The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-11
LASLEY FAMILY STALLED,
4 PICTURESQUE GROUP on
FROM M EAR PACIFIC

Poetic Father, Tawny-Haired Mother, Fi,.
Freckied Children, n sleepy Cat and :
Weary Dog All Stuck In n New Hay..
owban - Their Long Journevins,
NEW HAVEN. Dec. 1O.-The Laslev family ,
picturesque group OF continental fame. 4,
stalled in New Haven and laid up for ronair,
The Lasleys do not. enjoy the situation. III,
they have long nourlshed n grudRe against
this town. The recent snowstorm and the i'm.
passable Connecticut roads have oeen too
much for even their perseverance,, and tbsv
are probably quartered upon the city for som.
time to come.
When heard OF last before the present occ,.
sion the Lasleys were Ave in number. Ths,
are now seven. There Is Mr.. Lasley proper /.
heavy bearded. swarthy complexioned West.
erner; Mrs. Lasley. a buxom matron with
golden hair and a freckled face. and five lIttls
Lasleys, with physical characteristics strIk.
inGly like their mother. and there are also n
very old and sleepy cat and n weary. crest.
fallen dog. whose chief reason for pride is IN.
fact that he has walked across the American
continent. from San Francisco to New Haven
The Lasleys pretend that this uncomnlaininr
creature prefers to walk along by the side ~
the wagon. but the shrewd observer suspect,
that the old rouRh shinRled vehicle is getting
too densely populated for his comfort and that
he has been crowded out by the last haby
The little Lasleys range all the way from this
infant in arms-alao golden haired and freckled
faced-to an energetic girl Of ten or a dozen
years. VIII assumes a large share OF the fam.
lily burdens. A glance at the group would NOT
disclose the fact that the Lasleys had any par.
ticular hold upon the sympathies Of the pub.
lie. They are surely not industrious they
are certainly not we'll behaved. and a glance
into the portable cabin In which they live al
once discloses the fact that they are not over.
clean. Nevertheless. the Laslevs are famous,
There is hardly a State inthe Union that doea
not know them. and as things In this world 90
they are fairly PROSPEROUS.
The time was when Mr.. Lasley was an oh.
SQUIRE though rising young upholsterer in
Seattle. WASH. and when his family, which AZ
that time had not reached It's present pro.
portions, had no thought OF the extensive
VOYAGES which have since been It's good for.
tune. That was about five years ago. II was
In 1898 that Mr.. Lasley made the Important
discovery that 1t was cheaper to move than To
pay rent. though he carried out his idea in an Al
about By a stroRa OF III :tSrtune~. af In U sS Snt
guarded moment he gave his note for $50
and a TIMER claim of $50 acres: 1t was a sad
day In the .Lasiey household when that note
came due. for the family had a week in which
10 seek another home and move out all the
LqsIey had nothing but his. own strong arms
family. FOR he had lost not only his house and
his timber claim. but his job as well. His only
The genius of the Lasleys was equal to The
occasion. In u few days Mr.; Lasley was found
tShiSSb a. he y W%Ek ir eno sIli ne ,S dawn cedar trees,
In a few days he had transformed these intos
rough and hnmciy dwelling. about twelve feet
long and six feethigh set on four wheels. 1t was
lighted by three, windows and two doors. The
inside was divided into two rooms, was lined
VIII VIII cloth and neatly papered and adorned
ing was furnished with a folding table. a camp
folding bed. a rocking. chair for Mrs s' Lasiey.
q high chair for the baby. a medicine chest, a
the appointed time btr. Tasley and Sis fam.
I]RS5oyIsS4 6oase On whseIs. ana I left Behind d them
That was about live years ago. They have
been %evcntful years in, the lives OF. the con.
many wild adventures. many hair-breadth es.
capes. and have travelled many thousands Of
tain passes and caIdns OF Csiifornia. n. have @ Sone
f friend yh terms Msst With t pS5si5nIs osm hsvs i Ii T,dS 1P X.
greaSers OF New Mexico and the COWBOYS OF
Oklahoma. They have suffered ali kinds OF
oriyations. have huddled together in their lit
low zero. have been burned out once or twice,
have been sno-ed in under enormous drifts.
obliged to live for two weeks upon the berries
and wild fruit they could pick up in the woods,
nave oeen through various sick spells and
ranges. eleven divides and thirteen
some Of, them 5000 feet. high,
eieyep ,0f have f traTeile lfFs &c i F,ysfs 1890 SPS fe miIea
have had am number of b~reakdowns.
the VIII 9 House and have shaken hands with
the President. ~
At The present time they are. perfectly salts.
have elaborate plans for the future. When
they leave New Haven they will start on re.
to arrive in the surfing, In 1900 they Intend
TO ship their outfit to England. make a tour
the' Exposition IF 1906 They y" then m p r,me ,S,
Asia into China; taking in al the IMPORTANT
ship their house on wheels to Japan and
axe: a drive through the sunny kingdom. and
will shin their wagon to San francisco
seek new adventures in their native land.
they began travelling fve years ago. the
births hayiug taken. place in The house on
wheels; Mr. Lasley Is the sort Of man whole
5een IN pretty n Hgu hard "ft tasE d FT21e: th ahef fo nsSf
before the big snowstorm and have been un.
.ble to leave up TO the present time. Tho
,n9 r. treasury ssiryx has has been running pretty lIow:
several CHARACTERISTIC ways. He applied first
or permission e, exhibit his, household upcn
promptly. turned down. He then Offered
lis own %seryices and his wagon to help to re-
move the snow from, the city streets. This
vas Also unspccessful. New Haven employs
'nly home talent for this exacting work and
lr. ,LaSley has not been here long enough to
a residence. All the Lasleys. from
he head Of the family down TO the baby boy,
re thoroughly disgnsted with this Purifanicai
own They say they have never been appre-
avorable opportunity to shake its dust-or.
9,ther. its ~snow-from their wagon wheels.
lr. lasley., who. In addition to his nomadio
ehaehcy. dabbles somewhat In literature.
10Th In prose and We rse-his love songs 10 his
awny- haired wife and his Sonnet tn his Last
)oIlar.' have a somewhat extended circula-
lon-has already written many unkind things
ooMt the Elm City. and doubtless as soon as
e succeeds In ,extricating himself from the
IN which he is at present involved