﻿444 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  December, 
  1907 
  

  

  Monthly 
  Comment 
  

  

  HE 
  very 
  newest 
  things 
  in 
  hotels 
  — 
  the 
  mod- 
  

   ern 
  American 
  hotel, 
  if 
  you 
  please, 
  which 
  

   leads 
  in 
  so 
  many 
  things 
  — 
  relates 
  to 
  its 
  

   exterior. 
  For 
  years 
  the 
  American 
  public 
  

   has 
  been 
  trained 
  to 
  look 
  for 
  the 
  utmost 
  

   development 
  in 
  comfort 
  and 
  luxury 
  in 
  the 
  

   mammoth 
  caravansaries 
  which 
  are 
  alike 
  

   the 
  wonder 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  who 
  frequent 
  them 
  and 
  the 
  source 
  

   of 
  colossal 
  fortunes 
  to 
  their 
  proprietors. 
  But 
  this 
  develop- 
  

   ment, 
  this 
  comfort 
  and 
  luxury 
  has, 
  until 
  now, 
  been 
  chiefly 
  

   confined 
  to 
  the 
  hotel 
  interior. 
  Now, 
  however, 
  a 
  new 
  kind 
  of 
  

   outside 
  utilization 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  with 
  charming 
  possibilities 
  

   of 
  future 
  growth. 
  And 
  it 
  relates 
  to 
  the 
  roof; 
  not 
  a 
  new 
  kind 
  

   of 
  roof, 
  nor 
  a 
  strange 
  new 
  shape; 
  not 
  a 
  new 
  roofing 
  material, 
  

   but 
  nothing 
  more 
  nor 
  less 
  than 
  an 
  Adirondack 
  camp 
  in 
  the 
  

   very 
  heart 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  city, 
  and 
  perched 
  upon 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  

   roof 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  modern 
  hotel 
  ! 
  There 
  is 
  progress 
  for 
  you, 
  and 
  

   thrift 
  and 
  novelty! 
  Surely 
  nothing 
  more 
  remains 
  than 
  auto- 
  

   balloons 
  — 
  if 
  that 
  be 
  the 
  correct 
  name 
  for 
  these 
  new-fangled 
  

   things 
  that 
  swim 
  through 
  the 
  air 
  — 
  to 
  enable 
  one 
  to 
  sleep 
  

   nearer 
  the 
  clouds 
  than 
  convention 
  and 
  appliances 
  have 
  hith- 
  

   erto 
  permitted. 
  Yet 
  the 
  most 
  remarkable 
  thing 
  in 
  connection 
  

   with 
  this 
  new 
  idea 
  remains 
  to 
  be 
  told, 
  for 
  this 
  marvelous 
  roof- 
  

   camp 
  has 
  been 
  established 
  and 
  put 
  in 
  operation 
  in 
  no 
  less 
  a 
  

   place 
  than 
  the 
  good 
  city 
  of 
  Philadelphia 
  ! 
  And 
  there 
  are 
  

   some 
  people 
  who 
  think 
  the 
  Pennsylvania 
  metropolis 
  is 
  slow 
  ! 
  

  

  The 
  creation 
  of 
  the 
  thing 
  is 
  so 
  easy 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  wonder 
  no 
  one 
  

   ever 
  thought 
  of 
  it 
  before. 
  All 
  that 
  is 
  needed 
  is 
  a 
  few 
  trees 
  

   and 
  some 
  tents. 
  The 
  trees 
  are 
  stood 
  around 
  in 
  tubs 
  and 
  

   boxes 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  way 
  that, 
  if 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  actually 
  suggest 
  a 
  

   forest, 
  it 
  is 
  at 
  least 
  thoroughly 
  apparent 
  they 
  are 
  trees. 
  Then 
  

   as 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  remaining 
  space 
  as 
  possible 
  is 
  filled 
  with 
  tents 
  

   — 
  real 
  tents 
  — 
  the 
  simplest 
  kind 
  of 
  furniture 
  is 
  installed, 
  and 
  

   nothing 
  more 
  remains 
  to 
  be 
  done 
  than 
  to 
  secure 
  the 
  neces- 
  

   sary 
  sleepers 
  and 
  collect 
  their 
  bills 
  the 
  next 
  morning. 
  It 
  is 
  

   simply 
  too 
  easy 
  for 
  anything. 
  But 
  what 
  are 
  the 
  hotel 
  men 
  

   going 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  their 
  expensive 
  heating 
  plants 
  once 
  they 
  

   have 
  accustomed 
  their 
  patrons 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  outdoor 
  quarters? 
  

