Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-06-07
Homes Of Savage Men.
A Collection of Curious Models i'm the
National Museum.
Snow Huts of the Eskimo-The Plank
Houses OF the Haidas-The In
dian Tepee and the Roopa
Bark Shed.
From the Washington Star.

els made Ill Slay of whole villages. or |
pu bios. made by Indians of the south |
west, and OF houses bulls far up the side |
OF cliff by men who inhabited the |
country before the pueblo builders. There |
are cases, too, filled with models of hurs |
and tents of various kinds, showing how |
the peoples of different parts of the |
world have settled for themselves one of |
the first problems presented 10 them.
Prof. Otis L. Mason, the Curator of the |
Department of Ethnology says to a Star
reporter that modern house-buiIdinp or |
architecture has not been developed from |
one point. There were, he said several |
different starting points, the cave, the |
hut, the tent. Savage or primitive peo- |
pie seek shelter either from the sun or |
from cold. If they live in treeless !
country 1t Is likely their house will be a |
cave or tent of skins. If trees are |
abundant they will construct a hut of |
ooughs. All the characteristic forms of |
srchltscture are traced back to these |
simple beginnings. The columns of An |
Egyptian temple are but imitation of |
Nile reeds tied in bundle, and their |
walls imitation of plated mats. From |
the tent has come the dome, aud the |
graceful Dorlc column was derived from
the trunk OF tree used as the corner
post of house. Many Intutored peo-
pie have shown much ingenuity IN their
house-building.
Among the most interesting of the
dwellings CONSTRUCTED by savage people
Is the snow-hus of the Eskimo. There
are two models of snow-huts in the
National Museum, which have a peculiar
interest because they we're made by DIR.
kane's Eskimo, Joe. One of them gives
sectional view showing the manner of
construction. These dome-shapsl huts
are constructed entirely of blocks of
packed snow, with a window or skyIirht
in the top formed OF block or slab of
transparent ice. The Eskimo gets access
to his hut by creeping through low
passage. The interior is email circular
apartment with an arched roof Gener-
ally there are three siuilar huts or com.
partments communicating by means of
low doorways with this main apartment.
These are winter habitatious and have to
be reconstructed every year. In the sum
mer the Eskimo lives in q tent made of
seal and wal1us skins, the latter being
shaved thin so that it admits the light
through it. The tent is supported with
tent-pole of bones or deer horns The
Eskimo has also huts constructed of
bones, which are durable and become ex-
Get dinghy filthy by reason of the aocumu-
lation of dirt and refuse about them.
The snow huts and houses of ice are
made anew every winter, and hence are
clean and neat. When the Eskimo be-
gins to build his house he cuts with
long knife of bone or metal from a drift
Of hard and compact snow a member of
oblong slabs, 6 or 7 inches thick and
feet long. He lays a tier of these edge
wise on level spot so as to form circle
to Is feet in diameter, according to the
size of the house he needs to accommodate
his family. Then a second tier of snow
blocks is laid on the first, the pieces
being inclined inward. Then he builds
up his dome, working always on the in
side and smoothing the joints with his
long, fiat trowel or knife. Finally the
last block or Keystone Is dropped into its
place, and the dome is complete The
builder then let's himself out by cutting a
hole in the ground, which afterwards be
comes the doorway to his d EeIling.
Snow is banked all around in the interior.
forming sort of circular platform or
shelf, on which the family make their
beds. The snow for this purpose is out
generally from the space immeC lately In
front of the doorway, thus forming pas
sage to the house sunk below the surface
OF the surrounding snow. This passage
Is walled up and rooted over with snow
masonry. On the snow bank or platform
In the lnterIar twigs are piled and deer
skins are spread, making very comfort
able beds. Each woman has her fireplace
and lamp. The lamps are shallow vessels
provided With wlcks made of dry moss,
which burn without emitting smoke or
A NT
over the flame and under the action of the
heat the oil dr1ps out of it into the shall
low vessel, the lamp thus being made
self feeder. Over this lamp the Eskimo
woman cooks. A frame of wood to hang
pots on Is constructed'over it and also a
hoop of bone on. which wet boots and
other articles to be dried a-e hung, This
is all the fire the Eskimo has and about
all he could have in his snow hut without
threatening the safety of his house. In
the spring time when the temperature
rises, the snow hut becomes somewhat M
comfortable on account of the drippinp
of water from the ceiling AMI the Eskimo
soon abandons it.
The Indians of British Columbia and
The northwest coast, where cedar trees
grow In abundance, have developed into
expert house carpenters. In the Haida
villages, and among other neighborinp
Indians, will be found rows of pabled
houses made of boards and all facing the
sea. A model of such house ia shown in
the museum, with one side of the roof
hung on hinge, so one can open it and
inspect the interior. These houses are
40 to so feet long, and each is occupied
by several families. The door is in the
center of the front of the house, or of the
side facing the sea. The frame of the
house is made with heavy corner posts
and centre posts and lighter poles or up.
rights between connected with cross bars
tied to the outer side with ropes of cedar
bark. The tops of the corner posts are
cut out and beam laid over them at the
caves In the interior, near the centre
line of the house, are placed heavy pillars
or posts Il feet in diameter, which form
the principal support of the roof. The
ridge pole and rafters are secured in their
places with ropes Of cedar bark After
the frame work is constructed which sup-
ports the roof, bank about feet in
height is raised all around the house, 80
as TO be inside the walls when they are com
pIeted, and heavy boards 4 or inches
thick, are i'm planted lengthwise along the
front of the house, and the earth forming
the bank stamped against them so as to
form a platform, which later on is con
tinued all around the house. The upper
edges of the boards implanted into the |
ground are grooved, and in this grove the
boards formingith the front wall stand The |
rear wall is constructed in = similar man
ner. The boards of the side wall are i'm
planted into the ground, standing verti- |
cally, their upper ends being tied to the
beam forming the top of the frame work. |
The roof ls made of boards running from
the gable to the side beams, and Tapped |
like tiles. The house about is often Or
namented with a moulding. Three steps
are made at the door of blocks OF wood. |
These steps lead ND to the platform or
bank of earth. Inside there are three |
steps leading from this platform down to |
the floor. There Is no chimney, but some |
of the boards of the roof are left loose go |
that they can be pushed aside to let the |
smoke escape. A stationary ladder made |
of trunk of tree, into which steps are |
cut, is leaned against the side OF the |
house to give access to the roof. Generally |
such house is occupied by four families, |
each occupying corner and having its |
own fireplace. The corner belonging tc |
each family is divided of from the main |
room by a rough framework of poles. |
The bed rooms are miniature houses, |
erected along platform or bank of earth, |