The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-10

Several months ago a prominent humber
n manufacturer OF this city seat % Japan
q reaSy-rraGs house taken apart in such
a manner that Il could Be placed together
fnaxery short time and made ready FOR oc-
cupaacy TIE scheme vas an experiment
pure ard simple. although a. the time Il
was thought 10 Dc uaerfrorious and needed
only a trial 10 prove It's value. This trial
has been made and proved not only sue
eesstnl In iris particular instance. but has
demonstrated the fact tina. an industry
CT building these take-down houses IN
Seattle and setting them ap in Japan.
Alaska and other places can Be inaugu-
rated that viii prove exceedingly profit
able and furnish labor for 8 great many.
The March number OF the Pacific LuEn-
Der Trade Journal has the following 10 say
OF this ready-made house proposition and
OF the experiment referred 70 above:
Knock-down or ready made houses
ought 10 be IN demand in Alaska this year.
Lumber Is worth from 500 10 $50 per ioss
feet at Circle City and other places on
the Yukon and the most primitive meth
od-whtrl-saw fng-is employed in cutting
UP the small trees in that region. COM
pact knock down house ought, therefore.
ard a ready sale In that region. especial
" during the present mining boom II IS
estimated that 10 900 miners Will work the
Yukon river tributaries this year, and as
the majority viii have TO stay from one
10 three years a domicile is a necessity.
and the reaiy-Enads house ought 10 I'll
the proverbgal fong-felt want
There is also a good field in Japan, ac-
eording 10 the Yokohama Eastern World.
That journal, copying an article anent
the experiment OF the Kerry Lumber
Company. OF Seattle. In sending knock
down house 10 japan. from the Seattle
II ad4 Register. says:
Z" The very unsatisfactory nature OF
woodwork In Japan. both from bad work
nanship and Inferior material. has fire.
quentiy given US occasion to write upon the
ACCESSIBILITY Of having ready-made houses
shipped over from America, and IL seams
that our remarks on the subject have begun
TO bear fruit.
The house described is very much Ike
the one outlined by us In an article on
the value Of ground In Yokohama about
two years ago. and II the Seattle firm who
built IL will push its business in Japan Ii
will soon have to enlarge its establishment.
AS regards houses for foreigners. the Sc
attic firm should buy. or rent. a piece of
ground In Yokohama and erect a small
model house on It. and since its agent has to
pay rent In any case. he should live IN that
house. Next. Japanese houses might be
built by the hundred and shipped to any
part Of this country. and In that line thets
would be the best ana most extensive bust
ness. There is no end to In, indeed If the
wood IL treated with some hre-resisting So
luton that has not much effect on It's nat
ural color. In any case a small beginning
has been made and we shah be pleased to
see the enterprise grow.
" In thu construction Of houses for ia
pan, whether native or foreign, II will
however. have TO be remembered that ia
pan Is an earthquake country. and that the
rigid construction ot American houses
would not answer here. The joints OF tho
beams must have room for play, and we
are told on excellent authority that In the
Joints OF the larger beams there must be
about four inches room for play. otherwise
moderately severe shock might break the
Joints. or pull them apart, and bring down
the building. On that subject, therefore
American builders will have TO carefully
collect Information on tho spot and send
practical house carpenters over here for
the purpose
There ought 10 be an excellent field in
South Africa for these cheap houses. and In
Australia and other mining countries
where cheap. movable houses are needed
and where lumber Is abnormally high In
this country the mining districts OF the
Western states and British Columbia az
ford good field for enterprisiug lumber
men who Will construct knock-down
hns,S@s