The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-02
-----------------4--
LIFE IN A DUG-OUT.

From the 81. Louis GiOo- Lemoci at
Some people are not aware of the
fact that in the southwestern part of
this country a considerable percentage
of the people live actually under the
ground. Farmers, cowboys. ranchmen
and various others are among the num-
Der, and they form by no means
poverty-stricken array. Put yourself
in similar circumstances and see what
You would be most likely to do. You
take up claim of six hundred and
forty acres of government land, on
Which you propose to make your home
4or some time to come. 1t is absolute
y necessary for you to have e house.
but you have no lumber, except that of
which your big wagon is composed.
You are miles from a-railroad, and still
many miles from sawmill. You may
have ten thousand dollars in gold in
your pocket, but gold won't buy lum-
Der where there is none to buy. and
you can't build a house out of gold it
self. What shall you do? Ii you
are a sensible man. you simply
dig you a house in the ground,
roof it over and spend your nights
unmolested by cyclones in the spring
or northers in the winter. OF course.
you expect some day soon to build you
a house of different kind, but you
gradually grow to like your new quar-
tiers, and as you are very busy any way,
that ''some day" doesn't come for a
long time. Dugouts have been great
help to Texas. Many herd has been
kept and many farm has been cult
waited which never would have been till
years later had the owner been obliged
of wood or brick.
Some are dug straight down into the
ground, while others are dug in the
side of q hill. The one in which re-
Gently spent the night was of the
former kind. 1t was fifteen By twenty
feet at the bottom and about seven feet
deep. About three feet from the floor
the walls were abruptly widened out,
thus giving a shelf in NE solid earthen
wall, some three feet wide and extend /
ing around the whole OF the room. This /
was an exceedingly convenient ar
rangement, as it answered for chairs, 4
miscellaneous shelving, i
and beds, all in one My friend had 1
cut fireplace of proper size in 4
the solid dirt wall, and by /
means of post-hole augur had 1
bored a chimney down to it. One 4
single joint stovepipe projected from 4
the top of this chimney out into the 4
open air. Looking up from within I
could see the structure of the roof.
One log had been laid across the dug
ont in the direction OF its greatest ex-
tent, and did duty as a ridge pole.
Smaller ones were placed with one end
on this and the other on the ground,
just as the rafters of house are ar
ranged Hay had been thrown on top
OF these, and above all a pile of dirt
had been banked up. There was a
door in this like that of cell
lar, and leading up TO it was fight OF
steps 7 hese were rather steep. but
one was not afraid of their breaking
down with him. They were cut in
solid dirt Under ordinary circum-
stances one might have objected 20 the
room on the score of its having moth
ing resemb bling a window. but with the
outside as il was. this was
an advantage rather than otherwise.
a bright roaring FIRE burned on the
hearth, and as werecliued on the
blankets spread over our shelflike beds,
thought the whole scene an en-
bodiment of substantial, comfortable.
and picturesque luxury. We could
hear the wind bowling and roar ing
but aside from this there was
1oth!Dg TO indicate that the first
northern of the sesson. and one Of the
fercest known for years. was raging
outside
One class of dogouts, instead Of go
ug vertically into the ground go in
a. the side Of a kill o. a
1ank of earth This form j. preferz-
Die 10 the other, but Of course the
snding Of suita bic Hill is prc--eo-
sisite 10 It's construction Once when |
n the Swisber country. over one hun-
sred miles west OF here. j saw . house
4 this kind, furnished n manner 20
atis<y any cody's taste Il was built !
With view Lot 20 saving n0rev. On,
. saving wood IAe walls AID ce4-
NJ had been cznvzsed and papered.
he foor had been Si-ewn with hay
nd then covered with rich carp~;iog.
7ut there was not . particle Of wooden {
ioorinr, and onlySEorga wood for
for Ealls >ssd ~~ilialz / c