The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-02-27
WOMAN BUILDS HOUSE
EREcTs NlNE.RooM STRUCTURE
IN KANSAS CITY UNAlDED.
Plans Also Of Her Own Maklno--Hlred
Four-ooHar.aDay Carpenter But
Found That He 6otched
Things.

Kansas City, Mo-Miss Lille NJ.
Johnson has completed and moved
into nineroom house at No. 2S4S
North Eighth street, and she says with
pride; ~ built it all myself, except
little bit of botched work done by a
tourdollar-a-day carpenter"
Hiss Johnson began work on her
Lruse in the fall following the flood
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 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 80 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 fac
tory.
In May, 1904, Miss Johnson built a
two-room DOLLHOUSE, doing all the
work herself and getting the lumber
on easy payments. After moving into
her new home she received two WON
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 50 chickens, hop
ing to make payment on the ground.
She penned up the springs" to fatten
them, but a thief stole them. Then
Miss Johnson found herself facing a
payment without the necessary money.
However, her resources were 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 a spade and
wheelbarrow, laid the foundation, put
up the frames@A 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 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
we'll 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 could do it,
when I built my little two-room box
house, and l determined to try my
hand on something better Miss
Johnson said.
Il had only three tools when |
started Uut-a hammer, Ratchet and
saw. AS | made more money was
able to buy more tools, till now have
complete set.
Il 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 no
passer-by would know that woman
built it."