White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1920-05-16

oDlalheu, they began improvements on
the original plan. They found that
most of the soil Of the country was
well adapted for such uses and they
gathered their workers together aud
proceeded to build their missions.
They shaped the pliable clay into
bricks 4 by II by 16, inches, and add
ed a liberal measure of grass to I'M
part strength and prevent disintegra-
tion. These were piled up in the
form of parallelogram, the soft earth,
well watered, being placed In
the lnterstlces and over the points.
As timbers and shingles could not be
obtained, they nodded substitutes Of
the same niue composition and INSTALL
ed them In place. After the great
earthquake of 1872, the Spaniards
abandoned the practice of providing
roofs of this material, as 1t was In
that disastrous happening that the top
Of the mission church OF san Juan
Capistrano collapsed while the place
was filed with frightened members of
the colony. Many of the worshipers
were killed by the falling blocks.
Cool in Summer, Warm in Winter.
The walls OF the early houses varied
a good deal. some having a thickness
OF three and four feet, and the floors
were made of the same composition.
The adobes served the double purpose
of keeping the occupants cool In the
extremely hot weather and warm when
a wintry blast happened along. Where
II was available, the early builders. es-
peeially the Indians, combined the
soil with 'tulle," a sort of reed found
In the swamps. This added material
strength to the walls. Many of these
cabins, reared more than a hundred
years ago, are still occupied by the
descendants of their designers. Among
the foothills of palomar are several
villages of the Temecula Indians,
whose huts, built of this formula, are
still providing home and shelter.
Where the mud bricks were pla ced
in the walls without first being dried
out thoroughly and mixed with some
sort of a binder, they 500 succumbed
TO the weather and dislntegrated In
time. Thus the original building Of
the San Gabriel mission was reduced
In time In a mere mound. This fur
nlshed an object lesson to the builders,
who constructed the other mission
groups Of stancher compositions.
For many years one of the show
places OF Santa Barbara was the adobe
mansion erected by Don Agnirre, and
known as La Casa de Agulrre.'
Palace Built OF Clay.
Don Aguirre was q rich Spanlsrd
who did not believe In praeticing
economy when It came 10 providing
a home for himself and his descend
ants. He used adobe for his walls
because that was the popular materials
Of the time, but he made them as
thick as an ordinary fortress: its win
dows deep as the ports for guns and
protected from without with very
heavy shutters. The shingles came
from Honolulu aud the furniture and
tapestries from Spain. II contained
a store, magazine. warehouse and
court and In effect was a village with
In itself. The residence was 10 large
rooms aud Its drawing room was
known to the grandees from San Diego
to Monterey for Its receptions and
parties, at which the Sonora Aguirre
presided with all the grandeur Of a
queen. The patio was 40 by 40 feet,
the arches of adobe being supported
By columns Of artistic moldlng. Thu
porch was fully 10 feet In width, eK,
tending the entire length OF the court.
This famous creation OF adobe stood
solidly. defying the ravages of time
and weather extremes, until about
twenty-five years ago, when a cloud
burst in the mountains sent a cataract
down OH the place, tearing ont the sup
ports and starting the ~disintegration
that caused its eventual ruin.
The adobe builders of 1920, while
seeking some of the decorative
schemes OF the Spanish builders. are
more intent on providing small homes
rather than forts, and are not making
their walls as thick as Don .Aguirre
deemed necessary. Durability and
ncTfuHllclts thu bc ihsuitu Nithout
resorting to such massive walls. and as
lumber and shingles can he secured
for the roofs and supports. II is not
necessary to invite mishaps such rs
occurred In the 1912 earthquake.
Has Proved a Success.
The saving in brick and tiles, the
principal items IN home construction,
is O very important factor in the cost
OF providing the small home. and the
workers out In California and other
western states will find many others
following their example In combating
the high cost of building. That the
women have found il pleasant employ
ment mixing the mud and molding the
blocks to go into the walls Is also re-
garded as a promising augury that
there will lie many converts to the
adobe plan.
ne ao.o~ all ola - ora NOT A : wall