Living in an Elephant House

1900

If the Philadelphia gentleman who in 1882 patented a house shaped like an elephant had in view the providing of a novelty, he surely succeeded.

His idea, however, was not so much to build a house after a fresh plan, as to build one on a new principle, the object being to elevate the building considerably above the ground, so as to permit a free circulation of air below the rooms, and insure an abundant supply of light. The species of animal was quite immaterial.

The legs, being hollow, were to contain flights of stairs, while the elephant's trunk, if an elephant were chosen, might be utilized as a chute to carry slops and ashes to the sewer. For picturesque purposes he advised a trough, out of which the animal might be supposed to be feeding. This was to form the opening to the sewer.

One of these novel animal houses was actually built on Coney Island, and people had an opportunity to go all over it. It proved a satisfactory speculation, and would probably have been allowed to stand until to-day if it had not been destroyed by fire. It was a conspicuous object, being so large that it could be seen from a considerable distance. — Youth's Companion.