The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-10-02
The following extracts from the Washing

The following extracts from the Washing
ton Correspondence OF the Baltimore sun;
Within few months past our esteemed Fellow
citizen, the Hon. II. l. Ellsworth, has been making
an experimental trial of building house win IN
burnt brick aud he TO entertain no doubt OF Us
success As il may be interesting 10 your readers 70
become acquainted with the process, | su6Jom The
lollowing
thousand bricks. To this added, il was trodden
by the cattle considerable quantity OF straw, out
about four 10 five inches long-a mould was made oi
boards foot long, niche wide and i've incnes
thick with bottom. The clay was moulded IN ms
by one man fast as another could carry IL away
two moulds being used 10 fill up the time. These
bricks were dried Two days on the ground, turning
them up edgewise the second day,) and then packed
up in pile, protected from the RAIN and leit TO airy
about two weeks. The foundation OF the building
thin -four by seventeen with kitchen seventeen 0y
eighteen being made ia the meantime of stone and IN
part by grout of gravel and lime-the wall was
commenced and soon finished, one foot VIDE ana wv
stories high except the kitchen The division wan
may be only seven inches, the width OF The orick
The exterior Of the wall is plaistered with line ana
hair-mortar, aud pebble dashed The inside rs pas
tered directly on the wal. The roof projects Two
feet 10 protect the wall from vertical rams Inc
floors are made of inch oak plank saw cd four to SIX
inches wide, and laid down without Jolnting or PLAIN
ing il will be polished at some leisure day by rub
bling il with a sharp grit stone, The doors are bat
ten doors, made in imitation OF long PANELS pro-
pose to paint the wood work. in part, with one OF the
following recipes which have been recommended -
lst A mixture OF milk and lime Stacked toge
Their, without the aid Of water. ID. Lime and small
quantity Of lard, say four pounds TO bushel oil lime
the lime to be Stacked in boiling water, and the
lard TO be added when the stacking gives the greatest
heat Either OF the above recipes may be varied by add
ing ochres colofng matter not destroyed by lime,
to suit fancy probably little potash or pearl
ASH and alum, might be added TO advantage. IN the
above mixtures the iDgreden should be suffered to
remain twenty -four hours before using, and OCCASION
ally stirred to effect the combination. Two or three
coats put with common painters brush, and
when dry rubbed with woen cloth, present a
smooth, glossy appearance. This paint though not
equal to that made of lead and oil, is within the
means of all more especially those in the new coun-
tries, and will amply repay for the time occupied in
putting il on. 1t will also be found highly conducive
10 heath | feel confident that common laborcrs can
make good cabin, rather cottage, on the pralre's
in a short time and one that viii be warm in winter,
cold in summer, and aiIordng the iewest possible
treats for yermln-and at all times dry. Such cot
tages will be cheap log cabins less expense than
pisa building, and durable for centuries the honora-
be Mr.. Poinsett observed to me- he had similar
houses in South America that had stood three hum
dred years" NJ