Where finished the pear cores?

[Curryong]

Yes, it does look small for a family of four plus servant, and of course no passage or hallways. I have seen wee cottages in England where you wonder how many children were packed in one room, in two up, two down dwellings. The house where the Villisca Axe murders took place makes the Borden house look like a mansion. However, no. 92 was owned by an extremely wealthy individual. The effect is a bit like Bill Gates insisting that he and his wife and family occupy a mobile home on a suburban block, I suppose. (We call mobile homes caravans here.)

[Aamartin]

92 2nd is actually a pretty good representation of houses owned by the middle 'working' class in New England, then and now.

[Curryong]

Well, of course, Andrew was quite contented at no 92 which he'd bought when he was on his way to making his first hundred thousand, I suppose. It was and is quite a cute weatherboard (as we call clap-board) house. Abby too, didn't care about moving. It was the girls that didn't seem to like the locale and the lack of facilities. (I have to say that the lack of a WC and bathroom on the first and second floors would be a deal-breaker for me!) I have read a few things about people being surprised at the time of the murders that such a leading citizen would reside in a simple and plain house like no 92.

[irina]

I thought a caravan was a trailor that was pulled by a vehicle? When I said mobile home I meant something more permanent and larger. They come in single-wides and double-wides. Sometimes triple-wide. They are set up in mobile home parks. The main floor at 92 is similar to a double wide though mobile homes tend to have hallways.

[Curryong]

Yes, we have both sorts, trailer vans (caravans) that are used on holidays, and mobile home ones that are set up in caravan parks.

[irina]

Interesting. I had no idea the more permanent types were still called caravans.

[Curryong]

There are larger caravans in Australia that are used as temporary homes by homeless people here, as well as the more permanent homes which are called mobile homes. Both sorts are set up in caravan parks here. Caravans are used as holiday accommodation as well and are either on permanent sites in caravan parks or are hauled to the parks by people on holiday. Sorry if I misled you.

[irina]

That clarifies it!