The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1843-03-31


Plan for building Cheap Cottages.
After selecting suitable spot of ground
as near the place of building as Prac'lca-
bic, let circle of ten feet or more De
described. Let the loan be removed, and
the clay dug up one foot thick Or II clay
is not found on the spot, let it be carted
in 10 that depth. Amy ordinary clay will
answer. Tread this clay over with cattle.
and add some straw cut six or eight in
ches long. After the clay is well tenn
pered with working it with cattle, the ma
teral is duly prepared for making the
brick. A mould is'then formed of wood,
ofthe size of the brick desired. In Eng
land they are usually made eighteen inch
es long, one foot wide, and nine inches
thick. | have found the more convenient
size to be one foot long, seven inches
wide. and five inches thick. The mould
should have bottom. The clay is then
placed in the moulds in the same manner
that brick moulds are ordinarily filled. A
wire, or piece of iron hoop, will answer
very well for striking off the top. One
man will mould about as fast as another
can carry away, two moulds being used
by him. The bricks are placed upon the
level ground, where they are suffered to
dry two days, turning them up edgewise
the second day, and then packed ina pile.
protected from the rain, and left to dry
ten or twelve days, during which time the
foundation of the building can be prepared.
If a cellar is desired, this must be formed
of stone or burnt brick, one foot above the
surface of the ground. For cheap bull
dings on the prairie, wood sill, twelve or
fourteen inches wide, may be laid on piles
or stones. This will form good super
structure. Where lines and small stones
abound, grout made of those materials
lime and stones) will answer very well.
In all cases, however, before commen-
cling the walls for the first story, it is very
desirable, as well in this case as i'll walls
Of stone or burnt brick, to lay single
course Of slate; this will intercept the
dampness 50 often rising in the walls of
brick houses. The wall is laid by pla-
cling the brick lengthwise, thus making the
wall one foot thick. Ordinary clay, such
as is used for clay mortar, will suffice,
though weak mortar of sand and lime,
when these articles are cheap, is recon-
mended, as aflording a more adhesive ma
.eral for the plaster. The wall may safe
ly be carried up one story, or two ar three
stories the division walls may be seven
inches, just the width of the brick. The
door and window frames being inserted as
the wall proceeds, the building is soon
raised. The roof may be shingles or
thatch. In either case. 1t Should project
ouer the sides Of the house, and also orer
the ends, at least two feet, to guard The
'caN from verticat rains. The exterior
wall is plassered with good lime mortar,
and then with second coat OF pebble
dashed. The inside is plas,ered without
dashing. The floors may be laid with
oak boards, slit, five or six inches wide,
andlaid down without joining or planng,
if they are rubbed over with rough stone
after the rooms are finished Doors of
cheap and neat appearance may be made
by taking two single boards Of the length
or width of the doors placing these verli
cally, they will fill the space. Put wide
batten on the bottom and narrow one on
the top, with strip on the side, and a
strip in the middle. This door will be
batten door, but presenting two long pan
els on one side and a smooth surface on
the other. If porch or verandah is
wanted, it may be rooted with boards laid
with light joints, and covered with thick
paper dipped in tar, and then adding good
coat. after sprnkling it with sand from a
sand box, or other dish with small holes.
Houses built in this way are dry, warm
in winter, and cool in summer, and fur
nish no retreats for vermin. Such houses
can be made by common laborers, if a lit
tie carpenters work is excepted, in very
short time, with small outlay of mate
rial, exclusive of floors, windows, doors,
and roof.
The question will naturally arise, will
the wall stand against the rain and frost j.!
| answer they have stood well in Europe
and the Hon. Mr.. Poinsett remarked to
me that he had seen them in South Anne
RIGA, after having been erected three hun
dred years. Whoever has noticed the
rapid absorption of water by a brick that
has been burnt, will not wonder why
brick walls are damp. The burning
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