Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-23
A SUMNER HOME ON WHEELS.
How n Kansas City Man Took His
Family to the Mountains.

Family to the Mountains.
From the Kansas City Star
Nearly every family plans trip to the
mountains or some other watering resort
for a few weeks during each summer
Kansas people generally think of the Rocky
mountains. Sometimes they manage to 60
but mere often they fail. However, it Is a
pleasure to plan whether the trip Is made
or not But when the whole family wish to
go. and the family purse must be squeezed
to extract change to buy steak then a trip
to the mountains or to the seashore is not
often to be thought of. much less carried
into effect With an invalid wife, three
healthy children and thesemphatic state
ment Of the family physician that the
wife must go to the mountains for a few
weeks, il she expects to regain her health,
what can man DO upon q limited income:
This was the question one Kansas man
asked himself, and his solution of the Diff
fcuity was novel, With a good team of
horses. of which he had several, he believed
he could drive from the eastern borders
of Kansas to the foothills In three or four
weeks On arrival the horses could be
turned out to Craze and the family could
enjoy a months outing in the mountains
as cheaply as at home.
After having talked the matter over with
his wife, the man, who was skillful at
handling tools. began the construction of
wheels" When completed 1t was a model
of neatness, stout and yet light. Instead of
following the lines of, the ordinary 'prai-
RE schooner. he constructed his convey
ance after the fashion of a river house
boat The body extended over the wheels:
seTni-circular places were left for the rear
wheels, and small sections were cut away
on the forward corners to allow the front
wheels plenty of room. Tine wagon was
coupled long and the lower part of the
frame work was boarded up with light
pine lumber. The canvas top curved Just
enough to shed the rain. Heavy canvas
curtains were fastened al the edge of the
roof and arranged so they could be but
tened down tightly in case of storm, or
raised in fair weather. Within the wagon
and on either side was placed seat reach
ing half the length of the box, after the
style of q caboose- Upon this the occu-
pants could sit or recline at will.
Directly over the rear wheels was a fold
ing bunk, and just forward of this cur
tain hung from the top, dividing the
house into two sleeping rooms. Heavy
canvas formed the door at the rear of the
wagon and portable steps reached to the
ground A small oil stove furnished suf-
ficisnt heat to warm the house" while
camp stove was used to cook
As this odd vehicle, drawn by thee
horses, passed through the little Kansas
towns OIL its way westward, 1t was re-
garded with surprise. interest and amuse-
ment- The occupants enjoyed the atten-
tion which, their strange house" attract
ed W hen a 'kodaker' approached the
house the family all smiled, even to the
three-year-old baby.
They take shot at US in nearly every
town., said the owner.
Against the side of the house" and with
In easy reach of the driver, was a VIM
chester rifle
Afraid of robbers?" laughed the trav-
eler. No, but / expect to kill some game
on the way, and more of it when / reach
the mountains. We expect to go into
section where there is plenty of deer some
bear and other game
How much did your outfit cost?''
"Oh, the wagon cost me about $40, and
the rest of the fitting up about $50, and the
horses | had, so altogether. l guess 1t cost
me probably a little over 500. But it will
last several summers I'll tell you,
stranger. it makes a pretty nice summer
house, and it Is easy to move. We didn't
feel like could afford trip unless we
did something of this kind. But I've got
to drive ten miles yet tonight. Goodbye"