Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-30

0AAp must obtain our building ma
terials il the future, the use Of which are
SO well known in the present day and have
long since been tried and not found want
ing.
h wooden age OF home building be-
longs to the past. 1t is as fitting and
proper from every viewpoint to make our
homes Of masonry today, as 1t was to make
them Of wood n the olden times. 1t is un-
questionably a more durable construction
and therefore more economical. A perish
able material must be very cheap indeed
II 1t is less expensive in the long run than
a more durable substitute, but wood con-
struction is not cheap under the prevailing
prices of lumber. In addition to the dura-
blity and economy of brick construction
Is the wider range admitted in the way of
beauty.
A brick house will command immediate
respect, even when poorly designed in an
architectural way. How enduring and sub
stantial 1t looks with it's solid walls and
deep reveals, and how much strength of
character is expressed in the very color
of brick work, which only becomes the
more beautiful with age, and it lasts I'M
renewed for ages. Moisture does not affect
brick work. 1t is true hat it is more or
less porous, but there are so many simple
ways of preventing the moisture from pene-
trating to the inner surface OF a wall that
it is not a point to be considered. Brick
will not disintegrate when it is frosted, as
is the case with many kinds Of stone.
Having already been burned in the klns
until Opaque it will Withstand the hottest
fire and will not crack and crumble under
the severe test of alternate intense heating
and sudden cooling with water. Marble be-
comes chalk under this test and but few
kinds of stones will stand II. Since stone
will not<stand as well as brick, the vary
ing conditions under which 1t is often
placed, 1t is not strange that the life of a
wood frame house is so much shorter than
that Of a brick one. Wood will rot when
damp. 1t will deteriorate when dry and
dry rot" when excluded from the air.
Looking back over the annals of our
youthful country, how many of the wooden
houses are sim existing in which were
planned It's freedom? 1t is safe to say
that not one is standing in a good state
OF preservation. All have met destruction
in the flames, at the hands OF men or
have fallen into unreasonable decay and
stand tottering on the brink Of yesterday.
Thanks to public-spirited citizens, we stiI
have with us to awaken our patriotic
feelings the old but sturdy brick buildings
OF Faneuil Hall, the old state house of
Massachusetts, and independence Hall,
though the exterior wood ornaments and
mouldings have been replaced many times.
The first objection from an architects
standpoint for the universal use of brick
as a building material in the early days
was the lack OF variety In colors, the first
bricks manufactured in the country being
practically all confined to two colors, a
creamy yellow and red The discovery Of
many different clay beds throughout the
country and the invention OF many modern
processes for the manufacture Of bricks
have made II possible TO purchase them Ia
almost any color and any variety Of tex
ture desired. Brick veneers belong mostly
I'm three cla~sses-sand mould brick smooth
lace brick and vitrified brick. SAND mould
bricks are the softest and cheapest. the
easiest to lay I'm cold weather, the quickest
10 lay at all times, but are less attractive
and less permanent than other veneers,
The most commonly used brick for veneer
n a smooth face. hard burned brick, which
can be obtained In a great variety OF coll
ors. some being clear colors, others having
a notified effect. which comes from the
clay with which they are manufactured,