﻿268 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  July, 
  1907 
  

  

  July, 
  1907 
  

  

  begin 
  with, 
  and 
  while 
  the 
  initial 
  cost 
  is 
  greater 
  all 
  the 
  way 
  

   through, 
  it 
  is 
  also 
  far 
  more 
  expensive 
  to 
  maintain. 
  

  

  A 
  small 
  gasoline 
  launch, 
  which 
  will 
  serve 
  for 
  tender, 
  ex- 
  

   press 
  and 
  market 
  boat, 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  a 
  great 
  convenience 
  

   and 
  an 
  almost 
  indispensable 
  adjunct 
  to 
  the 
  house-boat. 
  Aside 
  

   from 
  its 
  great 
  usefulness, 
  it 
  enables 
  the 
  owner, 
  the 
  family 
  

   and 
  guests, 
  to 
  make 
  frequent 
  excursions 
  and 
  to 
  visit 
  and 
  ex- 
  

   plore 
  all 
  the 
  nearby 
  places. 
  The 
  advantages 
  of 
  the 
  marine 
  

   gasoline 
  motor 
  need 
  not 
  be 
  extolled 
  here, 
  but 
  suffice 
  to 
  say 
  

   that 
  these 
  handy 
  and 
  simple 
  little 
  machines 
  have 
  now 
  been 
  

   brought 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  high 
  point 
  of 
  perfection. 
  The 
  aim 
  of 
  

   nearly 
  all 
  manufacturers 
  has 
  been 
  to 
  make 
  them 
  "fool- 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  pose, 
  unless, 
  of 
  course, 
  one 
  insists 
  on 
  having 
  a 
  maid. 
  If 
  

   boat 
  is 
  large 
  enough 
  and 
  the 
  owner 
  desires 
  to 
  keep 
  a 
  serv 
  

   a 
  man 
  will 
  prove 
  far 
  more 
  satisfactory. 
  Chinese 
  are 
  by 
  

   the 
  best; 
  but 
  few 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  had. 
  Swedes 
  and 
  Norwegi 
  

   come 
  next, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  invariably 
  good 
  boatmen; 
  they 
  

   the 
  requirements 
  very 
  nicely. 
  They 
  are 
  generally 
  

   most 
  of 
  them 
  can 
  cook 
  sufficiently 
  well 
  to 
  prepare 
  in 
  a 
  pa 
  

   able 
  way 
  the 
  simple 
  fare 
  one 
  demands 
  when 
  living 
  afloat 
  

   West 
  Indian 
  negroes 
  have 
  been 
  tried 
  by 
  many 
  with 
  

   cedent 
  results. 
  Those 
  bred 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  possessions 
  n 
  

   the 
  best 
  servants. 
  Most 
  of 
  them 
  can 
  cook, 
  and 
  besides 
  bi 
  

   reasonably 
  clean, 
  are 
  usually 
  good 
  swimmers 
  and 
  watcrn 
  

  

  cer'ies 
  can 
  be 
  had 
  for 
  the 
  same 
  price 
  one 
  pays 
  in 
  town, 
  while 
  

   green 
  vegetables, 
  milk, 
  cream, 
  etc., 
  should 
  be 
  cheap 
  when 
  

   they 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  had 
  from 
  farms 
  adjacent 
  to 
  the 
  anchorage. 
  

  

  To 
  suggest 
  anchorages 
  and 
  mooring 
  places 
  where 
  house- 
  

   boats 
  may 
  be 
  best 
  enjoyed 
  would 
  be 
  an 
  almost 
  endless 
  and 
  

   futile 
  task, 
  for 
  our 
  country 
  is 
  a 
  network 
  of 
  rivers 
  and 
  streams. 
  

   Besides 
  the 
  numberless 
  inland 
  waters 
  there 
  are 
  the 
  coast 
  

   lines 
  with 
  the 
  indentations 
  and 
  bays, 
  suitable 
  for 
  house-boat 
  

   moorings. 
  