  

  New 
  ideas 
  frequently 
  find 
  a 
  space 
  in 
  the 
  public 
  press 
  to 
  

   which 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  entitled 
  by 
  their 
  actual 
  merit. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  

   singular 
  feature 
  of 
  modern 
  journalism 
  that 
  anything 
  the 
  

   least 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  way 
  is 
  given 
  space, 
  while 
  nothing 
  is 
  ever 
  

   heard 
  of 
  the 
  quiet 
  orderly 
  affairs 
  with 
  which 
  most 
  people 
  are 
  

   concerned. 
  This 
  condition 
  is 
  doubtless 
  due 
  — 
  the 
  suggestion 
  

   is 
  made 
  with 
  some 
  diffidence 
  — 
  to 
  the 
  young 
  and 
  tender 
  age 
  

   of 
  the 
  modern 
  reporter. 
  This 
  very 
  youthful 
  person 
  — 
  who, 
  as 
  

   likely 
  as 
  not, 
  is 
  wearied 
  of 
  life 
  before 
  he 
  has 
  really 
  begun 
  it 
  

   — 
  seemingly 
  thinks 
  that 
  anything 
  that 
  smacks 
  of 
  novelty 
  must 
  

   have 
  real 
  merit 
  if 
  for 
  no 
  other 
  reason 
  than 
  that 
  he 
  himself 
  

   has 
  not 
  heard 
  of 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  account 
  on 
  other 
  

   grounds 
  for 
  the 
  notoriety 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  New 
  Jersey 
  father 
  

   who 
  thinks 
  he 
  has 
  discovered 
  a 
  new 
  way 
  to 
  bring 
  up 
  his 
  

   family. 
  Perhaps 
  he 
  has. 
  

  

  Like 
  the 
  Adirondack 
  camp 
  on 
  the 
  hotel 
  roof 
  the 
  thing 
  is 
  

   simplicity 
  itself 
  once 
  you 
  know 
  how 
  to 
  do 
  it. 
  For 
  this 
  gen- 
  

   tleman 
  has 
  done 
  nothing 
  less 
  than 
  build 
  a 
  bungalow 
  adjacent 
  

   to 
  his 
  house 
  and 
  turned 
  his 
  family 
  of 
  half 
  a 
  dozen 
  boys 
  out 
  

   into 
  it 
  to 
  live 
  their 
  life 
  ! 
  Beautiful, 
  isn't 
  it, 
  and 
  so 
  amply 
  

   buttressed 
  with 
  common 
  sense, 
  with 
  parental 
  love, 
  with 
  

   fatherly 
  guidance 
  and 
  care, 
  with 
  taste 
  and 
  good 
  behavior, 
  

   with 
  all 
  the 
  things 
  that 
  go, 
  or 
  ought 
  to 
  go, 
  to 
  make 
  home 
  

  

  life 
  good 
  and 
  true 
  and 
  ennobling? 
  Just 
  look 
  around 
  you 
  anil 
  

   think 
  what 
  would 
  happen 
  if 
  any 
  six 
  boys 
  you 
  know 
  were 
  to 
  

   be 
  camped 
  out 
  in 
  a 
  house 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  to 
  take 
  care 
  of 
  and 
  to 
  

   grow 
  up 
  in! 
  It 
  is 
  certainly 
  sad 
  to 
  think 
  of 
  a 
  father 
  who 
  

   can't 
  keep 
  his 
  own 
  boys 
  in 
  his 
  own 
  house. 
  

  

  The 
  charges 
  for 
  professional 
  services 
  are 
  a 
  constant 
  

   source 
  of 
  annoyance 
  and 
  misunderstanding 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   persons 
  called 
  upon 
  to 
  pay 
  such 
  bills. 
  The 
  person 
  rendering 
  

   the 
  bill 
  never 
  has 
  the 
  smallest 
  doubt 
  as 
  to 
  its 
  righteousness, 
  

   and 
  if 
  he 
  is 
  permeated 
  by 
  any 
  qualms 
  it 
  is 
  because 
  the 
  very 
  

   largest 
  amount 
  he 
  summons 
  up 
  sufficient 
  courage 
  to 
  put 
  down 
  

   is, 
  after 
  all 
  — 
  in 
  his 
  opinion 
  — 
  much 
  too 
  small 
  for 
  the 
  work 
  

   done 
  or 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  services 
  rendered. 
  Architects, 
  for 
  

   many 
  years, 
  have 
  sought 
  to 
  adjust 
  any 
  differences 
  that 
  might 
  

   arise 
  from 
  their 
  charges 
  by 
  the 
  adoption 
  of 
  a 
  uniform 
  per- 
  

   centage 
  scale. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  system 
  that 
  has 
  many 
  drawbacks. 
  If 
  

   the 
  building 
  is 
  very 
  large, 
  the 
  cost 
  running 
  up 
  into 
  the 
  

   millions, 
  the 
  architect 
  receives 
  a 
  fee 
  that 
  he 
  himself 
  re- 
  

   gards 
  as 
  excessive; 
  else 
  why 
  a 
  running 
  reducing 
  scale 
  when 
  

   the 
  cost 
  is 
  enormous? 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  if 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  

   building 
  is 
  small, 
  the 
  actual 
  amount 
  to 
  be 
  received 
  by 
  the 
  

   architect 
  is 
  so 
  very 
  insignificant 
  that 
  he 
  has 
  no 
  financial 
  in- 
  

   ducement 
  to 
  do 
  the 
  best 
  he 
  can. 
  And 
  every 
  one, 
  of 
  course, 
  

   knows 
  how 
  very 
  stimulating 
  a 
  substantial 
  financial 
  emolu- 
  

   ment 
  is 
  to 
  excellence 
  of 
  service. 
  

