Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-08-26
A WESTERN puoouT.
Interesting Description of a Western Hab'
itation by q Nebraska Lady.


Interesting Description of Western Hab.
/ itation by q Nebraska Lady.
Having lived among dugouts and
sod-houses for about twenty years, l
send herewith description, which will
perhaps give your readers some idea
of their construction and appearance.
Perhaps some people think dugout
must necessarily be very dirty place,
and that nobody but a savage would
! live in one. But know great many
/ prairie farmers that have lived in them,
who are not savages, but for intelh-
gence and culture will compare favor
ably with those who inhabit log
houses in other States. Dugouts, as Il
rule, are very comfortable, especially
in winter in localities where wood and
coal are scarce and high. and the horse
and cow need all the corn. Some OF
these habitations are so nice and home
like within, that one forgets they are
dugouts. Many who come West to
get homes are too poor to build line
houses, so the dugOut and sod-house
became an institution among us
Westerners. 1t is a fortunate thing
for US that our Western soil is so favor
able for the purpose. AS soon as our
homesteader has Fastened on his
land, he looks for a suitable site for a
dugout, which will be at the side of a
shallow ravine, OF some place where
he finds bank facing the south, If
steep, and not very Might've OF six
feet at the front is about right, The
first step is to dig hole, or perhaps
it would sound better to say make an
excavation, the necessary size and
shape. There is no need to spend time
or thought on the plans for this "earth-
ly tabernacle" for the parlor, dining
| room, bedroom and kitchen are all in
one. A small room is often added for
a cellar, but the best way is to dig the
cellar entirely separate from the living
room but near enough to be handy.
| The first settlers that came in, when
wood was plenty had fire-places in
! their dugouts, which, on account of
ventilation they gave, made the habita-
ton more healthful. When the exca-
walton is completed, the walls are fin
ished up with logs or sod. The front
above the door and windows ia best of
logs or boards. Sod will do for the
back and along the sides where the
wall is solid. Then if the room is
large, say fifteen by twenty feet, it will
take nine, or, if there is a window in
the back end, ten stout posts with forks
at the top, to support the ridge poles.
These and the posts must be of pretty
good size, for the roof of dugout is
very heavy. After the forks are set
! and the three-ridge poles in place, the
roof is covered with small transverse
poles or brush, projecting over the
wall foot OF more. 1t is then coy
cred with layer of prairie hay. then
plenty of earth, well packed down to
keep out the rain. There ought al
} ways be small. window in the rear,
opposite the entrance, for ventilation,
and it should never be fully closed eK~
cept during blizzard; in summer it
light always to be kept entirely open.
When the dugout is up and covered,
our homesteader moves in, and pro-
ceeds to fit it up inside as well as his
means win permit. If he can afford it
he viii buy some plain furniture; if
not, he will make what he needs out
of dry-goods boxes, which will do very
well for everything except bedsteads.
and chairs. Bcdsteads can be made of
fprked poles driven in the ground with
J sticks laid across them; boxes and
benches can be made to do duty tor
chairs, but they are rather poor make
! shifts; good plain bedsteads and chairs
should be bought If possible. A large
box placed on its side and boarded up
about half way in front makes a good
4 place for wood or coal, while the top is
convenient for water buckets, pals and
such things Another large box can
be fitted up with shelves, and three
/ boot or cracker boxes placed on top
makes good cupboard. A similar set
/ furnishes place to keep clothing,
| books, etc.
4 Our homesteader' wife, with bolt
of cheap muslin, OF five cent calico,
/ will drape the walls and make curtains
for the windows and boxes, and per<
haps partition off a bedroom, OF cur
tain each bed off to itself. 1t is sur
prising how nice this five-cent print
will make dugout look, and if the
( hOm esteader is the kind of man he
ought to be, twill last as long az he
finds it necessary to 1--we in a dugout. {
After the sod part of the wall has
had time to settle, it can be plastered
as far down as the sod comes, which
] can be done very well, and is a great
improvement both for looks and clean,
4 illness. l have seen them plastered all
sne way uoWH, put Inc pfaSeeT 7uoeS HOC
stay on the dug part of the wall long
enough to pay for the trouble. Some
dugouts have floors in them, but not
generally. Many people spread hay
over the door, changing it once aweek.
This saves sweeping and keeps down
l the dust, but does not look as neat as
the clean ground. I do not mean to
say That do outs are the best places; in
the world to live in, but I do say that
if they are well built and decently
kept, they do very well. AT all events
the average Nebraskan wants small
one somewhere handy to run into when
he hears the cyclone coming. Prairie
A Diminutive Printing Press
Il firm, ON Wall Straat Nau vorly hoe