The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-08-20

Tho Aerial Home of an American settl

The Aerial Home of an American Settler
In Nicaragua and Its Advantages.
"I had heard of old man Wildeson IS
house I'm tree almost from the day set
foot in Nicaragua, said Il. Z. Drew
Later, when business took me to Rama,
on the Rama river, not only saw 1t, but
was a guest in It for a day and a night,
besides taking several pleasant informal
dinners and breakfasts there during my
stay at Rama That II. Wildeson is a good
deal of a mechanical genius is shown in
the construction OF his strange aerial
home. 1t is three story house, built in
an cbo tree go feet from the ground. The
wood of the Cbo tree is like iron for
strength and sulidity, so the branches
make a sufe and sufficient support for the
structure The house is built about the
trunk which stands in the center as the
mizzonmast Of a ship rises through the
cabin ! recall dinner there TO which
was invited and unexpected guests ar
rived, so that the table ordinarily used was
not largo enough to accommodate us ali,
and a specially constructed table was sol
completely round the tree trunk 1t an
swerod the purpose very well, except that
no guest could see the one opposite to him,
but we had a very enjoyable dinner all
the same.
"Tho house, while not precisely spa
cious, contains a kitchen, dining room
sleeping rooms and bathroom, supplied
with water from the rain caught in the
treetup and stored there in tank. The
furniture is good, though simple, ham
mocks, after the fashion Of the country,
taking the place Of beds. To get up and
down between the ground and the house
an elevator is used so constructed with
blocks and tackle that the person using IL
raises himself or controls his descent by
means of a rope. The house is built of
jointed boards, firmly bound by "a wire ca
BILE and further secured by wire strands
passing about the structure
"Alr. Wildeson's idea in building this
lofty and novel house was to get above the
malaria. 1t seems to answer this purpose
and has other advantages. Mosquitoes and
flies will seldom rise TO such u height, and
the house is practically free from those
forms Of insect and reptile life that in this
country infest houses built upon the
ground. 1t is cool in summer, and the
view which it commands is superb The
owner, an old Louisiana planter, came tC
Rama many years ago, took up an estate
and began the raising Of bananas. IC
this he has since added the planting ant
culture of the rubber tree, and from thii
industry he bids fair to realize a fortune
He has prospercd from the first and al
ready Is well to do. One of his enterprise
! Is an ice plant, from which he supple
| buyers with ice all up and down the river
"Below his house, suspended from
limb, is his chicken house The chicken
run about on the ground through the day
picking up their living. At the end Of tn
day they come to the elevator to be hoistet
to the roost in this dangling house.
thing that struck me curiously was TIN
sight of a IL foot boa constructor gliding
about on the ground at the foot of the tree
climbing over the roofs of the laborers
cabins, even entering them, and in gen
eral making himself perfectly at home OF
the plantation.
" 'Nobody'd think Of harmlng him,
said the old man when l spoke to him abou
the big snake. He's perfectly harmless
TO any one, and he keeps the place clear o
mice and molcs that cat the roots Of IN,
| young banana and chocolate trees Ea
/ chickens Never knew him to do such
| thing. Still while they're little, don
/ put temptation in his way, but keep then
/ in snake tight coop Of wire netting -
/ New York sun