The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-18

Another evidence OF the enterprise or
Seattle business firms will find a unique
expression upon the sailing of the Kin
shiu Maru for the Orient. when the Kerry
mill. of which A. 8. Kerry is the head
will ship 10 Japan a full two-story house.
in sections. or as the commercial term
would make IL. knock down." ready TO
be set up as soon as delivered upon the
site for it. which has already been
chosen.
The scheme was tried with signal sue
cess by the enterprisins lumber and mill
men of Chicago and Minneapolis during
the days of the phenomenal development
OF the prairie states. and today, in
condition of greater prosperity. there is
occasionally dropped down in Kansas and
Nebraska a knock down house that is
soon set up in a place perhaps remote
from the business centers and lumber
yards. In the same connection II may be
said that some of these houses were
again knocked down. or up, by the swirl
ing and impatient cyclone. that played
no favorites." circulating through the
country. kicking up dust and making the
same trouble for the just as far the UNI
Just. The Chicago and Minneapolis
houses were the logical successors of the
''dug-ous'' and ''tepee." in the same way
that the Seattle house must in time SUI
persede the constructions of bamboo In
mill is TO ind a resting place. The send
ing of a ready-made house 10 Japan can
hardly be called an experiment Its sue
cess having been assured before the work
was commenced. Mr. NJ Carruthers, the
Yokohama agent of the Kerry mill. had
reported what every one already knew.
that the timber OF Japan was that of the
cultivated forest. scrubby and small. un-
1T for anything but the toughest con-
structfon.
This fact has appeared in the shipments
of lumber dressed and undressed. that
have been going West as fast as steamers
and sailing vessels could move the out
puts OF the mills. but nobody had sent ever
whole houses. ready to set up. until Mr..
Carruthers had negotiated a sale and MIR.
Kerry had decided to branch out in the
ready-made building line.
The house that will go over on the Kim
shiu Maru will be good example OF
American cottage architecture. two full
stories high. 24x2s feet on the sides. which
are made Of Axe fir on posts. There are
two rooms on the ground floor. hallway
and an open stairway The ssudd.ng il 2x4
and the outside Is sheathed with dressed
I-inch stuff on end, hattened. The upper
floor has two rooms and small hallway.
The chimney that the Kerry people are
sending over is of terra Gotta All rooms
are provided with closets. and there Is .
modern bathroom with modern plumbing
on the upper floor.
The floor and ceiling joists are IKE and
rafters 2x4 The floors are clear Wash
ington AR. tongued and gooved. The roof
boards will he | inch. covered with
shingles There is nothing lacking in the
consignment TO make the Job a eomp'efe
one when turned over to the japanese
purchasers f1hat Mr.. carruthers has found
in advance The paint 10 brighten the out
side, the vsrnish 10 finish up the interior
the sashe9 already glazed the doors sized
and finished 10 At the openings and even
cloth for covering the interior ard wall
paper 10 brighten things up and make the
little American house altogether AmerE-
can--everythirg is In readiness. The
builders hardware. including locks and
hinges. window weights and fastenings
the bath tub, closet. sink and general
plumbing. all will enter into the construc-
ton OF the first building OF the KIND in
the Orient.
There will not be the first suggestion
OF anything un-American unless II be I'm
the furnishings. and those the Kerry mill
does not supply. The whole construction
will as far possible. be made OF
Washington material. and there is little
question that the American house. plump
ed down near the very country where
ALADDIN rubbed his wonderful lamp and
made palace rear its walls In night.
will attract almost much attention as
though the mythical tale were given an
actual expression as II was told TO Ha-
roun al Raschid.
The building Of knock down. house
on Puget sound has been tried success
fully before. although the result was not
sent abroad. When the government con-
tracts were let In 1891 for the customs
houses at Mary Island and Sand point.
and later in 1895 for the building OF school
houses in Tnalaska and other parts OF the
Northwest territory. the buildings were
all framed on Puget sound and the first
coat Of paint given them before they
were loaded In sections and shipped 10
their destinations Even the balls on ton
of the fagstafYs were giIded and all that
could be done before shipping them north
was dore.
The present case, however IL different
and Is commercial problem of great i'm
rortsnce. The field is an enormous one
and with the growing ideas and import
ance of the empire the shipping OF ready
made houses will open np a business of
vas, proportions. The Kerry mill peorle
are perfectly satisfied al the outlook and
are confident of the results Of their en-
terprise-