The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-07-09

A Interesting Reminlsss,ss = knxly Days
% ths rrsntasr.
Log cabin building was great Ia 70
the boys although they did not flnd u
easy work There was : certain novel;
" about the raising Of the structure that
was 70 be home, and N intsrest IN
learning the use Of rude tools, that
lasted until the cabin was finished The
maui and the wedges. the frow and the
little maui intended for IL and all the
other means and appliances Of the build
ing were all new and strange TO these
bright lads.
First, the size Of the cabin, twelve
feet wide and twenty feet long, was
marked ont on the site on which 1t was
70 rise, and four logs were laid to de-
fine the foundation. These were the
sills Of the new house. At each end Of
every log two notches were cut, one on
the under side and one on the upper, to
At into similar notches cut In the log
below, and in that which was to
be placed on top. So each corner
was formed by these interlacing
and overlapping ends The logs
were piled up. one above another,
just rs children build lighthouses, i"
from odds and ends Of playthinga
Cabin builders do not say that cabin
IL certain number Of feet high; they
usually say that It Is ten logs high, or
twelve logs high, Is the case may be-
When the structure is as high as the
caves are intended to be, the top logs
are bound together, from side to side,
with smaller logs fitted upon the upper
logs Of each side and laid across as If
they were to be the supports of floor
for another story. Then the gable
sendsIareEbnih uploflogs shorter and
shorter as the peak of the gable is APP
preached, and kept in place by other
small logs laid across, endwise Of the
cabin, and looked into the end Of each
log in the gable until all arc in place.
On these transverse logs, or rafters, the
roof is laid. Holes are cut or sawed
through the logs for the door and win
dows, and the house begins to look
habitable.
The settlers on tho Republican Fork
cut the holes for doors and windows boz
fore they put on the roof, and when the
layer of split shakes that made the root
was in place, and the boys bounded In
side to SEQ how things looked, they were
greatly amused to notice how light It
was The space between the logs was
almost wide enough to crawl through.
Oscar said. But they had studied log
cabin building enough to know that
these wide cracks were to be 'chinked"
with thin strips of wood, the refuse OF
shakes, driven in tightly, and then
dnubed over with clay, fine bed Of
which was fortunately near at hand.
The provident Younkins had laid away
in his own cabin the sashes and glass
for. two small windows; and these he
had agreed to sell to the newcomer.
Partly-hewn logs for floor joists vera
placed upon the ground inside the cab
in, previously leveled off for the pur-
pose On these were laid thick slabs Of
oak and hickory. rivcn out OF logs
drawn from the grove near by. These
slabs of hard wood were "puncheons."
and fortunate as was the man who
could have floor of sawed lumber 70
his cabin, he who was obliged to use
puncheons was better of than those
with whom timber was SO scarce that
the natural surface OF the ground was
their only foor.-Noah Brooks, in st.
Nicholas. IL