Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-03-11
WINTER LIFE IN DAKOTA.
Description Of the Method OF Construct
ing Sod Houses ON the Prairie.

Description Of the Method OF Construct
ing Sod Houses on the Prairie.
81 was at the house Of an old Scotch
mar a year or two ago. ""said an old Da-
kotan. Several of Us young people were
sitting at the table in the living room
playing cards. Outside a blizzard was
bowling. The old man said:
81 think | will 60 out To the sheds and
zee how the stock are
".Don't you co. l replied.
al guess | will
81 look I'd over my shoulder and said:
Sec hers, old man, don't you try that;
you stay right here You may think this
vas considerable fuss to make, as the
sheds were not over four rods from the
house; but | had become acquainted with
winter weather on the p~rairies. We went
on with our game and nothing more was
said. About ten minutes later | looked
up and the old man was gone, Did your
father go outF l asked one of the girls.
Yes she replied, and | don't see what
keeps him. l wish you would so out and
fnd him.
II wrapped up and started out, first
taking the p~recaution TO take one end of
rope, which l trailed after me. About
half way between the sheds and the
house | found the old man on his hands
and knees in the snow, which was seven
feet deep, crawling about, trying to find
the house. lie was then nearly dead,
and ten minutes more would have fin
ished him. | picked him up, and car
ried him TO the house, where with snow,
fee water, and whisky, supplemented
with an hour or two Of hard work, we
managed to save his life"
show do people manage 10 live in
such a climate2'
silver Why, they prepare for it.
The early comer geEcrally put up sod
houses, and there is n0sbing in the world
% warm as a sod house. You can walk
around barefoot on the floor Of one if
properly constructed, In the coolest
weather. After they have been there long
enough settlers generally build log
houses, hauling logs thirty or forty miles
for the purpose. These houses are warm
and comfortable. So long as YOU don't
have to 60 out you don't know what
winter is. But the sod house is not to
be treated with disdain, / assure you"
slow are they builty''
SIN the first place a frame Of boards.
the size the house IS 10 be. is put up so as
TO give the house a nice appearance in
side; the roof also is boarded over. Then
the sod is cut with a plow. and a bank
thras or four feet thick is raised all
around this frame. Every sod is Jaid as
carefully as a mason lays a brick, the
roots up, and all openings are filled in
with lne dirt. Openings are made for
the windows and doors, which have
frames extending from inside 10 outside.
These viii contain sometimes three win
dows for winter-lways two. When
the sod rampant is raised to the height Of
Che roof. poles are laid on and then sod
put over those. The roots hold every
thing firm. You would be surprised TO
see the roots. Some Of those grass roots
are as thick as my finger. and extend
down from from ten 10 fourteen feet.
"What2'
ats n fact, ! assure you. ] have fol-
lowed them down myself when digging
wells in that blue joint grass land. Why,
q man in blowing has 10 stop and Gharpen
bis plow every eighty rods If he cares
anything for his team. The blacksmith
draws out the point, but that and the
edge both have TO lie filed down as sharp
o. possible, and then, as | say, sharpened
every eighty rods. But 30 return 10 the
cod house. After the outside Is com
pleted the inside is finished up 10 suit the
taste and pocket Of the proprietor. Some
have only the carthen floor, and other
have a board Goor, aud are divided uT
Into two or three rooms. And, ! tel
you. for winter comfort in Dakota a SOC
house leafs them all. Besides these,
there are dugouts on the side Of a hill
and occasionally you will meet n onth'
prairie. The class Of settlers that CONF
In there M a rule have 10 put up with al
most everything the first year or two."-
H1tlxyuulaa rar Gltaufra Times