Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-12-02
Mrs. Maude Newell Williams Writes
Of Conditions at Bucaramanga--
Life is Rush
BUILDING A HOME
FROM MUD AT HAND
No Glass Used in the Windows;
Never Cold There and Why Have
Windows in Houses?

This Office has received letter
from Mrs. Maude Newell Williams,
Bucaramanga, South America, which
in part runs:
We are well, out here. Are more
than busy as usual. Life is a rush,
most anywhere you try to live 1t, i
find. Mr.. Williams has turned carpen-
ter, mason, and several other things
NECESSARY to be in order to construct
a house out here. He is building two
houses, residences for the new family
that has come to assist us in the work
and for ourselves. They are built in
Spanish style, delightful rambling
affairs, with big courts in the center.
1t has been interesting to watch their
construction-mud walls nearly three
feet thick, built foot by foot in wooden
frames, two men working inside each
frame ,tamping dirt with mallet two
inches wide. The mallet is so narrow
to insure sOlidness and firmnesS in the
tamping, thy say. The dirt here is of
a sickness, so when it dries the walls
resemble cement and when they are
plastered and tinted they are very
pretty. You will have seen them in
southwestern u. S., I am sure. The
roofs are made with long poles tied
across other poles, by means Of reed
with bamboo tied securely to the
poles, and light tile placed cunningly
on top of the bamboo. The roofs are
beautiful, and are durable, though
for my part, cannot see what keeps
the tile so nicely balanced on the slant
of the roof. However, it is true that
the roofs do not have PERCEPTIONS
slant-they are broad and flatish. The
windows have no glass, of course. Why
should they have? Glass must be i'm
ported, carried for many days over
mountains on mule back, and when
bought at small fortune, is nuis-
anHe. One needs not to keep the warm
tn in, nor the cold out, why use glass l?
The windows, then, are made with
simple frames of beautiful woods, with
slim bars, some two inches apart,
made from a palm tree, and WOndrous
pretty. The wood is left in it's natural
cOlors being merely oiled. Inside of
the bars are long slim inner wooden
blinds, having doorlets that open, so
that one may close the blinds and still
have the little doors open. All the
windows have low wooden balconies,
with palm tree bars. The effect of the
whole is beautiful. ! would like to
nh II s~ hoir GT1ic 1,
ed, and set it down somewhere in the
states | do not know of a prettier
one, or one more convenient to live
in anywhere. But it would be some
trick to move an adobe house When
we get the ten foot porch, that is to
run along two sides, outside of the
house, finished, l shall take a picture
of the place and send you one. Both
the houses are what are called "quin-
tas' out withstand stand away
from all others. Together they oc-
cupy half block, in a new addition
to the city. There will be a great deal
of work to reclaim the cement-like
soil, and get it into condition for flow
ers and trees. But trees grow so amaz-
ingly fast out here that within three
years we can have ample shade-as
has been proved by the experience of
others.
More Buildings Planned
Mr.. Williams is planning soon to
commence building the Institute Ing
lis-Boys' college-on the block ad-
Joining the one which has the two new
residences He will follow that with the
building of the chapel, on the other
half of the block that contains the
residences. In order to get brick for
all these buildings--1or some brick is
used in the surface foundation of the
mud walls, and all floors are of square
flat brick laid on the ground, then tile
brick is needed for roofs Rev. Will
Jams was obliged to build brick kiln
and set himself up in the business Of
brick making. Besides personally over
seeing all this construction work, from
six a. m. until six p m.-stopping on
ly between eleven and twelve for the
midday ''breakfast''-he is teaching
classes two and one half hours every
evening, and preaching twice on Sun
days. At present, he really is practic-
ing at least five distinct professions.
Rains Just Right
We have been most fortunate in the
building operations. It seems to rain
just when we need it, and when it
would destroy wet walls or open kiln,
it has remained dry for weeks. Ex-
change is high, higher than has ever
been known here, except in time of
war out here. We are selling for 100
now, which is a great help with the fl
nancial side of the building And help
we need with that side-for all labor
has doubled in price out here, as has
all merchandise, most food, etc. How
would you like to pay forty-five cents
a quart for milk? That is what we pay,