The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-11-07
WOMAN BUILDS HOUSE
EREcTS NlNE-RooM STRUCTURE
IN KANSAS CITY UNAIDEp.
Plans Also Of Her Own Maklng-Hlred
Four-Dolar-a-Day Carpenter, But
Found That He Botched
Things.

Kansas City, Mo,-Miss Lille M.
Johnson has completed and moved
into nine-room house at No. 2S48
North Eighth street, and she says with
PRIDE Il built it all myself, except
little bit of botched work done by
four-dollar-a'day carpenter"
Miss Johnson began work on her
house in the fall following the food
in the Kaw valley in 1906 She was a
Salvation Army worker in Armourdale
at the time Of the food She lost
everything except seven dollars. She
went to a real estate firm and arrang-
ed to buy on payments the 100 feet of
ground on which her house stands.
The first payment was $40, but she
was allowed to take the ground on the
promise that she would pay the
amount in 30 days. She kept her
promise.
After the ground was secured she
started canvassing for a medicated
soap firm and soon made enough to
fence the ground. The cold weather
forced her to seek indoor work. Then
she began wrapping candles in a fac
tory.
n May, 1904, Miss johnson built a
two-room box-house, doing all the
work herself and getting the lumber
on easy payments. After moving into
her new home she received two wom-
en- as boarders. She was able, by the
first Of July, to buy COW. She sold
the milk, and with her earnings bought
an incubator.
Then she reared so chickens, hop
ing to make payment on the ground
She penned up the springs" to fatten
them, but thief stole them. Then
Miss Johnson found herself facing a
payment without the necessary money.
However, her resources We're not ex-
hausted. She began taking in wash
ing. Through these various means
she paid for the lot
But Miss Johnson was not satisfied.
She must enlarge her house. She
graded her lot with spade and
wheelbarrow, laid the foundation, put
up the frames, rooted, boxed and
weather boarded the addition.
But she was forced to hire a car
penter to make her window frames.
She has finished the entire interior of
the house, laying the floors, lathing,
plastering and papering the walls.
The plans of the house were made by
her and many original ideas have en-.
tered into it. She has a large cup
board in the dining-room, which ex.
tends along one whole side of the
room. This cupboard has compart
ments for all the cooking necessities
-four, coffee, tea and spices and a
large shelf for displaying dishes.
In her living room Miss Johnson has
bay window fitted up as conserva
tory In this she has many beautiful
plants.
The grounds about the house are
well kept A large grape arbor, fruit
trees and flower beds with the blue
grass lawn make the place attractive
How did learn to do carpenter
work? Why, just found l could do it
when l built my little two.room box
house, and | determined to try my
hand on something better" Miss
Johnson said.
Il had only three tools when
started out-a hammer, hatchet ant
saw AS | made more money waf
able to buy more tools, till now l have
complete set.
81 hope to finish painting the house
this fall, and when | get the porch
columns in place in the spring the
ranch will be finished. And I'll bet nj
passer-by would know that a woman
built It,"