The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-04-18
HOUSEBOATERS
NOT PAUPERS
Floating Homes Often Adorned
With Rea! l-uxurieS.
LIFE NOT A HARD ONE
POPULAR IDEA or JEWELLERS IN
"SHANTTBoATS" APT TO
BE MISTAKEN
ONE.

that their floating homes are inyar-
ably novels on hullS
Nothing could be further from the
truth To be sure some shaatyhoaters
are as poGr aud as woehogone rs hui
man being} ever g5t 10 be. But they
are not representative Of the class
known among themselves as house
boaters' The life of the profession
al fisherman, whose twenty. thirty or
forty foot boat may be seen anchored
near the wharyes of every Ohio river
town is by no means SO cramped apl
:ordid as is generally supposed
The miscunception on the part of
the public concerning this is lue
doubtless, to the unprepossessing ap-
pearance Of his floating home, as
yiswed from the outside. To those
who enter d different view Is present.
cd.
Many OF these men live amid a com
fort to which a majority of the land
lubbers" are strangers. While it is
true that the thought of adopting q
shantyb0at as permanent residence
is repulsive to many women. il does
not follow that the opportunities Ct
fered to the matron OF the fisherman i
home are less enjoyable than those at
the command OF the hous wife who
has the care Of a moderate home On
shore
The shaatyboat is not a cookbook
ing craft, and there is usually some
thing rather shabby about Is external
appearance. This cannot be TAX n as
an augury Of what its two, three or
four rooms contain
Some of these rough-appear;ug
boats are finished and furnished on
the inside with good taste ana fitted
with every comfort possible TO 81
small space While many of the
shantyboat housewives prefer a
smooth. clean floor to the care OF car
pets aud rags, Others. more ambitious,
derive womanly comfort from the pos.
session Of things dear to her sister
who lives up the hill
In nearly all OF these craft may be
found the evidences of womaalv
knack In decorating and equipment.
In the most pretentious the rooms are
painted pure white. or paperel with
bright. cheerful colors. Pictures and
portraits, not few of which are
shown in substantial frames. grace
the walls. while lace curtains hang
before the windows.
In The kitchen. which is usually
smaller than that desired by the az.
erag woman, everything il arranged
with a view to cOmpactness and acces-
sibility. Considerable ingenuity Is
shown in the development of pantry
ana provision box, china closet and
fuel receptacle Constructive ingenn-
ity being the offspring Of necessity. h
follows that these points have been
worked out very completely By the
shantyboater.
There Us ample provisions for the
wants Of the shantyboat family in
the daily returns from the nets. Those
who have imagined the business ia
not lucrative are not informed regard.
ing the possibilities Of the business.
There Is an absolute freedom about
the life that Is attractive and The day
does MOI dawn that fails to bring to
the pocket Of the owner an income far
above the average wage Of his brother
ashore
And this comes practically without
effort on his part While nets mnst
be kept in repair and an aeeummula
lion made for the purchase Of new
ones. and the placing and drawing OF
the traps occupy some time. and ar
duous work while 1t lasts. the greater
part Of the day is at the disposal Of
the fisherman to do as be sees Gt
There ia always an excellent demand
for bis wares and the worry of find.
ing a marke, never ruffles his TEN.
perlment
1t may occasion some surprise that
those who engage in this business
rarely fail to amass a splendid com
petence in the course Of less years
than is generally acquired by the
merchant employing a force Of clerks
and tranicking in the wallth created
by MAJ.
Yes this is also true. The wealth
handled by the fisherman is the crea
ton Of natures work. and Is to be had
Tor the taking His income ranges
from S. to $40 a day throughout .he
yelr His expenses are small. and
With a disposition to accumulate
there is no reason for failure % amass
a comfortable independence within a
feg years.
+ TIE severest drain upon the pocket.
book Of the shanly boat fisherman is
the license required by some cities
where he casts his anchor In Owens
boro. KY. this license is 800 a year
At Louisville II is BIS. but .he only
charge made at Paducah. Cairo and
other cities is the IS annual state II.
cense. His nets. repairs, &c. amoan.
to probably $500. and the cost OF
clothing, food supplies AMI cher n
cldeatals will probably CONF within
the same amount The actual cost
Of eIeutv hat tlfo for a family az