The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-05-03
Practical 1QfosMatiop.
A Word to Settlers in Kansas.

We apprehend that one of the great
est difficulties that settlers will have to
meet with in Kansas, will be the want of
buildings suitable for shelter for them
selves and domestic animals. Among
nearly all of the emigrants from the
Eastern States, there will be founda very
great want of knowledge how to build
cheap houses for new settlers. Not that
there is any lack of workmen who are
cunning artisans, but there must be few
who are skilled in the art of putting up
"balloon Frame" OF making comfort
able house out of logs, poles and split
stuff, a hundred miles beyond the last
saw-mill. TO such, and in fact to all
new settlers in an uncultivated country,
we can probably offer some useful hints.
First, with regard to selecting iocali-
ity for building As a general rule, a
building site on the prairie, or among
scattering trees, will be found the most
healthy. On account of health, always
avoid sheltered hooks, where the woods
are dense and above all, keep away from
the banks of all water-courses. Never
build in hollow, because it is near a
spring and be careful not to choose the
south side of grove, unless you know
there is no swampy land near on the
south, since the miasma will be blown
up by a south wind, and will bank up
against the grove, giving you a wet
blanket every morning, at season OF the
year when you are most likely to con-
tract the universal malady of all new
countries-the fever and ague.
Next, as to water. The best water is
not that that looks the most pure, or is
the most cool and palatable, as is the case
with nearly all the limestone springs,
streams and wells of the Western coun-
try. The sweetest, healthiest, safest wa
ter for all new settlers, comes from the
clouds; therefore, let one of your first
cares be to provide materials for els
tern, to be put in use the moment you
get roof. Wherever the ground is COM
pact and hard, as it is in all clay lands,
the way to make cistern is to excavate
a hole aud plaster the cement immediate
ly upon the earth. Don't use over one
bushel of cement to four of sand, which
should be course and sharp. A cistern
is cheaper and better than a hard d-water
well. The water is more wholesome,
and decidedly more pleasant on washing
days.
We now come to the log-cabin. There
is no more comfortable house for fami-
ly than log cabin. though space is some
times so limited as to make the inhabi-
tantsacquainted with strange bed-fellows.
We have known a family of sixteen per-
sons, however, find room enough to live
very comfortable in log-cabin sixteen
feet square. but we do not recommend
slowing quite SO close, particularly in
places where it will be necessary TO take
in occasional dodgers. On building a
cabin, if you can get some fat stones to
lay under the foundation log. it will save
trouble in after years. Unless you have
stones. the lower log should be large
one, of durable wood Lay the floor
sleepers high from the ground, so as to
give free circulation of air under the
floor through the summer. but be careful
to bank up al, round two or three feet
high before winter. Block the sleepers
IN the center. so there win be no spring
to them when the floor is laid, which, if
made of puncheons, should be put down
before the walls are raised. A puncheen
Hoor is made by splitting straight, grain
ed logs into halves or quarters, and hew-
ing one side and spotting them down
upon the sleepers. The edges are hew-
ed straight, so as not to leave any cracks
Dig enough to put your foot in. Such
noors are little rough. but very solid
and durable.
The logs for the wall should be cut as
hearty of size as possible, eight or ten
Inches In diameter. In raising. be care
ful to put all the heaviest logs nearest the
ground. as the highest ones win go nm
hard enough. Be sure to get the walls
eight feet high before you put on the nm
per floor. In carrying up the gable ends.
some care must be used to have the loes
al the way of size. and both gables
made to match, so that the ribs which