The Washington herald., 1913-08-03
HOMES In TREETOPS AT ARDEN

and start Housekeeping on the treetop
plane. Ardenites are beginning to argue
that. for pairs who are on their feet
up in the air." as it were, ii Is POLITICALLY
fitting that they should be nesting with
the birds.
up in the treetops" there are no Cos
sipy neighbors; no back alleys with noisy
icemen: no ragpickers to disturb the late
morning nap: no street car rumblings;
no player pianos next door; no front
lawn TO NOW: no installment collectors;
no insurance agents: no advertising circu-
lars to sweep of the front steps.
To insure absolute privacy, to keep
your mother-in-law from calling, and to
enforce strict observance OF your social
rules for hours when you are not receiv<
ing, just pull your stepladder up after
you in the treetops.''
Fred and Bert Whiteside, two Socialist
Ardenites. are the pioneers in the back
to the treetops" movement.
Whiteside admits he got the idea fol-
lowing brainstorm- One day he had
peculiar psychological disturbance, and
he then decided he would no longer sleep
near the earth, but as high up as he
possibly could.
Used SincIair's Tent Floors.
Upton Sinclair got over his Ardenitis
and shook the single taxed land dust OF
his feet, but left behind him the board
flooring of the tents. Those tent floors
lay unused for more than a year. but the
inventive mind Of Fred whiteside finally
conceived the idea Of putting Sinclair's
tent floors up in the treetops.
In their off time Whiteside and his
brother went to work Back in the Arden
woods they found four strong poplar
trees, among which they nailed up strong
wooden beams. Across the beams they
put Sfnclair's tent floors. So that they
would not topple out of their nests, the
sides were boarded up waist high, and
the treetop bungalows walls and roof.
Cots were installed, and stepladders
raised for convenient access.
The Whiteside brothers then abandoned
their Arden town residence, known as
Cosey Nest for their summer residence
in the treetops. and they pronounce the
new nest cooler more comfortable, and
more economic than a seashore bunga-
low.
Billy worthington. Dick Cohen, and
Karlie Cohen were ready imitators OF
the Whiteside brothers, though they
have not vet finished their treetop bunga-
lows. But 1t is predicted that 1t will not
be long before all Arden falls in line and
takes to the woods and the treetops for
the summer.
The Gardens Flourish.
One of the new pastimes for the chill
dren this year is gardening. and the
juveniles have shown a great taste for
it. They have quite a large patch Of
vegetables under their watchful care,
and in the middle of it they have stuck
up a picturesque scarecrow. The CO.
operative garden has also prospered.
1t is the Arden way" that everything
done in their midst be done with thc.r
own hands, and for that reason the erec-
ton of an addition to the workshop is
a very interesting project. Every store
they are using they got themselves from
their own quarry, and they go into tie
woods for their timber. not to a lumber
yard In this last, the Ardenites are
reviving an art that almost has been
lost because they hew every timber out
of the trees with axes as their only tools.
Harley A -iousley and Lewis Palmer
are the adept woodsmen of Arden. Every
cay they HE themselves to the wood
with keen broadaxes and work until well
nigh sundown. Telling big white OARS
and hewing them into sticks almost as
straight as the kind turned out by saw
mills. The children spend much of their |
time watching them, eager no doubt, 20 |
learn how, for the primitive instinct |
seems as strong within them as In their |
fathers.
The addition to the shop is another
step toward the realization Of every Gin.