The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-08-21
VALUE OF GYPSY LIFE.
Rheumatic Woman Nearly Cured
Living In House on Wheels.
DEVOTED UNCLE HER NURSE.

PoIieeman's Wife Fast Recovering Aft.
er Three Months Of Rowing Life In
Open Air-Her Husband BUYS Farm
So That She May Not Have Relapse.
Mrs. Nelson NJ. Hart, wife of a po-
liceman attached to the Eldridge street
station in New York, is fast recovering
from what IA supposed to be incura-
BILE rheumatism after living the life of
a gypsy on wheels for three months,
says the New York World. She is now
up in the hills of Rockland county, in
New York state, where the air is fine
and bracing, and Is looking forward to
returning home within q few weeks re-
stored to health.
Mrs. Hart is blessed with a loving
nurse, who to cure her rheumatism has
turned to account his combined knowl-
edge of wagon building and house con-
struction. He is William Scott, native
of Spring Valley, carpenter and uncle
Of Mrs. Hart. Having been born in
Rockland county, he could see no other
cause for his niece's rheumatism than
that she had passed several winters in
a steam heated fat in New York.
The Harris live at 5G4 Amsterdam
avenue, and when rheumatoid arthritis,
the very worst kind Of rheumatism.
p~aralyzed her hands and feet -four
years ago she went to Spring Valley.
Last fall she was so far recovered that
she returned to New York. Steam
heated fats made sad havoc of the
cure. Back to Rockland county the un-
Gle tool his niece.
Il will build Il house on Wheels said
he, so that YOU can travel and see the
| sights
The uncle set to work and built as
fancy n house as can be made out Of
inch white pine, with a flute on it's
edge. He lined it with two thicknesses
Of building paper, sealed it with half
inch spruce and decorated 1t with
white oilcloth. Safe and sanitary IL
was, Just big enough, 8 by 16. There
was one room and a kitchen stove, ia
bic. pantry and two hunks.
Then came the problem of locomo.
ton. Four iron wheels were procured,
six inch oak for the whif1etrees, four
inch for the running beam and a will
low stick as straight as a bee sting
for the pole. Two as fine horses as
could be found In Rockland county
were bought.
This construction and Quitting was
done in the village Of Munsey, and
maybe the natives didn't rub their
eyes when the house on wheels start
ed forth, smoke issuing from the CHM
ney and Uncle Scott tooling the outfit
from the pantry window. 1t was a
grand sight that took all the village
four miles from home to see where
the thing was going to settle. Deacon
HammOn's farm, down on the Saddle
river road, was the first stopping place.
The gangplank was let down, and
housekeeping began in earnest. The
snow sifted and the wind blew, but
Scott and his patient were as snug as
bugs in a rug. That was on April /,
being the proper moving day. On April
II the housekeepers decided to mean-
der again. They set sail for Spring
Valley with a gale on the northeast
quarter and all sheets pulling free.
True, they took up most of the coun-
try road us they moved and some
horses climbed fences, but they arriv-
ed all right and squatted in Main
street to the wonder Of pilgrims from
far and near.
Policeman Hart was much pleased
Su,{t1, MI kkSc. n~ hr GNU, NJ vln~no
that his wife was thoroughly happy.
He bought the old Benjamin farm, two
miles out of Spring Valley, and a few
days ago the wandering home journey.
ed out to it.
The other day Mrs. Hart was summing
herself and Uncle Scott was grating
the home on wheels into the side of
the old Benjamin house to serve al a
sun parlor.
1T beats Il buy your lot on the in
stallment plan all to shucks," said I'm
Gle Scott, "'cause they simply can't dis
possess you or sell you out for taxes
l am in favor Of single tax at that.
say, 80 ahead and tax the building
lots. This cOntrivance cost $l37 80, in
GLIDING freight and postage
Eyes. Uncle William has lived here
with me through our wanderings,'' ex
planned Mrs. Hart. HE was paying
IS a month rent for Il house up in Sad
die Rock, and we didn't see any use Of
the expense"
The Harris have two children going Il
school In New York, M a boy of ter
and the other n girl OF sixteen. They
are going to spend their vacation II
the house on wheels.