The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-10-29
LIVING IN HOUSEBOATS.
FLOATING HOMES ON THE J~7ER
MISSISSIPPI


Displayed on the Insid--What it Costa
| Them to Live
Down by the waters edge and upon
the broad bosom Of the great Father OF
Waters are mOOred number OF small
boats which are literally floating homes,
and invite no small amount OF curiosity.
This new Venice is located near the
east end OF the Robert street bridge. and
Is yOpuarly set down as "a tough village.
Standing upon the bridge, 70 or 100 feet
above the water and flats and looking
down upon those unique homes, you see
d deaOlate stretch Of shore line broken
by rock piles. decaying skiffs, irregular
stacks of bark and driftwOod, fragments
OF tin roofing. rotten seines, broken bar
rels in all stages of HOPELESS Gisintegra-
ton, and all the other fiOt sam and Jet
sam incident to the beach of a waterway
with tides OF varing volume OF water.
Ia the foreground, and surrounded by
this abOninatiOn Of deSOlatiOn, are
moOred the string Of bOathomes. Some
are high and dry now that fretted at
their moOrings during the high water of
last spring. All are small, but some are
larger than others. From the altitude
Of the bridge they look like chicken
coops, or the residences Of ultra-fashion-
able swine.
Descending from Robert street to the
fats by means of long flight of steps,
the first boat approached is small un
painted affair, stranded upon stony
strip Of real estate temporarily loaned
by the river. The windows are curtain
less and dirty. no smoke curls upward
from the stOvepipe on the roof, and you
conclude that it is untenanted There is
a window III the door, and climb to the
deck lays bare a bachelors home, con-
fessed in the comfOrtleSS interior.
| The next boat was quite elegant in
COMPARISON. 1t was about thirty feet
long, painted dark lavender, and mad a
latticed porch or veranda, without a
roof, extending around three sides. A
shallow flight of steps led from the
ground to this porch on the deck, and
pretty rustic flower pots and hanging
baskets adorned the steps and hung
from the lattice work. On the back
porch IL line full. of baby garments fut-
tered in the breeze, and big black dog
snooZing in the sun kept guard over all.
The owners of this boat are Danes or
Norwegians, who are going back to the
old country next year and have already
put d for sale sign on their home.
The husband is turner and many orna-
mental pieces of his handiwork can be
seen about the boat. His wages are $3.50
per day, and with no rent, taxes, or
assessments, street sprinkling or water
tax to pay, and with an INDUSTRIOUS eco
Inomical, and tidy little wife, this young
man is much better fixed for saving
money and enjoying life than one-half Of
the men who get double his salary.
Following along the path the third
boat is reached, and the young couple
who lives here are cousins Of the turn
er's family. Such perfection of neat
in lot tail Of % al
hold, it has probably never been your
good fortune to see outside of New
England home. The kitchen floor was
as white aS soap and honest Scrubbing
could make it. The round breakfast
table was covered by a bright Turkey
red cloth; the small cool, stove shone
like mirror, and every cooking utensil
in sight was bright as a new dollar. The
second room was a bedchamber, and the
same neatne5. was manifest in the
Wilderness of the spreads and pillow
shams, the worked splasher. and shin
ing toilet set. Not ii speck nor a spot
anywhere. If you are astonished into
remarkins upon this high state of clean
illness, the housewife, who cannot speak
English readily, will point with q smile
to the oceans of soft water just outside
the window, and explanation is COM
pIete, although you leave that house
with your respect for the Scandinavian
housekeeper raised several degrees.
The rooms Of this boat are all neatly
papered with q small patterned light
paper, and bright border of good width.
The floors of the sitting room and bed
room are covered with pretty square,
patterned oiiclOth which looks not I'M
like thing, and over this is spread a
strip Of bright, now ingram carpet for a
ruG. In the sitting room stands hand
some hardwood swinging crib, finished
to resemble antique oak, and the work
Of the turner next door who is second
cousin to the month-Old owner of the crib
Nottingham curtains, as white as the
bed coverings, are up at the windows
and Topped back with bows of ribbons.
A rustic stand and flower bowl, as artis-
tic as many which adorn Summit avenue
lawns holds healthy species of palm,
and rustic baskets filed with delicate
vines fill the windows and lend an air
of refinement to the room, which is
strangely incOngruOuS because of that
picture Of outer denominations that is
imprinted upon the retlna of your eyes.
In the fourth boat lives a young cou-
pie, who are just beginning life. They
are Danes, and have only lived on the
| river for one year,
Their boat also contains three rooms,
Dul CIV luS 10 lllulleU resources tley were
unable to fit them up as nicely as might
be desired. but the same scrupulouS
neatnes5 was over everything The
owner is now building another boat
which Is to be forty feet long and have
four rooms when completed. A boat of
this size, if built by himself, will cost
the owner in the heighborhOod Of 500
The boat nov occupied by this couple
was built by he man az odd times at a
cost of SIG. This man who j, the ianitor
OF q seventh street building). has lined
the walls with thick paper, and the
house is snug in the coolest weather
The small hold in the bottom Of the
boat has more or less W alter in it, and in
Summer it makes a very good milk
house, while in winter they can keep a
supply Of meat on the ice without any
trouble. and save money by buying in
large quantities
After all. there are worse things than
living in boats Every particle of the
fuel burned is gathered from the rive r,
and the coal bill and plumber are IN
known quantities in their equation Of
life.-St. Paul Pioneer Press
Decline Of Country Life.
France, which is general held to pre-
sent conditions as favorable to the ayr
culturist as any other country, shows
the same steady decrease in the popu-
lation in her country districts which is
noticeable here. To a nation which, I'M
like America. owes littl. to immigrant
ion, shis Is no light matter, and French
writers and political economists are
much exercised ever il Among the
many Pauaeaas suggested to remedy
what is ielt TO be IA very serious evil
that Of reGdju5tins ta1stton, so that
the conditions of life shall Dc made cas-
Ter and consequently more attractive in
the country, is worthy OF consideration
at home
K %c/