  

  There 
  arc 
  certain 
  things 
  to 
  bear 
  in 
  mind 
  when 
  picking 
  out 
  

   an 
  anchorage, 
  wherever 
  it 
  may 
  be. 
  Be 
  sure 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  per- 
  

   fectly 
  sheltered 
  from 
  every 
  quarter, 
  anchor 
  as 
  near 
  the 
  shore 
  

  

  269 
  

  

  entirely 
  new 
  ; 
  that 
  is, 
  the 
  scows 
  were 
  specially 
  built 
  to 
  take 
  

   the 
  house, 
  which 
  insures 
  a 
  tight 
  and 
  clean 
  hull. 
  Taking 
  an 
  

   old 
  scow 
  or 
  hull 
  and 
  building 
  a 
  house 
  on 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  questionable 
  

   operation, 
  for 
  the 
  converted 
  hulls 
  are 
  generally 
  leaky 
  and 
  

   frequently 
  are 
  infested 
  with 
  vermin. 
  The 
  building 
  of 
  an 
  

   entirely 
  new 
  boat 
  may 
  mean 
  a 
  greater 
  outlay 
  at 
  first, 
  but 
  

   she 
  will 
  be 
  far 
  more 
  satisfactory 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  long 
  run 
  the 
  cost 
  

   for 
  repairs 
  will 
  be 
  less. 
  

  

  "Hostess," 
  the 
  smallest 
  of 
  the 
  quartet, 
  was 
  designed 
  for 
  

   his 
  own 
  use 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Charles 
  D. 
  Mower, 
  a 
  well-known 
  naval 
  

   architect 
  practicing 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  City. 
  She 
  was 
  built 
  at 
  

   College 
  Point, 
  L. 
  I., 
  under 
  the 
  designer's 
  supervision. 
  

  

  proof," 
  and 
  anyone 
  with 
  ordinary 
  intelligence 
  can 
  handle 
  

   the 
  motor 
  with 
  ease 
  and 
  safety. 
  

  

  Power 
  tenders 
  can 
  be 
  had 
  at 
  moderate 
  figures, 
  some 
  good 
  

   ones 
  can 
  be 
  bought 
  as 
  low 
  as 
  $150. 
  The 
  modified 
  dory 
  and 
  

   sharpie 
  make 
  admirable 
  launches, 
  and 
  have 
  the 
  great 
  ad- 
  

   vantage 
  of 
  being 
  most 
  inexpensive. 
  The 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  engine 
  

   itself 
  is 
  very 
  much 
  the 
  same, 
  no 
  matter 
  in 
  what 
  type 
  of 
  hull 
  

   it 
  may 
  be 
  installed. 
  

  

  A 
  sailing 
  dory 
  makes 
  a 
  handy 
  tender, 
  for 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  easily 
  

   propelled 
  with 
  either 
  oars 
  or 
  sails. 
  A 
  canoe 
  adds 
  to 
  the 
  com- 
  

   pleteness 
  of 
  one's 
  fleet; 
  it 
  is 
  cheap, 
  is 
  easily 
  paddled, 
  and 
  

   may 
  be 
  readily 
  lifted 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  put 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  

   deck 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  way. 
  

  

  The 
  servant 
  question 
  is 
  not 
  as 
  vexatious 
  as 
  one 
  might 
  sup- 
  

  

  When 
  one 
  is 
  fortunate 
  enough 
  to 
  secure 
  a 
  good 
  Jap 
  he 
  will 
  

   prove 
  to 
  be 
  all 
  that 
  could 
  be 
  desired. 
  But 
  in 
  general 
  the 
  

   Japanese 
  are 
  hardly 
  to 
  be 
  recommended, 
  for 
  they 
  are 
  con- 
  

   stantly 
  changing, 
  and 
  many 
  are 
  careless 
  and 
  dirly. 
  The 
  

   good 
  ones 
  command 
  a 
  high 
  wage, 
  and 
  the 
  poor 
  ones 
  are 
  not 
  

   wanted 
  at 
  any 
  price. 
  

  

  For 
  the 
  children 
  one 
  should, 
  of 
  course, 
  select 
  a 
  servant 
  

   who 
  can 
  swim 
  and 
  handle 
  a 
  boat 
  well, 
  for 
  he 
  can 
  teach 
  the 
  

   young 
  folks 
  to 
  swim 
  and 
  sail 
  and 
  row; 
  and 
  one 
  may 
  go 
  to 
  

   town 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  with 
  the 
  satisfaction 
  of 
  knowing 
  that 
  

   the 
  little 
  ones 
  are 
  in 
  good 
  hands. 
  

