, 1873-03-30

tho former is bound to give way to the latter,
! and does 60 With the best grace 40 can.
! THE CARPENTER.
! The carpentry work embraces Tide range.
There ia the rough carpentry and tho finer work,
ali Of which generally falls to the same man
The rough work includes the laying of 5oibtt,
flooring, hc-, while the latter consists Of mold
ings. sash, and the like. Under the present lax
enforcement Of tho fire ordinance, the work Of
the iron front building on the southwest
corner Of Madison nnd Dearborn streets,
! Hore is binding III which the masons we're
needed for only one well eboyo tho first story.
the remainder Of the work having been turned
! oTer by tho specifications Of The architect to all
other branch OF contractors-the carpenters
Contracts are made By these men as with the
! maeoDs, and the secEot Of tho advance in car
| pcnters' wages last rear was tho p:rsimony Of
the builder who violated moral obligations and
city ordinances in substituting for solid masonry
Partition walls ~ Of lath and plaster no thicker
than such AZ divide tenement-Aouses which arc
no support to tho building, and which arc apt to
feed to grave intensity q fire in the building
harmless. The carpenter fattens on it, the
lumber-dealer does not mind it, and the owner
| il gratifoa at the saving in expense. But the
insurance companies, and through them the
| community, cannot bo expected to share the
qualification OF the economical owner.
| TIE IR0N-WoKK.
| Tho iron work is branch which is also Of
great Importance in the construction OF q build
| ing. Tho iron columns, which give every op-
| portunty for the great amount OF plnte-glass
display, and the iron lentels which assist in the
support OF the massive edihce, arc not to be
! neglected. Their cost is. enormous for the
amount furnished, but, rs they
are, Indispensable, the money is readiIy,
for iron, the substitution is made. without hosi-
talou. But iron supplies great want. It is~
concentrated strength, and that il what is ueed-
ed for the frat floor Of most Of our buildings
The contract is lot to some iron foundry on
terms similar to those guiding the mason and
stone-cutter, though it is not unusual in large
building to employ two or moro contractors.
The iron cornice furnishes another industry
by itself. The construction Of these thin
sheets Of metal, pinned on to the roof OF build
separate chapter to itsclf which will be given to
the interested rcador ut some future date.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The plumbing and ga.-dtting are generally
combined in Chicago, as elsewhere, hut i'm
portant branch OF the plumbers work in thia city
has become Geparate industry. This is the
sewerage. In the East the sewerage IL cocsid~
cred to belong to the plumbing department. but
lorlly Independence Of everybody. All he re-
quires is license. Armed with this, he is ready
for any emergency. It is true that lie does
not always do his work with credit
to himself or advantage to his employer. But
then it gives more men chnnce OF becoming
contractors, and that is what they sgh for.
The roofeI is a parsonage not to be neglected
There are haf-a-dozen firms in this city repro
senting the same number Of methods Of roofing
building. There is the person who will give
you an iron roof; another thinks tho tin-roofing
company lie represents is incomparably superior
TO any other in tho world, inasmuch rs it affords
protection from fire at d cheap rate. There is
also tho cheerful wooden roofer, who destroy
nf n4nhH1f
who vows that nothing can ignite luis roof, be-
caase it il incombuBtlbis; the slater, who thinks
that his patent alone is reliabfe because every
body knows slate il fro-proof. Each Of these
Of each ID ready to insiet upon its adoption.
Thus tho architect and the owner have wido
field before them in their sclcction.
rbs oazRg IN asSn is eaRs ssRs'S S.fe as sen
very extensive, aud especially 80 upon tho
importers OF plate-glass; The erection last
year OF a city Of stores naturally created an
enormous demand for plate glass, and importers
day y mkt. Eor much M Of this costly material M has
been used in the city since the fire, md has been
subject to rebate, the Custor-Houso authorities !
arc not yet ready to state, but will bo shortly. !
The past month has seen wonderful activity in !
the plscing Of plato glass, in order to Save the
retate
Where tiling and hardwood flooring are used !
In building, contracts arc let specially for these
purposes.
4 FEW SUGGESTIONS.
While suggesting to tho builder that he en- !
ploy his architect superintendent OF the j
building from the preliminary drawing to tho
completion of the structure, NO took occasion to
warn him with the condition that tho architect !
be man Of uaauestioned integrity. Tho rca-
son for giving this advice is obvious. All tho !
contracts a1e made BY or through the architect.
This person becomes at once tho arbiter Of the
builders destiny. Gifted with plenipotentiary
powers, he cah command, aud everybody
must obey. When Contractor Jones comes
in with his bid, few dollars below Contractor
Smith, it i'd for tho architect to decide whether it
or Smith. Jones can, by placing few green
backs where they will do the most good, greatly
open the contractors eyes to the reliability OF
hia hackers, while Smith, By q similar deposit,
ability to do good work at . figure that neither
Jones, nor Brown, nor Robinson can approach
In making his selection the architect must be
very discreet. Il he is straightforward he will
consult with his client. His experience with
contractors will guide him in the award, and he
will turn dent ear to the suggestions, aud Il
blind eye to the Inducements offered by un-
tunities for awindling the oUnor by means of an
between architect and contractor
That it seems almost superluous to givo q
sample. But in order to illustrate, it is perhaps
Aa VIGIL 10 90 30
Tho architects specifications call for ccr-
sain quality Of materin1 to be used in the con-
,truction OF the building, without which it
would be safe enough, but not perhaps rs
solidly constructed as il the quality demanded
sas used. Here is our contractor's opportunity.
Tue mAterial is to go where nobody will SEQ it
nobody knows what is called for but tho owner,
contractor, and architect. Nobody but the two
asst can tell whothcr it is usod OF not. Thus
~ wink to the architect, the. con-
:ractor furnishes inferior material and
divides the profits With the architect That this
. done frequently is only too we'll known. In
:he mere matter Of brick, the architect and con-
ractor can make plenty Of money, and when the
piers give way, who ii to say it was the latter's
:ault who can accuse the former ? Iron col
INNS cannot bo weighed when they arc once in |
he building. Only the experienced eye Of the
architect can tell whether they arc of requisite
dimensions. How can he tell II he does not !
7ish to9
How does the uupractised owner distinguish
DOOR quality Of stone from good one7 Can he
% omnipresent to determine tho thickness OF !
very block'
In the choice Of roofing, there is an abundant
~ 4 /