities. 
  The 
  latter, 
  indeed, 
  

   count 
  everywhere, 
  and 
  under 
  all 
  circumstances; 
  but 
  surely 
  it 
  is 
  

   something 
  new 
  in 
  civilization 
  when 
  the 
  house 
  ceases 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  

   home, 
  and 
  only 
  the 
  tables 
  and 
  chairs, 
  beds, 
  tables, 
  and 
  candle- 
  

   sticks 
  have 
  homely 
  suggestiveness, 
  and 
  remind 
  one 
  of 
  one's 
  

   own 
  abiding 
  place. 
  

  

  All 
  these 
  matters 
  are 
  most 
  clearly 
  defined 
  in 
  the 
  cities, 
  

   where 
  the 
  population 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  crowded, 
  where 
  the 
  various 
  

   movements 
  may 
  be 
  most 
  readily 
  traced, 
  and 
  where 
  the 
  records 
  

   of 
  real 
  estate 
  values 
  are 
  most 
  conveniently 
  recorded. 
  But 
  if 
  

   the 
  speculator 
  in 
  city 
  real 
  estate 
  imagines 
  that 
  this 
  present 
  

   movement 
  is 
  limited 
  to 
  the 
  area 
  that 
  he 
  himself 
  is 
  personally 
  

   acquainted 
  with, 
  he 
  makes 
  a 
  grievous 
  error. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  move- 
  

   ment 
  so 
  widespread 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  essentially 
  national; 
  it 
  includes, 
  

   not 
  the 
  cities 
  alone, 
  but 
  the 
  rural 
  regions 
  also. 
  And 
  to 
  be 
  

   certain 
  of 
  this 
  the 
  national 
  Department 
  of 
  Agriculture 
  has 
  

   conducted 
  an 
  investigation 
  into 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  rural 
  real 
  es- 
  

   tate 
  values, 
  and 
  announces 
  to 
  the 
  world 
  at 
  large, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  

   farmers 
  in 
  particular, 
  that 
  the 
  real 
  estate 
  value 
  of 
  farms, 
  

   medium 
  in 
  quality 
  and 
  equipment 
  of 
  buildings 
  and 
  improve- 
  

   ments, 
  has 
  increased 
  in 
  value 
  in 
  the 
  five 
  years 
  — 
  since 
  the 
  

   census 
  of 
  1900 
  — 
  no 
  less 
  that 
  33.5 
  per 
  cent. 
  The 
  ratios 
  of 
  

   increase 
  are, 
  of 
  course, 
  not 
  identical 
  throughout 
  the 
  country. 
  

   The 
  highest 
  percentage 
  exists 
  in 
  the 
  South 
  Central 
  group, 
  and 
  

   amounts 
  to 
  40.3 
  per 
  cent. 
  ; 
  then 
  comes 
  the 
  Western 
  group 
  

   with 
  an 
  increase 
  of 
  40.2 
  per 
  cent.; 
  the 
  South 
  Atlantic, 
  with 
  

   36 
  per 
  cent.; 
  and 
  the 
  North 
  Central 
  States, 
  with 
  35.3 
  per 
  

   cent. 
  The 
  smallest 
  increase 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  North 
  Atlantic 
  States, 
  

   where 
  it 
  reaches 
  but 
  13.5 
  per 
  cent. 
  

  

  Average 
  figures 
  are 
  apt 
  to 
  be 
  unsatisfactory, 
  for 
  the 
  indi- 
  

   vidual 
  seldom 
  realizes 
  in 
  himself, 
  the 
  progress, 
  or 
  excellencies, 
  

   statisticians 
  tell 
  him 
  are 
  his. 
  Yet, 
  making 
  every 
  possible 
  al- 
  

   lowance 
  for 
  the 
  personal 
  equation, 
  the 
  fact 
  undoubtedly 
  re- 
  

   mains 
  that 
  farm 
  values 
  everywhere 
  — 
  taking 
  the 
  country 
  as 
  a 
  

   whole 
  — 
  have 
  largely 
  increased 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years. 
  If 
  any 
  

   one 
  has 
  a 
  doubt 
  on 
  this 
  subject 
  let 
  him 
  try 
  to 
  buy 
  a 
  farm, 
  or 
  

   any 
  farm 
  land, 
  at 
  old-fashioned 
  prices, 
  prices 
  that 
  ruled 
  

   before 
  the 
  day 
  of 
  real 
  estate 
  publications, 
  that 
  were 
  the 
  fash- 
  

   ion 
  before 
  the 
  land-boomer 
  came 
  into 
  vogue, 
  prices 
  that 
  were 
  

   difficult 
  to 
  obtain 
  when 
  no 
  one 
  wanted 
  land, 
  and 
  customers 
  

   were 
  few 
  and 
  scarce. 
  

  

  