Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-07

difficult to cross, or even quite impossible.
The action of laternal pressure. of heat
produced by the tremendous friction of
evaporation and liberation, has often
broke the surface into innumerable cones
few yards high, in form and color resem-
bling the tents of an encampment.
HOUSES OF THE ROMANS.
The Manner of Their Nero's
Golden Palace.
In the CARRIAGES of Rome the houses were
merely matched cottages, says the New
York Ledger After the city was burned
by the Gauls they wern built in a more
spacious and convenient style, and of more
substantial materials, but so great was
the haste to have them erected that no at
tention was paid to the regularity of the
streets. Every one set down his inhabita-
ton according to his own taste or fancy.
The success of the Roman arms in Greece
served to introduce an immense improve
ment in the Romon architecture, and to-
ward the Augustan era Rome might we'll
boast of the magnifcence of her buildings.
During the reign of Augustus the improve
ments seem to have been conducted on
very extensive scale and to have justified
the emperor in exclaiming that he had
found Rome Of brick and had left it of
marble. Still, however, the streets con-
tinued narrow and crooked and the houses
were for the most part of wood, generally
Of three stories and very inconvenient A
dreadful confagation in the reign of Nero
reduced the greater part of Rome to ashes,
but it was soon after rebuilt with increas,
ed splendor The streets were made of
i IC;1
regularity, and the height of the houses
was restricted to a certain standard. Every
house was ordered to be isolated. and to be
built of stone. This also contributed to
the health and magnifcence of Rome,
though there were many at the time who
censured the Improvements and lofty
houses produced an agreeable shade in the
heat OF summer, and rendered the city
both pleasant and salubrious.
The vestibule of the golden palace of
Nero was so extensive that It had three
porticos each mile in length, and which
inciosed large basin of water, surround
ed by so many buildings that they present
ed the appearance OF town.
The door was made in general of diff
ferent kinds of wood, such as cedar. cy-
press, elm and oak, but sometimes of iron
or of brass. The doors of the temple were
often inlaid with ivory and gold. They
were In general elevated above the streets
by flight of steps, at least this was the
case in the temples, and in all probability
also in the houses of Pompeii are found on
a level with the foot-paths. The door
opened inward, like those made by US; but
among the Greeks, and IN order to con-
fer honor on meritorious citizens among
the Romans, it was made to open outward.
Hence arose the custom. when person in
tended going out of a house, of knocking
on the door to warn those VINO were pass
ing by to get out of the way-a circun,-
stance which serves to explain some
passages of the dramatic authors of that
period.
A slave, usually in chains, acted as por-
ter He bore in his hand bludceOn and
had by his side dog. chaned up like him
self. On his lodge was painted Gave
Cauem' (beware Of the dog. Dogs are
often employed to guard the temples. Old
women were also sometimes employed as
porters.
On days of rejoicing, such as the birth
of child, the doors were ornamented with
flowers and branches of trees, and in the
evening we're Illuminated. By a decree
of the senate branches of laurel were
suspended at the door and a garland of
oak leaves was placed on the summit Of the
palace of Augustus. Tiberius declined
this honor
When the door was shut it was secured
by the bolts and locks sometimes two
bolts were used, one above and the other
below. The lock seems to have been NOV
able, like our paddock. Knockers or
bolts appear to have been generally used
once.
The gale served as an entrance to the
hall, three sides of which were supported
on pillars. The side opposite to the en-
trance was fitted up as the library, where
the family archievessswere kept The hall
was the principal bed chamber and the
spot where domestic manufactures were
carried on. In ancient times it served as
the kitchen, and the place where the
family supped. 1t was also the room
where the noble families kept the statues
1t was ornamented with paintings, statues
by curtains. Visitors were received into
these divisions according to their rank.
A blazing wood fire was ALWAYS kept in it,
and it was the duty of the porter to pro-
vide the necessary fuel. The Romans
seem to have had no chimneys, and were
sadly annoyed with smoke; hence the
month of December was called smoky, on
account of the fires which were then nee
essary. They seem to have made use of
portable stoves to heat the different parts
Of the house. and in the time of Seneca,
the plan of heating the upper floors from
below, by means of pipe built in the walls
was discovered