The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-12-20
NV IDEAL HOUSE.

house I would first of all plan the
kitoban and piazza. Then l would have
a well and cistern dug, both perfectly
immense, so that in the most pro
tracted drouth the water supply could
not fail. If I had a neighbor their
drain pipes should be at oncer removed
to run in any direction except that OF
nv premises. When my we'll was lin
ished and painted and a good al
and bucket put in working order, the
C stern would be well covered and con
nected by a pump with the klIcnen
After attending these important oe-
tails. I would build a place for the re-
frigerator. with a perforated Hoor con-
str11cted so that no amount OF not
weather could melt ice enough to make
it sloppy Next I should build a cold
closet at the north for a store room,
and I think, owing to the Mckinley
bill. I would be able to have the whole
room lined with home made tin, with
an iron casting for window and door.
This of course would be to prevent the
intrusion of rats or mice. After adding
a parlor, dining room, library and hall
and completing a stairway, 1 should
proceed with the second story.
Here I should start with a large bath
room, with a bath both lengthy and
wide. And now I come to the real
essentials of a house, viz, closets. First,
should have a large, dark, but we'll
ventilated medicine closet. Here my
cough mixtures, mustard sinapisms,
dried hops and pill bottles would be
safe from the observation of unbeliev-
ers and uncomfortable people who
never need any sort of medicine except
brandy and soda. Then I would build
the most convenient closets, with
drawers reaching to the ceiling, where
dress skirts of the frailest material
could be laid at full length. There
would be shelves for hats and bonnets,
linen closets, bag closets and a very
large cedar closet for mems winter
clio hes. This should be so permeated
with camphor that moth balls need
never be put in an ~overCoat pocket,
and thus there would be no excuse for
those dreadful words that men use
when they smell them In the fall Then
would have shelves in different places
for paper-covered novels, and no end
of racks for newspapers, By the time
all these we're finished, I would add
several large sleeping rooms with win
dows opening to the floor of the upper
piazza. These rooms, to please our city
friends, should be fitted with electric
bells and lights, gas, set bowls and We,
netian blinds, and all the little conven-
fences that people seem to expect 20
miles from the nearest town. A mo-
squito, spider or fly should never in
wade these rooms, and yet the windows
should be open day and night. The sun
should never be too warm or the breeze
too cool to please visitors. My servants
room should be on the third floor and
my laundry in the cellar, where skilled
fingers would renew my friends frills
and laces without tearing or scotching.
Then if I could petition the State au-
thorities to m~acadamize all the roads,
I might supply my summer visitors
with saddles and driving horses, and
by having a telephone and a pneumatic
fresh meat and fruit connection with a
metropolitan market, I could make it
pleasant for a few city friends. Why,
lean almost hear them saying on their
return, "Oh! we have had such fun
r~usticating with l. up in the coun-
try.-H. p. r.