The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-09
ROUND THE WORLD IN A WAGON
AN ALTOONA MAN BUILDS HIMSELF
HOUsEBOAT ON WHEELS.

10 1--we IN " TWO hearS-Ihe AhStuS
Is Finished in Polished Maple ana
the Floors Are Laid With Persian
Rugs Three Horses Draw the
Chariot.
jonathan Olson. of Altoona, Pa. is go
| ing round che world in a cart. He starts
this spring. and if all goes we'll will com
plete his tour the first of June, 1899, being
two years on the way. The route lies east
! to Illinois, south TO Texas, across the Gulf
of Mexico to South America, thence by
steamer to Spain, and so on around the
world
The wagon in which he will travel is a
homemade one. II is twenty feet long
and seven feet wide. 1t consists of four
carts, braced together with heavy frame
work that will stand any strain.
In this vehicle Olson and his family will
start arotfnd the world. Their plan is to
] drive as far as comfortable every day and
to stop at night in pleasant camping
spot. This is precisely the way the early
settlers iourneyed beyond the Rockies, but
in these days of trains and boats it is a.
novel thing to see a family travelling in
them doing so for pleasure.
In fitting out his house on wheels Olson
has shown rare taste. He has finished
the inside in polished maple and has
adorned it with hand carvings of his own
design. He is a foreigner, and, in the
| course of an eccentric life, has picked up
many beautiful pieces of bric-a-brac which
he now turns to the adjoining of his wag-
| on-house.
The interior of the house, besides hav-
| ing three rooms is most charmingly con-
ceived in point of convenience. In one
room they cook, and in bad weather they
dine there also. But the dining-room is
| out of doors when the wagon can be pull
ed up in a pleasant eating place. Five
days out of the week there is a halt. where
the cloth can be spread under the trees
and good cool drink obtained from a
spring.
| The second room has couch and small
table. The table can be used for a break
fast tray or it can be cleared at night and
used for parlor games. It also does duty
as writing table, or for books and a smok-
| ing set. On one side of the room there is
a dressing table that takes up the entire
| wall. II has twenty drawers, a broad
shelf and mirror with shelves overhead.
| Here the entire winter and summer ward
| robe is stored
In pleasant weather there is no sleeping
| done in the house. Hammocks are slung
under trees and the family camps out"
| Whenever possible, the stop is made under
the pine trees, for the piny smell and soft
bough tips serve as bedding. A fire Is
kindled to serve for warmth, for cooking
in the mornings and to keep away prowl-
| ing animals. NY
| The third room Is a trunk room. Here
| the hammocks are kept, and here chairs
| are stored and tables piled up. Anything
| that is wanted can be brought from the
| trunk room at a minutes notice. There
is one chest devoted to dress goods, cal
| ico, bunting, denim and useful articles
| for wear and for fancy work. The wagon
| can stop at a town any time to re-
| plenish supplies, but the owner plans 1t
| so carefully that, except for food, there
! is no halt for a month at a time.
| Provisions are purchased of the farm
| ers, who supply butter, eggs, vegetables
| and chickens cheap in return for the
| privilege of looking through the novel
| house.
The kitchen is the most admired room
| of all, for 1t Is arranged ship-shape.
| Cups are hung from hooks and plates
set in little grooves Pans are on the
walls and all is polished bright as
| hands can make IT.
The floors are plain boards, laid nicely
| and oiled, so that the rooms look as neat
as those in any house. The cabin or
| livingroom has a great deal the look Of
a state room on night boat. and this
effect IS heightened by some very clever
| wall decorations made from simple pieces
| of wood skilisully inlaid.
The most Ingenious arrangement of all
| is a sliding door by which the whole side
| of the house can be opened. The doors
slide to one side and finally come com
| pletely off the runners. They can lie
taken off and laid under the cart or used
| for a table under the trees. When ready
| to go on again they can be slid on in the
| same way
Olson travels with three horses, often
resting one by, hitching 1t to the back of
| the cart At other times when he wishes
to put on speed, he harnesses all three and
goes at a spanking pace across the coun-
| try. His ordinary gait is about twenty
miles a day, but when the weather is fine
and the roads good he gets up to thirty
| or forty miles. He drives-as he lives
! exactly as pleases him.
When the wagon is closed il does not
look so very much different from any
other wagon. 1t is longer and broader,
and there is an air of mystery about its
| curtained windows. At first you think IT
| is a circus wagon provided by a philan-
thropic circus proprietor who gives his
menagerie a chance to see the country.
| Then you think 1t Is a house-boat on
wheels. But after while you give 1t up
and go closer TO read the inscription. 1t
| is upon a door plata plain piece of pine
| carved by hand-and it reads:
Jonathan Olson-Round the World !:
l.