  

  The 
  cost 
  of 
  living 
  on 
  a 
  house-boat 
  should 
  average 
  a 
  little 
  

   less 
  than 
  it 
  does 
  in 
  town. 
  Meats 
  will 
  cost 
  a 
  little 
  more, 
  but 
  

   under 
  some 
  conditions 
  fish 
  and 
  shell 
  fish 
  may 
  cost 
  less. 
  Gro- 
  

  

  as 
  you 
  can, 
  and 
  still 
  avoid 
  mosquitoes 
  and 
  noises 
  from 
  shore 
  

   resorts 
  or 
  other 
  objectionable 
  places. 
  A 
  mushroom 
  anchor 
  

   {shaped 
  as 
  its 
  name 
  indicates) 
  and 
  a 
  chain 
  cable 
  are 
  always 
  

   good 
  investments. 
  If 
  they 
  are 
  large 
  enough 
  they 
  afford 
  the 
  

   best 
  sort 
  of 
  insurance, 
  and 
  on 
  stormy 
  nights 
  one 
  need 
  never 
  

   sit 
  up 
  and 
  worry 
  and 
  wonder 
  if 
  the 
  boat 
  is 
  dragging. 
  

  

  To 
  give 
  a 
  full 
  and 
  practical 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  immobile 
  house- 
  

   boat, 
  I 
  have 
  selected 
  four 
  craft, 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  built 
  within 
  

   a 
  short 
  distance 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  City. 
  These 
  boats 
  have 
  been 
  

   taken 
  not 
  alone 
  because 
  they 
  are 
  representative 
  craft 
  of 
  their 
  

   type, 
  but 
  because 
  they 
  were 
  built 
  where 
  labor 
  and 
  material 
  

   are 
  higher 
  than 
  elsewhere 
  in 
  this 
  country, 
  and 
  boats 
  that 
  can 
  

   be 
  built 
  for 
  the 
  figures 
  mentioned 
  in 
  this 
  locality 
  could 
  be 
  

   constructed 
  for 
  less 
  money 
  elsewhere. 
  All 
  four 
  boats 
  were 
  

  

  "Hostess" 
  was 
  intended 
  for 
  a 
  bachelor's 
  quarters 
  afloat, 
  and 
  

   while 
  Mr. 
  Mower 
  has 
  lived 
  alone 
  on 
  the 
  boat 
  for 
  the 
  past 
  

   three 
  seasons, 
  there 
  is 
  ample 
  room 
  to 
  put 
  up 
  a 
  guest 
  for 
  a 
  

   night 
  or 
  longer. 
  She 
  is 
  twenty-six 
  feet 
  long 
  over 
  all 
  and 
  

   ten 
  feet 
  wide. 
  The 
  bottom 
  is 
  flat, 
  and 
  is 
  of 
  1 
  ,'2 
  -inch 
  yellow 
  

   pine 
  planked 
  athwart-ships. 
  Three 
  fore-and-aft 
  stringers, 
  

   3 
  by 
  4 
  inches, 
  give 
  additional 
  stiffness. 
  All 
  the 
  seams 
  are 
  

   well 
  caulked 
  with 
  oakum. 
  Yellow 
  pine, 
  1 
  ' 
  _■ 
  inches 
  thick, 
  is 
  

   also 
  used 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  scow, 
  which 
  are 
  stiffened 
  by 
  the 
  

   studs 
  that 
  run 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  stringers 
  on 
  each 
  side. 
  Weather- 
  

   boarding, 
  $i 
  inch 
  thick, 
  covers 
  the 
  sides 
  and 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   house, 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  planked 
  with 
  Ji 
  inch 
  tongue 
  and 
  

   grooved 
  pine. 
  The 
  entire 
  roof 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  painted 
  

   canvas. 
  Spruce 
  beams, 
  i'/\ 
  inches 
  thick, 
  support 
  the 
  roof; 
  

  

  