The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-09-11
HIS HOUSE IN A TREE TOT
The Aerial Home of nm American settler
In Nicaragua and Its Advantages.

IN Nicaragua and Its Advantages.
81 had heard Of old man Wildesons
house In tree almost from the day set
foot in Nicaragua, said r. +. Drew
Later, when business took me to Rama,
on the Rama river, | not only saw it, but
was guest in It for n day and night,
besides taking several pleasant informal
dinners ana breakfasts there during my
stay at Rama. That II. Wildcson is good
deal Of a mechanical genius is shown in
the construction of his strange aerial
home. 1t Is n three story house, built in
an Cbo tree 60 feet from the ground. The
wood of the ebo tree is like iron for
strength and solidity, so the branches
make safe and sufficient support for the
structure. The house is built about the
trunk, which stands in the center as the
mizzcnmast of II ship rises through the
cabin. | recall IA dinner there to which |
was invited and unexpected guests ar.
rived, so that the table ordinarily used was
not large enough to accommodate us all,
and specially constructed table was set
completely round the tree trunk. 1t an.
swered the purpose very well, except that
no guest could see the one opposite TO him,
but we had very enjoyable dinner all
the same.
1.-The house, while not precisely spa
Cious, contains a kitchen, dining room,
sleeping rooms and bathroom, supplied
with water from the rain caught in the
trcotop 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
Il l. Il.
raises himself or controls his descent by
means of rope. The house is built of
jointcd boards, firmly bound by wire ca.
BILE and further secured by wire strands
passing about the structure.
"Mr 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 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 to
Rama many years ago, took up an estate
and began the raising Of bananas. To
this he has since added the planting and
culture of the rubber tree and from this
industry he bids fair to realize a fortune.
He has prospered from the first and al
ready is well to do One of his enterprises
is an ice plant from which he supplies
buyers with ice all up and down the river.
below his house, suspended from a
limb, is his chicken house. The chickens
run about on the ground through the day,
| picking up their living. AT the end of the
day they como to the elevator to be hoisted
to the roost in this dangling house. A
1 thing that struck me curiously was til,
sight of II 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 ut home on
the plantation.
/ &" 'Nobody'd think of harming him,
said the old man when spoke to him about
the big snake He's perfectly harmless
, to any ore, and he keeps the place clear OF
mice and molCs that cat the roots of my
young banana and chocolate trees. Ea
chickens! Never knew him TO do such
thing. Still, lille they re little, don +
put temptation in his way, but keep then
in IA snake tight coop of wire netting. -
! New York sun.