Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 187, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1911 — THE AMERICAN HOME [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE AMERICAN HOME

WILLIAM A. RADFORD

Editor-

Mr, William A. Radford will answer and give advice FREE OF COST on all subjects pertaining to the subject of building, for the readers of this paper. On account of his wide experience as Editor, Author and Manufacturer, he is. without doubt, the highest authority on all these subjects. Address all Inquiries to William A. Radford, No. 17S West Jackson boulevard, Chicago, 111., and only enclose two-cent stamp for reply. Investigations show that the majority of men working on salaries are paying out one-quarter or more of their entire earnings in rent. Take paper and pencil and sit down and figure out what this rent bill amounts to in the course of a yeaj;; then see the amount it comes to in ten years. You will be almost appalled at the size of the amount. In most cases it is enough to buy outright a fine house and lot, a valuable property that can be made into a real home. But what has the renter to show for this money at the end of ten years? Nothing but a big pile of rent receipts. Nothing that he can call really his own after paying out enough money to buy the house. He has no more right to it than he day he moved in, and may be turned out into the street any time his everlasting rent payments are not made. And, after all, the investment feature, the money end of the proposition, is really <of minor importance compared to some others. Parents having the welfare of their children at heart should make any sacrifice needed to provide a real home for them to grow up in. Think of the delights of the “Old Home” you once knew. What fond memories cluster about it. What an influence for good that old place has been to you in your life! You have looked back to it with reverence and have hurried back to it eagerly whenever there was a chance. “Home” is the moet beautiful word in the English language. There is no place on earth like home. What do you suppose your children

are to do. for a home, when you have rented all your life, moving every year or so from one rented house to the next? That does not make a Teal home and is not fair to the children. Love of home and love and respect of parents go hand in hand. They are the two most sacred things in life. There is a sense of security, of ownership, of permanence in a possession of even a small cottage. It makes life happier and mere worth while. Sometimes yod hear people say: “It costs more to own a home than it does to pay rent.** This is not true, but even if it were true, the arguments

still would be od the tide of owning your own home, both for your own and for your children's sake. Anyone who is paying rent right along can easily save for himself the landlord’s profit and own his own home. Wo all know of many landlords who are not only making a good Using, but are growing wealthy by borrowing money, building houses with it and renting them to people who, if they realized it. could with a little effort just as well build or buy the

Home builders are considered the very best kind of security, and the real estate man and property owners are eager to do business, with them, from |IOO to SSOO is all that It requires as a first payment to start you on the road to the ownership of a substantially built home-like little place like the one illustrated herewith. After you have made the start it is just as easy to make the monthly payment as it is to pay rent, for these payments can

be arranged so that they amount to the same as rent, including' both payment on the principal and the interest on the unpaid balance. The insurance and taxes are usually extra, but these are relatively small items and are not enough to deter any man from embarking in a home-owning enterprise. Of course there should be reason in this as in other things. One should not buy too expensive a place, any

more than ho should attempt to “show off" by buying too elaborate or expensive clothing. The more expensive residence can come later If you desire, after you have finished paying for the first modest little home. Man/ have begun this way and have evently become large real estate owners through systematic saving. This is a Btory-and-a-half cottage of six rooms. It has a very artistic, home-like appearance, being in good style and substantially built. It is stated that the house has been built complete for $2,300, using good substantial grade of material throughout This is a dwelling that is well suited to the requirements of a small building lot. The total width of the house is 24 feet, its length 30 feet, not including the front porch. A building of rectangular form like this is most economical to build, since there is nothing complicated about the roof nor no jogs nor corners in the walls to add to the expense. The arrangement is all that could be desired for a house of this size. From the front porch a square vestibule is entered. To the left is the living room, a good-size, home-like, apartment with an open stairway at one side, ascending to the second story. A novel feature of this design is the den, which is really a part .of the living room, being connected with it by a columned opening. The wide bay window with built-in seat, makes this little room very attractive indeed. The dining room, kitchen and pantry are well arranged for housekeeping work. On the second floor two good sized bedrooms are provided, each with a large closet and storage space. A bathroom is on this floor, opening from the hall. For a small house this design is well worth considering.

Second Floor Plan.

First Floor Plan.