﻿July, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  267 
  

  

  House-Boating 
  

  

  A 
  

  

  in 
  

  

  menca 
  

  

  3d 
  

  

  Albert 
  Bradlee 
  Hunt 
  

  

  AMERICANS 
  have 
  during 
  recent 
  years 
  ac- 
  

   quired 
  a 
  new 
  regard 
  for 
  almost 
  every 
  

   branch 
  of 
  outdoor 
  life, 
  sport 
  and 
  recrea- 
  

   tion. 
  House-boating 
  has 
  found 
  many 
  ad- 
  

   mirers 
  in 
  this 
  country, 
  and 
  each 
  year 
  the 
  

   ranks 
  are 
  augmented 
  by 
  hundreds 
  of 
  re- 
  

   cruits; 
  for 
  perhaps 
  nothing 
  else 
  combines 
  

  

  so 
  well 
  the 
  attractions 
  of 
  a 
  recreation 
  and 
  the 
  solution 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  summer 
  problem. 
  

  

  In 
  increasing 
  numbers 
  families 
  leave 
  their 
  city 
  homes 
  for 
  

  

  the 
  country 
  or 
  shore 
  during 
  the 
  hot 
  months 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  But 
  

  

  most 
  of 
  the 
  desirable 
  resorts 
  within 
  commuting 
  distance 
  of 
  

  

  large 
  centers 
  are 
  ex- 
  

  

  pensive 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  

   man 
  of 
  moderate 
  

   means 
  frequently 
  is 
  

   forced 
  to 
  send 
  his 
  

   family 
  to 
  some 
  place 
  

   a 
  long 
  distance 
  from 
  

   town, 
  at 
  a 
  point 
  so 
  

   remote 
  that 
  he 
  him- 
  

   self 
  can 
  not 
  join 
  his 
  

   family 
  except 
  per- 
  

   haps 
  for 
  an 
  occa- 
  

   s 
  i 
  o 
  n 
  a 
  1 
  week-end. 
  

   This, 
  of 
  course, 
  is 
  a 
  

   hardship 
  for 
  all 
  con- 
  

   cerned; 
  but 
  the 
  chil- 
  

   dren 
  must 
  be 
  in 
  the 
  

   country. 
  Yet 
  there 
  

   obstacles 
  may 
  be 
  

   easily 
  overcome 
  ; 
  

   and 
  if 
  they 
  did 
  but 
  

   know 
  it, 
  the 
  solution 
  

   is 
  ready 
  waiting 
  for 
  

   the 
  puzzled 
  ones 
  to 
  

   take 
  advantage 
  of. 
  

   The 
  house 
  -boat 
  

   solves 
  the 
  problem 
  

   for 
  those 
  who 
  enjoy 
  

   life 
  on 
  the 
  water, 
  

   and 
  there 
  are 
  few 
  

   who 
  do 
  not. 
  The 
  

   house-boat 
  can 
  be 
  

   built 
  to 
  fit 
  almost 
  

   any 
  purse 
  ; 
  and 
  there 
  

   are 
  few 
  cities 
  which 
  

   have 
  not, 
  within 
  an 
  

   hour 
  by 
  rail 
  or 
  boat, 
  

  

  * 
  

  

  A 
  House-boat 
  on 
  the 
  Indian 
  River 
  

  

  a 
  suitable 
  lake 
  or 
  river 
  or 
  bay 
  where 
  a 
  house-boat 
  may 
  be 
  

   moored; 
  the 
  business 
  man 
  may 
  go 
  back 
  and 
  forth 
  each 
  day, 
  

   and 
  every 
  night 
  may 
  be 
  spent 
  with 
  his 
  family. 
  A 
  mode 
  of 
  

   living 
  is 
  thus 
  made 
  possible 
  that 
  adds 
  materially 
  to 
  the 
  health 
  

   and 
  happiness 
  of 
  all. 
  

  

  The 
  great 
  majority 
  of 
  us 
  are 
  "hewers 
  of 
  wood 
  and 
  drawers 
  

   of 
  water," 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  such 
  that 
  house-boating 
  should 
  have 
  

   its 
  strongest 
  appeal. 
  The 
  leisure 
  class 
  have 
  already 
  given 
  

   this 
  recreation 
  their 
  stamp 
  of 
  approval. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  many 
  types 
  of 
  house-boats, 
  but 
  in 
  this 
  article 
  I 
  

   shall 
  deal 
  specifically 
  with 
  but 
  one, 
  the 
  only 
  true 
  type, 
  known 
  

   variously 
  as 
  the 
  stationary 
  scow 
  or 
  immobile 
  house-boat. 
  

  

  This 
  type 
  of 
  boat 
  

   has 
  no 
  means 
  of 
  pro- 
  

   pulsion; 
  to 
  move 
  it 
  

   from 
  one 
  place 
  to 
  

   another 
  it 
  is 
  nec- 
  

   essary 
  to 
  call 
  into 
  

   requisition 
  a 
  launch 
  

   or 
  tug. 
  As 
  a 
  matter 
  

   of 
  fact, 
  however, 
  

   this 
  is 
  rather 
  more 
  

   of 
  an 
  advantage 
  

   than 
  otherwise; 
  for 
  

   in 
  actual 
  practice 
  

   house-boats 
  exhibit 
  

   a 
  tendency 
  to 
  remain 
  

   in 
  one 
  place, 
  when 
  a 
  

   location 
  has 
  been 
  

   found 
  that 
  combines 
  

   a 
  good 
  base 
  for 
  sup- 
  

   plies, 
  clean 
  water, 
  

   sheltered 
  anchorage 
  

   and 
  convenience 
  of 
  

   access 
  to 
  town. 
  

   Then, 
  too, 
  one 
  elim- 
  

   inates 
  from 
  the 
  boat 
  

   the 
  gasoline 
  engine, 
  

   which 
  means 
  a 
  sav- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  room, 
  no 
  

   small 
  factor 
  in 
  a 
  

   boat 
  of 
  moderate 
  

   size, 
  and 
  a 
  saving 
  of 
  

   expense, 
  for 
  the 
  

   house 
  -boat 
  pro- 
  

   pelled 
  with 
  a 
  gaso- 
  

   line 
  engine 
  means 
  a 
  

   more 
  expensively 
  

   constructed 
  hull 
  to 
  

  

  