The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-25
IMITATORs OF NOAH.
How the Resident of the Household
Enjoys life on the Water.


From the San FRANCISCO Wave.
I know some people who have solved
the problem of having a maximum good
time at a minimum expense and they
live in households or "arks" over at Bel
vedere. The writer passed two days in
one of these arks last week, and if he
lives and does well he hopes some day that
he will have an ark all of his own, and
pass two months of every summer in the
same. 1t Is hard to say wherein lies the
charm of ark life At first thought or
glance one would believe that the inhabi-
tants would be something too much cab
ined, cribbed, conined-that there would
be no walks to take, no rides nor drives
that space would be wanting in which to
swing the proverbial cat, and. In a meas
ure, all this is true. Cabined you Ger
tainly are. Only one man, we believe,
ever succeeded in walking on the water,
and he's drowned, and the swung cat is
a sensation that much be experienced 10
be enjoyed. But In a weeks time the
houseboat man "adapts himself to his en-
vironment" 1--WE did It two days-even
less), and when he has done that and
got into the spirit of the thing he begins
TO see that there are other things In life
besides mere walking and driving, and
that the habit Of swinging cats can be
outgrown. Note what are some OF these
'Otner tnlnkS. Inc pleasure OF DOalinR
combined with the Comforts" Of home
sea air that is better than champagne, a
cool plunge bath at your threshold, with
fresh water every hour Of the day; fish
ing that Is a relaxation, not an exertIon
Qhe fish are caught while you wait and
can be cooked as soon as caught; an en-
tire change OF scenery out OF the win
dow four times day. as the boat swings
with the tide; neighbors a-plenty; idle.
ness OF the monumental sort; and last
OF all, but merely a detail. OF course-a
trivial advantage that only the sordid
bourgeois would appreciate-absolute aud
complete immunity from ground-rent.
taxes insurance, repairs and all the rest
OF the expenses that are connected with
residence In a town house.
one OF the first novelties you experience
when you go aboard an ark to take up your
residence Is the confusion OF ideas suR-
gested by this floating house. You SIT
down 20 table and you feel as though you
were IN any well-appointed dining room OF
the Western Addition. There Is nothing
suggestive OF n yacht or boat OF any de-
scription. In FIVE minutes you have for
gotten that you are on boat. then sud
denly the hanging lamp sways gently, and
the water IN the goblets (or say wine n
you Ike shifts IS level and the floor and
whole room careens slightly and settles
20 its place again IL Is really very curl
Gus, especially n, as the writer did. you
have quite forgotten about the nautical
character Of the thing. when that boat
heaves under you. you think az once Of
earthquakes or the haunted swing" or
else you clutch wildly but furtivoiy 40 the
table ledge with sudden suspicion a. 10
The strength and headlines 81 your hosts
wine. Then BE- tells YOU that II g. only
the swelis ~ the 2 O'Clock boat. and YOU
remember where you ere.
AZ ~ some time before you can recon