The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-09-24
Building and Decorating Houses.

EVERY man who contemplates building
a dwelling for himself will make it a
home a hospital, or grave for his fam
lily, according to his plan. The driest
houses are the healthiest, 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. Brick houses are the least in
jured by fire, because they neither melt,
scale nor crumble. The damages to
which they are liable may be prevented
by two expedients. By placing layer
OF slate or stone between layers of brick
about foot above the ground the damp
ness from the earth is arrest ed, as brick
soaks up water like sponge.
The outer walls may be protected
against the absorption of rain and fog
thus: Dissolve three-quarters of pound
notified soap in one gallon of boiling
water, and with fat brush spread it
over the outer surface of the brick wall,
while hot, without allowing it to lather,
in clear, dry weather; next day dissolve
a quarter Of pound of alum in two gal
Ions OF water, and paint it over the soap
coating; the two combine and form
film Of varnish which the rain cannot
penetrate. There should be space of
about an inch between the brick and the
plaster. The old-fashioned comb-roofs
are best, as they shed water more rap
idly, and give a garnet, 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 s4ree sides to the
habitually occupiedDa ambers face the
SOUTH so as to have all the advantages of
the warming, drying, and cheering in
fluences Of the sunshine. The house
should be on an elevation, to allow the
water to drain off in every direction
Plastered walls are cleaner than those
papered; perhaps yarnish is better than
either, and is not 80 readily solled and is
more easily busted and cleaned from
stains or grease spots.
Bare walls are dreary and barn-like.
They can be ornamented with pictures
and engravings, and thus made instruct
i've, amusing and djverting to very high
degree. If frames are preferred, a very
neat and cheap pattern can be made by
getting piece of pasteboard and glass
of the size of the picture, which should
be placed between the two, and rim
made to answer the purpose of frame,
as wei as to keep all in place, by
doubling over the edges ribbon or strip
Of velvet. characterization may 60 still fur
ther and be made to afford quite as much
pleasure to the eye as paintings, by sim
ply placing handful Of heads of wheat
in vase of water. Each grain sends
out bright green leaflets, and continues
to replenish the fading ones for weeks
together
An exquisite transparency may be
made by arranging pressed ferns, grasses
and autumn leaves on pane of window
glass, laying another pane of the same
size over it and binding the other with
ribbon, leaving the group imprisoned be-
tween. 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, be-
fore the leaves, fern, ETC., are arranged;
then it can be neatly folded over the Sec
end pane without difficulty. To form