Chapter III: Front Matter (3)

Florida State Capitol, Tallahassee, Fla.
Washtenaw County Jail, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Bristol County House of Correction, New Bedford, Mass.
Government Penitentiary, Kingston, Ont.
Main Street Central Police Station, Charleston, S. C.
United States Soldiers’ Home, Leavenworth, Kansas.
Wm. Houston Home, Charleston, S. C.
Deaf and Dumb Institute, Jacksonville, Ill.
Insane Asylum, Fort Steilacoom, Wash. Terr.
United States Marine Barracks, Pensacola, Fla.
Colorado State Insane Asylum, Pueblo, Col.
Asylum for Feeble Minded, Beatrice, Neb.
Tenn. Insane Asylum, Nashville, Tenn.
County Asylum, Sparta, Tenn.
City Hospital, Charleston, S. C.
Towers of Minneapolis Exhibition Building, Minneapolis, Minn.
Horticultural Hall, World’s Exposition, New Orleans, La.
Plymount County Agricultural Society Building, Brockton, Mass.
Public Library, Coldwater, Mich.
Fair Association Buildings, St. Louis, Mo.
Grand Army of the Republic Hall, Janesville, Iowa.
Caledonian Rink, Ottawa, Canada.
Park Building, West Nashville, Tenn.
Concordia Association Building, Little Rock, Ark.
U. S. Commissioners’ Building, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Board of Trade Bldg., Little Rock, Ark.
Exchange Building, West Nashville, Tenn.
Lyons Water Works Buildings, Lyons, N. Y.
Water Works Buildings, Battle Creek, Mich.
City Water Works Buildings, Ottawa, Canada.
Barclay St. Ferry House, New York City.
Oakland Mills, Taunton, Mass.
I. O. O. F. Building, Port Clinton, Ohio.
I. O. O. F. Building, Savannah, Ga.
Masonic Temple, Savannah, Ga.
Masonic Temple, Daytona, Fla.
Union County Court House, Union, S. C.
Ford County Court House, Dodge City, Kansas.
Ontonogan County Building, Houghton, Mich.
Court House, Jonesborough, Ark.
Hamilton County Court House, Texas.
Menard County Court House, Texas.
H. I. Kimball Hotel, Atlanta, Ga.
Burlington Hotel, Burlington, Vermont.
Fayetteville Hotel, Fayetteville, N. C.
Mitchell Hotel, Thomasville, Ga.
Arlington Hotel, Augusta, Ga.
Summerville Hotel, Augusta, Ga.
Cottage Hotel, Nunda, N. Y.
City Hotel, Beatrice, Neb.
Opera House, Junction City, Kansas.
Grand Opera House, St. Louis, Mo.
Overland Casino, Nashville, Tenn.
Opera House, Tavares, Fla.
North River Steamboat Co., Haverstraw, N. Y.
New Central Station, Charleston, S. C.
Lower Station House Stables, Charleston, S. C.
Mechanics’ Union Hall, No. 1, Charleston, S. C.
Oneida County Asylum, Rome, N. Y.
Wheeler Elevator, Buffalo, N. Y.
Ontario Elevator, Buffalo, N. Y.
A. W. Stevens & Son, Auburn, N. Y.
City Buildings, Taunton, Mass.
I. O. U. W. Hall, New Harmony, Ind.
Opera House, New Harmony, Ind.

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION.

By this we do not mean the arrangement or size of rooms, they may be large or very small, and in either instance lack the conveniences which may always be provided for by good construction. Even a small house can have transoms over all the doors which open into a hall, proper ventilating flues for all rooms, and a kitchen that will be comfortable in all seasons, (see articles under the head of “Ventilation” and “The Kitchen.”) These are essential; all dwellings, large or small, should have them. The windows and doors should be arranged to suit the furniture to be used. You have doubtless seen rooms with windows on two sides, a door and fire-place on the other. This arrangement makes it impossible for the room to contain an ordinary size bedstead, without placing it before a window or some other opening. Study these things when getting up plans for your house.

The dining room should be light and roomy, fronting the East if possible, as the morning sun is always desirable, and adds much to the cheerfulness of the family. The kitchen should not connect directly with the dining-room. Construct a passage-way, well ventilated, between the two rooms; this will prevent unsavory odors entering the dining-room. The space at each end of the passage can be utilized for the kitchen closets. Arrange your rooms so that you will not be compelled to pass through one room to get to another. Do not disfigure the walls by driving nails or hooks into the plastering for the purpose of hanging pictures, but fasten a neat gilt moulding to the side walls all around the room, about one foot from the ceiling. The moulding should be about one and one-half or two inches wide, with a groove on its upper side. Hooks shaped as an S can be placed at any point on this moulding, and the pictures are to be hung to these hooks. This arrangement is somewhat expensive, but it is the only proper way in which pictures can be hung.

Closets.—No house is complete without ample closets. Every lady knows that clothing and wraps cannot be stored away in drawers, and look well when wanted for use. As closets are expensive we suggest for small houses, that a room be constructed from four to six feet wide, and from ten to fifteen feet long, with a window at one end. Make shelves on one side, and place suitable clothes hooks on the other. In such a room the entire wardrobe and family linen can be properly stored. If you desire a moth-proof room, the ceiling, walls and shelves should be made of red cedar. We suggest this clothes room because of its cheapness. Each bedroom of large houses should be provided with a clothes closet, which should be lined with red cedar for the reasons above stated.

