The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-02-17
The Building of Homes.

Double doors-folding or sliding-are
| great social institution BY them
two rooms may be thrown into one. A
| good broad hall becomes in summer an
| extra room. The air circulates. There
| is freedom, an openness about the
| house, which gives an air of superiority
| to even very humble dwellings. The
superiority is real, too. If we invite a
| few friends for the evening, it is not
| necessary to confine them to the spar
lor,n but the doors are thrown wide
open, our guests will fill parlor, and
hall, and sitting room and kitchen, per-
haps, and yet all are one company, for
the broad doors being open the whole
house is thrown together. Music sounds
| through such q house delightfully."-, and
people have good time and love to
come, because it is so cheerful and
social. Another point in our home
building which we too often overlook is
the exposure of the principal living
and sleeping rooms to the direct in
fuence of the sun The effect Of the
sunlight is best gained when the house
stands with its corners toward the car
dinal points, for thus the sun shines
with considerable power on all sides of
the house every clear day in the summer,
and yet his power is broken, because at
monday the rays strike two sides obli-
quely, and very soon leave the south
eastern side in the shade. We should
not forget that the sunshine is health
giving; dampness and shade, if slightly
in excess, injure the health of both men
and animals
One thing more is the Importance of
having some provision for fire in the
chambers We build FOR health and not
for sickness, and I do not hesitate to
say that many a family mourns the loss
of a member simply because the sleep
ing room could not be easily heated.
The best mode of heating no doubt is
by an open fire of some kind 1t is very
easy in building to make open fire-places
in at least three chambers through
which the chimney passes.
Of course open fre-plaees are not
economical OF fuel, but in the chambers
fire is seldom wanted, and stoves may
be used, if preferred. AS to economy of
fuel, builders as well as architects and.
proprietors, either frequently overlook
one important fact, or they do not look
at it, that is, that the warrnest part of
any room is farthest from the floor; SO
if we1nake our rooms ten or eleven feet
high we must heat the air in all that up
per part before a person sitting at a
table begins to feel at all warm, unless
he is where he gets radiation from the
stove or open fire. Low ceilings effect
the greatest economy of fuel, and even
make open fires economical as compar-
ed with stoves and high ceilings. Nine
feet is, think, an extreme hight for the
ceiling of an ordinary country house,
say one in which the largest room is
not more than twenty feet square. or of
equivalent area
Besides, there are other numerous
considerations which tend to the saving
of fuel and at the same time increases
the healthfulness and comfort of
home. Some of these are the material of
the walls, their impenetrability to air
and moisture, s'deafening'' of the floors
which adds greatly to their warmth,
good joiner work about windows and
doors, ete,--A Farmer, ia Anaerican
Agric9ltssrfst..