Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1875-07-23

traveller acknowledges to himself after
returning from. Europe is one of disap-
pontmcnt at the general run of our
houses, especially those i'll the country.
He misses tho picturesquenoss of the
English cottage, of tho German farm
house, tho vino-grown walls tho win-
dows projecting from tho roofs, tho low
height, tho shadow, and quiet tone about
them, and the irregular form. He feels
ut first rs if he would give all the star
ing, formal villas of his country for one
little ivy grown or rcl-roofed cottage III
an English hawthorn lane or green
German valley. But soon experience
teaches him that country's nrchitcc-
turc is to Il large degree Il necessary
fault and outcome of its circumstances.
We have n peculiar and difficult climate
here, and must first of all consider it in
our buildings. There is the heat of the
tropics III the summer, and the almost
Arctic cold in the winter. We cannot
lltNt 40" HOUSES utlt, ioi thc lSOiip
would be iutolcrab!e in summer. Low,
sharp-gablcd cottages, with dormer
windows in the roof, are, no doubt, pic
turcsquc, but they mean hot chambers
under the roof, and low, close sitting
rooms. Even if an air-chamber be Sc
cured between the roof and the bed
room, still the upper rooms, i'll such
nights rs we have now, would be al
most uncomfortable. We must have
houses high between floors, and the
bedrooms we'll separated from the roof.
Then another element Of the pictur-
esquc is the dcep:shadc and thick vines
oycrclambcriug the walls. But our cX-
pericnco shows that slrn and air are
indispensable for health in a house, and
wcNrc compelled moro and moroto plant
trees ut little distance, securing shade
by piazzas or balconies, and allowln &
the sln free play on roofs and walls. a
moderate use of wall-vincs is, of course,
permitted under these conditions, but
any excessive draring with ivy on
crccpcrs breeds insects and increases
dampncss. The constant liability to
malaria, of course, molilieS all our
modes of building, and compcl3 rs to
admit sun and air. Indeed, it will be
noticed now in England that all the
country houses are built much moro III
the American or French style than
formerly, with airy chambers, high
stories, and much opcnncss to the sun,
and summer balconies for shade.
The irregular form OF English houses
is a historical feature; 4 result Of growth.
1t appears hero sometimes where an old
country seat k0s been enlarged and re
modelled, and is wonderfully attractive.
Bat it is exceedingly inconvenicnt. 1t
requires great expense il the caro-, III
lighting, warming, and drainage. The
cheapest Of all houses is the square
house, and as most people build with
small means in this country they natur-
ally adopt this, or some modification OF
this form. These old and irregular
Engliah villas, it should be remembered,
have become nui@anccs under modern
sanitary IDEAS. Their drainage is cxecra-
bic, and they are ofton nests Of typhoid
fevcr.
In this country, the first thing for a
householder to consider-bcforo all
ornamcntution or architcctUal ct1cct-la
drainage. lie must sec to it that his
water pipes and drain pipes mo well
protected from the frost, that the traps
are close, aud that the outflow is unim-
pcdcl. In all small households it is the
part of wisdom to place the water pipes
behind tho kitchen chimney (Which is
always wnrmod), to have but one anglo,
and no cross pipes to any bedroom. So
fatal are the return gases from drain,
that it is safer to keep up the old coun-
try custom OF bowl nndi pitcher i'll the
bedroom, and obtain all the water from
but one placc-tho b0thrOOm-Which
should be entirely separated from tho
bedrooms. 1t is believed by physicians
i'll Now York that one of the most pro
liiic sources there Of diphtheria and all
foul air diseases is the return gas through
tho Crotou water drains.
In regard to material, it is doubtful if
anything is moro suitable for this eli.
mate than wood, with "brick filled III. "
This is dry and warm. But i'll every
locality there are peculiar, and often
beautiful, building stones which could
be combined with wood in the Swiss
chalet style with very pretty effect. Yet
small house builders will find that every
deviation from the ordinary style is OK
pcNsiyc. Stone alone seems often damp
and Gor.Somo unknown rcason) not so
completely water-tight. A red roof is n
very pretty feature, but if of tile or
slate, it is expensive, and ii OF shingles,
exposed to rot. 1t seems pity that the
modern black and blue slate is so much
taking the place Of shingles IN country
houses. Piazzas arc the great necessity
in this climate, uud the prcttic"t feature
in our architecture. They should not,
however, be built on tho south eide OF