Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1911 — Bedrooms Bad Form in Kansas City [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Bedrooms Bad Form in Kansas City

Kansas city, mo—The style at domestic architecture in Kansas City has changed entirely in the past year or two, say architects, on account 4>f the prevalent habit of sleeping out of doors. It is a veritable return to the open-air life that is animating the people. Sleeping out of doors is not a 'fad in this city; it is a custom as firmly intrenched as eating breakfast, although not yet so common. The desire for open air does not stop with sleeping. There are families In Kansas Qity that throughout the summer live in the open air—eating, sleeping and visiting. Whether at work or play, everything is done out of doors. Such a family lives at 3534 Campbell street, the Swifts. J C. Swift, a far-

mer president of the Livestock Exchange, four years ago began to sleep on his porch. At the time he built only a makeshift over his rear porch, where he could place a cot. But as he began to feel better upon awaking in the morning after a restful night, he resolved to live more in the open air. An open-air dining room was added to the ground floor and the steeping room was made permanent. Mrs. Swift said: “When Mr. Swift began to sleep in the open air four years ago he was the only one in this block who embraced the fad. He liked it so well that our neighbors took up the idea and now of the 10 houses ig the block only three are without sleeping porches. Many have sun parlors in addition.” In addition to the sleeping porch most of the houses under construction in Kansas City have a sun parlor. It is usually built on the first floor, with windows to enclose it on three sides during the winter. In the warm weather the glass is removed and semens substiuted.