Wichita eagle., 1886-12-31

Some Things Which We Must Do With
out-Trees and Wall vines-Old Country
Scat Donodelcd - Drainage - Material.
LocaIi;y-Styie.
Il u amusing to hear a man or woman who
has cros9d the ocean ridicule our country
dwelling houses ard compare them with the
picturesquenesS of the English cottage, Of
the German farmhouse, the vine grown walls,
the windows projecting from the roofs, the
low height, the shadow. the quiet tonc about
them and the irregular form. They would
give al the staring, formal villas Of this
country for one little ivy grown or red-roofed
cottage il an English hawthorn lane, or {.
green German valley. But experience teaches
that countrys architecture is, TO q largo
degree, a necessary fruit and outcome of its
circumstances. We have q peculiar and diff
cult climate here and must, first Of all, con-
slider il in our building. There is the heat CT
the tropics in the summer, and tho alrno15
Arctic cold in the winter. We cannot have
low houses here, for the rooms would be in
toleEabie in summer. Low, sharp-gabled
cottages, with dormer windows IN the roof,
ure no doubt, picturesque, but they mean
hot chambers under the roof and low, close
sitting rooms. Even if an air chamber be
secured between the roof and the bed room,
still the upper rooms, in such nights IS To
have now, would be almost uncomfortable.
We must have houses high between floors
and the bed room well separated from the
roof
TREES AND WALL VINES.
Then another clement Of the picturesque is
the deep shade and thick vines overclambeE-
ing the walls. But our experience shows hat
sun and air are indispensable for health in {,
house, and we arc compelled more and more
to plant trees at littlo distance, securing
shade by piazzas OF balconies and allowing
the sun free play on roofs and walls. 4 mod
crate use of wall vines il, of course, permitted
under these conditions, but any excessive
drapinS with ivy or creeper5 breeds insects
and increases dampncSs The constant liza
bility to malaria, Of course, modifies all our
modes of building and compelS us to admit
sun and air. Indeed it viii be noticed now
in England that all the country houses are
built much more in the American or French
style than formerly, with airy chambers,
high stories and mucn openness TO the SUN,
and summer balconies for shade
Tho regular form of English houses is
historical feature, result of growth. 1t APP
pears here sometimes where an old country
seat has been enlarged and remodeled and
is wonderfully attractive. l live in such
house, and while enjoy it and am proud of
it, l must confess that it is exceedingly incon-
venient. 1t requires great expense In the
care, lighting. warming and drainage. Tho
cheapest of all houses is the square house, and
as most people build with small means in this
country, they naturally adopt this, or some
modification Of this form. These old and ir-
regular English villas, it should be remem-
bered, havo become nuisanceS under modern
sanitary ideas. Their drainage is cxecrable,
and they are often nests of typhoid fever.
DRAINAGE THE FIRST THING.
In this country the first thing for house.
holder to consider, before all ornamentation
or architectural effect is drainage. He must
500 to it that his water pipes and drain pipes
arc well protected from tho frost, that the
traps arc close, and that the outflow is unim-
peded In all small households it is the part
OF wisdom to place tho water pipe behind tho
kitchen chimney, which is always warm, and |
to have but one angle and no cross pipes to
any bedroom. SO fatal arc tho return gases
from n drain, that it is safer to keep up the |
Old country custom of bowl and pitcher in |
the bedroom, and obtain oil the water from |
but one place, tho bath room, which should |
be entirely separated from the bedroom 1t |
is believed by physicians that one of the most |
prolific sources of diphtheria and all foul-air |
diseases is the return gas through tho Croton |
water drains
In regard to material, it is doubtful if any
thing is more suitable for this climate than |
wood with "brick filed in" This is dry and |
warm. But in every locality there are pecu-
liar 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 expen-
sive. Stone alone seems often damp and. for |
some unknown reason, not so completely |
water tight a red roof is n very pretty feat
ure, but if of tile or slate it is expensive, and |
if of shingles, exposed to rot. 1t seems Pity |
that the modern black and blue slate Is so |
much taking tho place of shingles in country |
houses. Piazzas are the great necessity in |
this climate, and the prettiest feature in our
architecture. They should not however, be |
built on the south side Of the building, and |
on the west should not be SO broad as TO OK
clude all winter sun. A balcony for an open
cir breakfast would be al exceedingly pretty |
feature in our best VillaS-Bostoa Budget