The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-13
BUILT Z BIG HOUSE
IN THE TOP OF Il TREE
Strange Life Led by an Ingenious Robin
son Crusoe in the Wilds Of
Nicaragua
Nicaragua.

the enemy had disappeared. Perhaps
she did not like the looks of the lens
and feared an explosion. l did not see
her again.
But 1 was not yet out of trouble. Two
Cinnamon poked their heads out OF
the shanty on the ground, while l was
preparing to secure a second photo
graph, and engaged in a rapid-t1re
Monaghan conversation, making ire
quent gestures in my direction. l PAID
no apparent attention to the antlcS OIL
these fellows, but quickly reloaded and
snapped away at the tree house again.
being determined to secure good neg
alive. Meanwhile l kept an obserVant
eye upon the open window above, SuS-
pecting that hot water might be tossed
out without proper precautionary sig
nails. Fortunately no such calamity
occurred, and l finally packed up my
apparatus and safely retreated to the
boat.
Crusoe WiIderson's house, as will be
seen from the accompanying picture,
is three stories in height. The ebo tree
runs up through its center to the roof.
The structure itself is solidly built of
WhipsaWed lumber and is painted
white It is reported to have cost it's
owner $500 in cash, in addition to
months of hard personal labor. The
lower story is used as a kitchen, the
middle story as a living room and the
upper as a bathroom! could not
understand what whim had led Crusoe
into this last mentioned extravaganza.
Perhaps he intended 1t to ease his
qualms of conscience over the dirty
conditions to be tolerated below.
To supply the bath tub rain is caught
from the roof in barrels located inside
of the house. The tropical rains are
frequent and heavy and there is seldom
a short supply in the barrels.
hOUSn is reached from the ground
by means of a hosting cage. The rope
which is attached to it passes over
pulley in the kitchen and suspends
heavy iron weight at the other end.
When Crusoe enters the cage his weight
about counterbalances that of the iron
and by a hand-to-hand pull the cage
glides up and the weight goes down.
This operation is reversed in descend
ing. The idea is worked on the elevator
principle.
The rooms are furnished in an ex-
ceedingly simple style. Nicaraguan
rumors has it that there are few arti-
cles of luxury and no carpets. A
plain pine table in the sitting room and
several chairs and cots complete the
equipment.
Down in the kitchen the cooking
utensils show signs of antiquity, and
it is said that they could be wondrous-
ly improved in appearance and even in
capacity ny Tic eIOSlNe dCliOn O1 SdilQ-
paper, I've and soft soap. AS it is, they
are gradually thickening and losing ca
pacity.
Crusoe Wilderson has the gorilla
faced Carib for housekeeper. 1t
might be incidentally mentioned that
he is married man and left his fam
lily in Louisiana, when he started for
Nicaragua some years ago. A report
had it that his wife had sent word of
her intention to visit him.
Wilderson built his house on the the
DRY that fevers would not assaiI him
so far above the earth So far neither
the miasma nor the chilIs have seized
him, and his theory has a respectable
standing in consequence But. then.
there is an ever present possibility that
a boa constructor will enter one of his
windows on a dark night and carry off