Don’t forget to have windows and all outside doors fitted up with light sash and frames covered with woven wire cloth. This material is very cheap, and can be purchased at any house-furnishing goods store. Its use prevents mosquitoes and flies from entering the house. Freedom from these summer pests will amply repay you for the expense. During the late fall, winter and spring months, the sash and frames can be removed; they should be stored in some perfectly dry place, such as a garret, never in a cellar. Speaking of pests reminds us of another kind that breed in cracks and crevices found in most kitchens, which might lead a thoughtful man to suppose that the builder, in his kindness of heart, provided these little hiding places for just such creatures. If you don’t want them, see that there are no cracks left between the wood-work and plastering, or in any part of the floor or walls of the kitchen. Fill with cement (Plaster of Paris is good) all cracks caused by shrinkage of wood-work after the walls are completed and are thoroughly dry.

SHEET METAL WORK FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BUILDINGS.

GUTTERS, VALLEYS AND DOWN PIPES.

These things are very closely related to the roof, and like it should be of the best material.

A tin gutter hung at the eaves has the advantage of being cheap; if made of good material and put up with good fastenings is durable, and suitable for cheap houses and some portions of expensive ones.

In all cases where the fastenings are to hang from the roof, the gutter should be put up before the roof covering is put on, so the fastenings can be secured to the roof boards instead of on top of the tin, slate or wood shingles. If the fastenings are nailed on top of the roof covering, the nails soon become loose, and the gutter sags. The tinsmith will charge no more for doing his work before the roofers commence, but it may delay you a day. Paint the gutter inside as well as out, and see that it has sufficient fall to clear itself of water. If you prefer the gutter on the roof near the eaves, let the sheets of which it is made be of sufficient width to extend far enough up under the roof covering to prevent water (when the gutter is full) from overflowing at the back instead of over at the front; this is a common error. In every instance let this top gutter be outside the wall line, so in case of leakage the “drip” is outside the walls. Gutters of this kind, and all gutters that are soldered and firmly fastened to roof boards (not hanging gutters), are liable to crack by expansion and contraction of the metal; we therefore say, never put a gutter inside the wall lines if they can be put outside. Valleys formed by the joining of two roofs at an angle are usually steep enough to allow the metal sheets to lap on each other and shed water without soldering. Such sheets are usually made twenty-eight inches long. Their shortness prevents cracking from expansion and contraction even if nailed to roof boards. Remember that all trash or dirt that settles on the roof eventually finds its way into the valleys, gutters and down pipes, and in a manner scours their surface; for this reason they receive several fold more wear than the same amount of exposed surface of the roof, consequently, should be of better material. Few people are aware of the amount of dirt and sand which is carried by the wind and deposited on their house-tops; for this reason, if the water is used for drinking or cooking purposes, the first water that flows from the roof during a rain storm should not be allowed to flow into the cistern.

It is always best to have good sized down pipes. As a rule, for down pipes from hanging gutters, let the circumference of the pipe equal the girt of the gutter, and the gutter should be large enough to convey the water which falls on the roof during the heaviest storms. Use only curved elbows where a turn in the pipe is to be made, and at the foot or discharge end. Curved elbows are now made by machinery; they are stronger, more durable and cost no more than the common hand-made acute kind.

We have spoken of good material; but what is good material when Tin Plate is spoken of? The quality of Tin Plate depends on its toughness, and the weight of Tin or Terne coating on its surface. The first is easily determined by bending back and forth with the hand, the latter is not, unless handled by an expert. The following test will determine the difference, provided you have different qualities. If the qualities are the same, or nearly so, the difference will not be distinguishable.

Take two pieces of different quality of Tin or Terne plates, say two inches square, grease one side with any kind of animal fat; then with a pair of plyers, hold them separately over a gas or candle jet with one corner obliquely downward, and the amount of fusible metal which flows from them will determine the difference between good and common.

TESTIMONIALS.

ST. LOUIS, MO., April 26th, 1888.

Gentlemen:—We have used your Walter’s Metal Shingles on the
most prominent buildings of our city, all of which have given
universal satisfaction both in appearance and durability. As
for us, we can say we give them the preference above all others
knowing that when once up there is none its equal.

Yours truly,

MESKER BROS.

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AUGUSTA, GA., April 30th, 1888.

Gentlemen:—I have in the past six years used and carefully
compared all the leading makes of Patent Metallic Shingles,
and I unhesitatingly pronounce your Walter’s Patent the best
shingle on the market. They are simple, and easy to put on,
and for a handsome, light and durable roof they are without a
parallel. I have used them on many public as well as private
buildings in this city, and they have in all instances given
the highest possible satisfaction, which _has won me the esteem
and confidence of the public_.

Yours truly,

DAVID SLUSKY.

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LAS VEGAS COLLEGE, LAS VEGAS, N. M., April 29th, 1888.

Gentlemen:—I am glad to inform you that we are very well
satisfied with the Walter’s Metal Shingles with which the new
stone addition of our college is covered. It is about three
years since the roof was laid, and your shingles are keeping
yet a very neat and nice appearance, defying bravely the eating
and inclemency of the weather.

Yours truly,