New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-12

down upon the sleepers. The edges are hewed
straight. so as not to leave any cracks big enosgh
~ mt vour foot in. Such hoors are little rough
but very solid and durable.
The logs for the wall should be cut as nearly OF
size ss possible, eight or ten inches IN diameter.
In raising. be careful to put all the heaviest logs
nearest tie ground, as the lightesi ones VIII go up
hard enough. Be sure to get the walls eigaf ieet
high before you put on the upper-hoor Joist'; and
if YOU intend 10 make any use OF the loft put one
or two courses Of logs above the upper floor. In
carrying up the gable ends, some care must be used
10 have the logs all the way Of size, and both
gables made to match. so that the ribs which sup
port the shakes or clapboards Will De level. These
shake. are ike thin slaves three or four feet long,
split out of free rift timber generally white oak, held
in place on the roof by weight poles. Although they
make a rough looking roof, it is good one TO shed
water. 1t is not quite so good for keeping out
fine drifting snow, and we have seen the beds Of
morning with an extra sheet OF indisputable white
ness.
In LAYING up the walls of log cabin, expert
enced bands should be employed, if possible, as
corner-men. If that is not practicable, observe
the following rules: Firstly cut 4" saddles " upon
each end of the sills; that is bring space into
the form of peaked roof and then roll on the end
logs and spot one side and let il rest on the saddle
Now man stands upon each end and cuts notch
about half through, as though he was going to cut
Off the end, ard then the log is turned down and
these notches fitted firmly the saddles, and then
tle upper side of that log is saddled for the next
side. log and so on, taking care not TO cut so deep
that the LOGS will touch, nor so shallow tina: the
cracks Will be too wide, as il will then
be difficult to fill them up in the Ortho-
dox manner with "chnking and daubing.
Be careful to carry up the corners plumb, and
that your building is square and,leyel and that it
fronts something or somewhere. You need not
pav any attention while raising it to places for
doors and windows, as you csn cut out the upper
log with an Ak and the others with cross-cut saw
whenever you wish after the roof is on. So you
can saw down the corners ship-shape or you may
butt off the logs as you lay them up. We would
never build a cabin over eighteen feet square, and
never but one story high. Unless in unusually dry
soil never dig a cellar under your cabin. Lettha
useful room be made above ground or under some
o.ber building.
Making fireplace without brick mortar or
stone, is what puzzles emigrants most. 1t is, how
ever. very easy operation. 1t is done in two
ways; by packing moist earth in form made OF
boards the shape Of the intended fireplace, upon
which is laid wooden mantle, and sticks like
coarse lath, Clubhouse fashion, which are pastered
with clay mortar; or else by mixing stiff mortar
and forming that into " cats"-thst is, Jumps abOnt
the size and shape of a eats body, which are piled
I'D with sticks from the ground to the top and
suffered to dry into one great adobe, forming the
fireplace and chimney. Built either way, such q
chimney lasts good number Of years. Though
little unsightly it is best TO build it on the outside
of the house. as it room and is more safe from
FIRE. If badly built, or the clay suffered to drop
of of the sticks, the chimney sometimes takes fire,
without Danger TO the house.
The inside of lOgcabin is often hewed down
so as to make a tolerably straight wall This can
be done by one days work after the building Is
raised If peeled logs, such as hickory, poplar
or Eastwood can be obtained, they make much the
neatest house outside and in. The chinking is
done by driving split stuff, like fiat rails, into the
cracks. Then, on the outside, take well-miIed
clay mortar handful at time, and throw it
orcibly into the cracks as to fill out the cavity
nearly flush. when it should be smoothed off with
a trowel. Go over this when you bank up for
Winter, and ell up all the cracks, and you will
have q warm house, unless your windows and door
are ont Of order
One of the most common faults among all new
country settlers is neglect to provide comfortable
Winter shelter for the poor dumb beasts cOnfded
10 their care. Stables can be made warm and very
comfortable in the same way as the house, and exi
cellent Winter shelter can be provided in prairie
country for large herds, for q trifing expense in
the following manner: Take common fence rails
and lay them up about foot apart, by using cross
ties until you get wall six feet high, and as long
as you desire, BY extending course after course OF
rails in the same way. Then fill this wall with
sods MANURE or fine brush OF weeds-anythlng that
cattle will not eat out-and lay rails from the top
to pole resting upon posts at proper distance.
Next cover these rails with brush, or, if that is
not convenient with straw very coarse grass, and
stack the hay on top for Winter use. This is not
an expensive mode of fencing stacks, and if the
sheds are made to fence the south, and in some
well protected spot, the cattle will be very well
sheltered from many cold Winter storm. AS the
hay is fed of the waste OF the yard may be pitched
up daily so as still to form tolerable shelter after
the stacks are consumed. BY adopting this
course, immense herds of bullocks and large
aOcks of sheep may be taken charge Of at once
49,. H. Mil end