  

  Extra 
  charges 
  for 
  work 
  other 
  than 
  the 
  mere 
  planning, 
  

   designing 
  and 
  superintendence 
  come, 
  therefore, 
  to 
  the 
  rescue 
  

   of 
  the 
  architect. 
  Being 
  honorable 
  men 
  they 
  never 
  overcharge, 
  

   thus 
  being 
  easily 
  in 
  a 
  wholly 
  different 
  class 
  from 
  the 
  butcher 
  

   and 
  grocer, 
  who 
  are 
  never 
  disturbed 
  by 
  any 
  little 
  mistake 
  

   they 
  may 
  make 
  in 
  that 
  direction. 
  Moreover, 
  the 
  architect 
  is 
  

   buttressed, 
  fenced 
  in 
  and 
  supported 
  by 
  a 
  printed 
  schedule 
  of 
  

   charges, 
  approved, 
  decreed 
  and 
  commanded 
  by 
  the 
  loftiest 
  

   organization 
  of 
  his 
  noble 
  profession, 
  specifying 
  and 
  requir- 
  

   ing 
  just 
  such 
  charges 
  as 
  he 
  has 
  put 
  into 
  his 
  little 
  bill. 
  All 
  

   these 
  matters, 
  moreover, 
  are 
  established 
  by 
  custom, 
  which 
  in 
  

   such 
  cases 
  has 
  quite 
  the 
  force 
  of 
  law. 
  There 
  is 
  really 
  noth- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  do 
  but 
  to 
  pay 
  the 
  architect 
  what 
  he 
  asks, 
  and 
  that 
  

   which 
  he 
  shows 
  is 
  established 
  by 
  the 
  laws 
  and 
  customs 
  of 
  his 
  

   profession, 
  business 
  or 
  art, 
  according 
  as 
  he 
  or 
  his 
  client 
  may 
  

   view 
  his 
  occupation. 
  

  

  The 
  ingenious 
  architect 
  may 
  sometimes 
  work 
  in 
  an 
  extra 
  

   charge 
  that 
  no 
  one 
  has 
  previously 
  thought 
  of. 
  The 
  person 
  

   who 
  does 
  so 
  is 
  a 
  real 
  benefit 
  to 
  his 
  profession 
  and 
  is 
  entitled 
  

   to 
  a 
  monument 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  that 
  which 
  adorns 
  Bunker 
  Hill. 
  

   Some 
  such 
  structure 
  must 
  surely 
  be 
  erected 
  to 
  the 
  genius 
  who, 
  

   among 
  other 
  charges, 
  put 
  in 
  a 
  substantial 
  sum 
  for 
  a 
  quartette 
  

   of 
  musicians 
  ! 
  It 
  is 
  easier 
  to 
  imagine 
  than 
  to 
  put 
  down 
  in 
  

   print 
  the 
  various 
  sounds, 
  expressions 
  and 
  exclamations 
  that 
  

   must 
  have 
  been 
  emitted 
  from 
  the 
  client's 
  mouth 
  when 
  this 
  

   delectable 
  item 
  struck 
  his 
  eye. 
  And 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  as 
  easy 
  to 
  

   imagine 
  the 
  cyclonic 
  wrath 
  with 
  which 
  an 
  explanation 
  was 
  

   demanded. 
  But 
  the 
  ingenious 
  mind 
  that 
  had 
  thought 
  up 
  

   this 
  charge 
  was 
  equal 
  to 
  the 
  emergency 
  and 
  was 
  ready 
  with 
  

   the 
  reply. 
  It 
  could 
  not 
  have 
  been 
  otherwise, 
  seeing 
  he 
  was 
  

   an 
  architect 
  and 
  concerned 
  with 
  the 
  creation 
  of 
  ingenious 
  

   devices 
  and 
  arrangements. 
  He 
  put 
  on 
  his 
  most 
  polished 
  

   manner 
  — 
  a 
  covering 
  easily 
  worth 
  ten 
  per 
  cent, 
  extra 
  — 
  and 
  

   blandly 
  pointed 
  out 
  to 
  his 
  outraged 
  employer 
  that 
  he 
  had 
  

   indeed 
  hired 
  a 
  quartette 
  of 
  musicians 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  

   new 
  house, 
  and 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  to 
  test 
  its 
  acoustic 
  properties 
  ! 
  

  

  