The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-09-04
ADOBE HOUSES
Simple Architecture Of The Mud
Residences in New Mexico
Most are inexpensive, but Some
Cost Thirty Thousand Dollars

tuluet Wuefe q fhlug NAJ ~ ~ AAtR
that Il is marked with a red cross, the
native contractor and builder wastes
no time figuring on the strength Of
material, the crushing weight Of tubu-
lar columns aud tho wind pressure
per square foot OF elevation. He sim
ply rolls bis trousers up above his
knees, digs down in a favored ditch
or pond until he strikes the "dobe
mud, aud in a short time be il ready
to begin constructive operations
Adobe houses are brick houses, but
the brick Is sun-dried and made with
straw. The clay or mud Of which the
brick IL made is a natural cement, PEE
culiar 10 the arid plains Of New Mex
leo, Arizona, Nevada, and that belt Of
States and Territories. Il is turned
ont 10 the most primitive manner, and
the Blue Island brickmaker who might
happen upon a hast-breed or Mexican
'dobe-brick maker, would view the
operation with amusement or disgust
Kiln-burned brick, made Of blue clay,
however, would not meet the require
ments imposed by the climatic oondi-
tious of those countries where adobe
brick is used.
Ia summer an adobe house is cool;
in winter it is warm. It's thick walls
absorb tine occasional rain, and al
though the sun-drled brick is soft
compared with the kiln-dried article,
it does not crumble, and it stands for
ages.
A man who recently travelled
through New Mexico was much inter-
ested in the 'dobe houses For weeks
he inquired and searched for 'dobe
house in the hands of the builders.
At length in Saute Fe he stumbl led
upon a couple of men stamping with
their bare feet upon clay in a wooden
frame. He inquired and found that he
was looking upon two Mexicans maxi
ing adobe brick. In describing the
process he said:
"The men actually dug up the
'dobe mud from the bottom Of the
ditch which skirted the road. They
mixed it, or. as we say, tempered it
with water until it was of stiff, clayey
consistency. Then they chopped al
falfa hay into short pieces and mixed
it with the clay and their material was
ready to make into brick. A wood
frame lay on the ground This frame
was filled with the 'dobe mud mixed
with hay, aud one of the men got into
= the frame and stamped the mud down
: with his bare feet, at the same time
: tampng it with stick. After tn,
. frame was packed hard he scraped the
t surplus mud off with stick
, SO that the top surface wa
s level with the upper edges 0
e the frame, and then lifting the franz
e from the clay he carried the brick t
7 one side of the road and stood it o.
: its edge. The next brick he made b
= leaned against the first one, and 500
he had dozen large bricks-eac
# twice as wide and long and thick as a
c ordinary brick-drying in the SUI
y One Of the men told me that the brick
: would be ready to lay in three or for
days, and that they used tho mu
which the bricks are made Of for til
plaster.
d ''The walls of an adobe house Al
n very thick, sometimes two or thr,
e feet, and in the ordinary one-stol
as adobe house, which is characterize
s. OF that region, they are built up pc
'd fectly plain until they reach the roo
- The roof IS supported on wood'
s. beams, laid edgewise on the walls, al
q the bricks arc built up level with L
s. top of the beams between the timber
s. leaving the edge OF the ersexpose
40 The roof has slight slant, and
IS made of adobe bricks. When it raj
le the water soaks into the roof bricl
d but does not begin to drip down in
the rooms below until the rain is ov,
Then the family moves out until t
y water is through with its dripping.
- I saw an adobe house in Santa
which was built in the sixteenth c,
fury. and, so far as could see, I
80 a.. ,A-o,,c. ot,1 -.coI -.