The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-09-10
Building Houses.

Every man who cOntemplates building
a dwelling for himself. will make it Il
home, hospital or grave for his iamily-
according to his plan. The driest houses
are the healtheSt, hence those built OF
wood are the best; they are more liable to
complete destruction by fire. but not more
complete than iron or granite. BrlcF
houses are the least injured by fire, be-
cause thev neither melt, scale nor crum~
BILE. The damages to which they are la
bic NAV be prevented by two eXpedients.
By placing a layer of slate or stone be-
tween LAYERS of brick about a foot above
the ground, the dampness from the earth
is arrested, as brick sOaks up water like
sponge.
The outer walls may be protected
against the absorption OF rain and log
thas Dissolve three-quarters OF pound
of mOttled soap in one gallon OF boiling
water, and with flat brush spread 1t over
the outer surface of the brick wall while
hot, without allowing it to lather, IN clear
dry weather: next day dissolve quarter
of pound of alum in two gallons OF Wa
ter, and paint it over the soap coating;
the two combine and form film OF var
nish which the rain cannot penetrate.
There should be a space OF about an inch
between the brick and the plaster. The
shed water more rapidly, and give gar
ret, which protects the upper rooms from
the heat of the summer sun. If possible,
let the house stand east and west, the
front facing the south, thus exposing
three sides TO the sun and let the family
room and all the habitually occupied
chambers face the south, so as to have
all the advantages of the warming, drying
and cheering influences of the sunshine.
The house should be on an elevation, to
allow the water to drain off in every dI-
rection. Plastered walls are cleaner than
those papered perhaps varnish Is better
than either, and is not so readily soiled,
and is more easily busted and cleaned
from stains or grease spots.
Bare walls are dreary and barn-llke-
They can be Ornamented with pictures
and engravings and thus be made instruc-
tive, amusing and diverting to avery high
degree. If frames are preferred, very
neat and cheap pattern can be made by
getting a piece of pastebOard and glass
the size of the picture, which should be
placed between the two, and rim made
to answer the purpose of a frame, as well
as to keep all i'm place. by doubling over
the edges ribbon or strip of velvet. Or
namentatiOn may 90 still further, and be
made to afford quite as much pleasure 10
the eye as paintings, by simply placing 4
handful of heads of wheat in vase OF
water. Each grain sends out bright
green leaflets, and continues 10 replenlsh
the falling ones for weeks together.
An exquisite transparency may be made
bv arranging pressed ferns, grasses, and
autumn leaves on pane of window glass,
laying another pane of the same size over
il, and binding the edges with ribbon,
leaving the group imprisoned between. 1t
is well to secure narrow strip OF paper
under the ribbon. The binding should be
gummed all around the edge OF the first
pane. and dried, before the leaves, ferns,
etc, are arranged; then it can be folded
over the second pane without difficulty.
To form the loop for hanging the trans
parency paste a binding OF galloon along
the edge. leaving twO-inch loop free IN
the center, afterward to be pulled through
a little slit in the final binding. These
transparencies may be hung before the
window, or if preferred, secured against
pane i'm the sash. In halls a beautiful et-
feet is produced by placing them against
the side-lights of the hall door. Where
the side-lights are each Of only single
pane, it is well worth while to place sin
gle transparency against each, filling up
the entire space, thus atfOrding ample
scope for a free arrangement OF ferns,
grasses. and leaves, while the effect of the
light passing through the rich autumnal
cOlOrs is very fine. Leaves so arranged
will preserve their beauty during the
whole of the winter. Screens OF this klnd
have lately been advertised in which the
ferns, ETC., prepared by peculiar process,
are guaranteed to retain their verdure Tor
years.
The water-closets and drains Of dwell
-, in
consideration, for it is now found that
typhoid and other low forms of fever are
caused bV what comes out of the bodies OF
other persons; in other words, are diseases
of filth-Of uncleanliness. A case OF
typhoid fever cannot originate in clean
house, it is impossible. If water-clO>ets
must be under the same roof with the
dwelling, which need not be except In
large towns, they should be located in the
corner of the house, because then the win
dOws can open directly out OF doors, and
/ thus keep them thoroughly ventilated, and
| in addition, the pipe can pass directly out
/ through the wall in communication Win
the leader which conveys the water from
the roof, thus washing everything away.
/ An unwise practice is to have the water
closet so located that there is no window
/ in it, and its contents pass down an iron pipe
/ into the drain in the cellar; if this iron
pipe is behind the plastering, so that if 1T
| should become defective at the joints or
elsewhere it would not be detected, and
| filthy matters, solid, fluid, and gaseous es-
cape, they will send out insidious polsons'
undermining the health and shortening tne
lives of the whole hOusehold-t0reYer TAX
| ing medicine and forever unwell, since the
cause of the sickness remains in operation.
| 1t is not surprising that in so many cases
! there is a marvellous improvement in health
by going into the country for even a few
| davs. For similar reasons the waste OF the
house should be conveyed outside OF 1t by
the most direct route possible into the
great drain of the street. The authorizes
Of all our cities and large towns Inlght P[S- @
fitably direct their attention to TINS SUD
iect, and compel an arrangements for sewer
ace of private dwellings which would ac-
c0mplish the results above mdlea1eu'-
Halls Journal Of Health.