November, [906 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



339 



NEW BOOKS 



Modern Housing in Town and Coun- 

 try. By James Cornes. New York. 

 Charles Scribner's Sons. Pp. 18 1- [96. 

 Price, $3.00 net. 



Notwithstanding the fact that architects 

 derive the greatest pleasures of their profes 

 sion, and the greatest emoluments, from the 

 erection of costly buildings, the small house, 

 both for the town and the country, remains 

 the most important of the architectural prob- 

 lems of the day. It is easy to see why this Is 

 so, since the housing of the poor and those in 

 moderate circumstances presents difficulties oi 

 an unusual order. This is particularly the 

 case at the present day, when the high price 

 of materials and the high cost of wages has 

 vastly expanded the cost of every building 

 enterprise, whether great or small. 



It is scarcely necessary to emphasize the im- 

 portance of this problem; but it may be well 

 to point out that its significance has been 

 greatly increased by the spread of sanitary 

 knowledge. It is no longer recognized as suf- 

 ficient that people have a place to live in ; it is 

 deemed essential that they have a fit place, one 

 which, if not provided with every modern 

 comfort, must at least be habitable according 

 to modern ideas. It is not so long ago when 

 the poor person had to content himself with 

 whatever could be had ; ramshackle buildings 

 became enormously profitable under this sys- 

 tem, and only a few years since an extremely 

 wealthy ecclesiastical organization in New 

 York was soundly rapped on the knuckles for 

 deriving a good share of its immense income 

 from the rent of tenements too badly main- 

 tained for decent human beings to occupy. 



For a number of years an active campaign 

 against such unsanitary living has been carried 

 on in every large city. In New York it re- 

 sulted in the creation of the Tenement House 

 Commission as an integral part of the city 

 government. This was a direct result of the 

 enlightenment of public opinion on this im- 

 portant matter, an opinion that, once aroused, 

 is tolerably certain not to go to sleep again. 



The subject has been even more extensively 

 agitated in England than in America. If the 

 conditions of the working classes as regards 

 housing are not actually worse there they are 

 certainly wider spread. The industrial cities 

 are more crowded than in America, and the 

 supply of old buildings is more abundant. 

 For the last few years, therefore, this question 

 has forced itself upon the attention of many 

 municipalities, and it has become necessary 

 that these municipalities shall see that suit- 

 able houses are available for the people. 

 Hence many civic authorities have been, to 

 some extent, compelled to provide dwellings, 

 and many large landowners and great em- 

 ployers of labor have given attention to the 

 housing of their employees. The question in 

 England has, therefore, assumed a somewhat 

 different aspect from what it has taken in 

 America, for while there the actual building 

 of houses has become more or less a govern- 

 ment matter with us the initiative has been left 

 to private capital, the government contenting 

 itself with specifying the conditions under 

 which dwelling houses may be built and in 

 what order they shall be maintained. 



But the lessons of good housing are equally 

 valuable, whether taken from America or Eng- 

 land. The book of Mr. Cornes, therefore, 

 while dealing exclusively with English sub- 

 jects, represents many of the latest expres- 

 sions of English opinions on this topic, and 

 contains many valuable object lessons for 

 every r one interested in good building, whether 

 directly intended for the working classes or 

 otherwise. 



The essential conditions attending the erec- 

 tion of houses for working people may be 



The perfect material and scientific principle < f ; instruction of the Sv-Cr.o 

 Closet entirely overcomes the unpleasant and unsanitary features that make 

 the ordinary closet a menace to health. The Sy-Clo ( losel di with 



the necessary care that makes the common closet a household burden. 



Study the sectional view of the Sy-Ci.o illustrated below. Notice 

 the unusual extent of water surface in the bowl. No possibilil 

 impurity adhering to the sides. That's why the Sy-Ci.o is 

 always clean. 



T'nlike the ordinary closet, the Sy-Ci.o Clo I 



double cleansing action, a combination of flush from 



above and a powerful pump-like pull from below. 



The downward rush of water creates a vacuum in 



the pipe into which the entire contents of the 



bowl is drawn with irresistible syphonic force. 



That's why the Sv-Ci.o Closet is called 



The Closet 



That 

 Cleans Itself 



The sectional cut shows the deep water-seal that perpet- 

 ually guards the household health by making impossible the 

 escape of sewer gas, a subtle and often unsuspected poison. 



The material of the Sy-Clo Closet is heavy white china, hand 

 moulded into a single piece. No joint, crack or crevice to retain im- 

 purity. No surface to chip off or crack. Nothing to rust or corrode. Un- 

 affected by water, acid or wear. 



The name "Sy-Clo" on a closet guarantees that it is made under the direction 

 and supervision of the Pot- 

 teries Selling Company, of 

 the best materials, and with 

 the aid of the best engineer- 

 ing skill, and has the united 

 endorsement of eighteen of 

 the leading potteries of 

 America. 



Lavatories of every design 

 made of the same material 

 as the Sy-Clo Closets. 



Valuable 'Booklet on 



"Household Health" 



sent free 



if you mention 



the name of 



your Plumber. 



POTTERIES SELLING COMPANY, 

 TRENTON, N. J. 



a 



Country and Suburban Houses' 



19 4 Ed it ion — Designs costing 

 $2,000 to $15,000. Price, $2.00. 



19 6 Kdit ion— Designs costing 

 $6,000 to $30,000. Price, $2.00. 



The most beautiful and useful book 

 on this subject published 

 The designs are illustrated by 6ne half-tone 

 engravings made from water color drawings and 

 photographs, showing the buildings as they will 

 actually appear when completed. Each design 

 has also a first and second floor plan carefully 

 worked out and figured, and in a number of in- 

 stances the interiors are shown from photograph 

 plates; also accurate estimates of cost, general 

 specifications and useful information on plan- 

 ning and building. Colonial, Artistic. English 

 Half Timber and other styles of Architecture. 

 Special designs and detailed plans prepared. 

 Houses altered and remodeled. 

 It I LLI. I If 1>K II.V.V.I/'. I nli ttect 

 152 Nassau Street, New York City 



351* SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN BOY 



By A. KUSSELL BOND 



J2mo. 320 Pages. 340 Illustrations. Price, $2.00, Postpaid. 



STOKY OF OUTDOOR. BOY LIFE, suggesting a large number of diversions which, aside from 

 affording entertainment, will stimulate in boys the creative spirit. Complete practical instructions are 

 given for building the various articles. The book contains a large number of miscellaneous devices, 

 such as scows, canoes, windmills, water wheels, etc. 



MUNN £r CO. 



Publishers of 

 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 



361 Broadway, New York 



