Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1912 — THE AMERICAN HOME W-A.RADFORD EDITOR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
THE AMERICAN HOME W-A.RADFORD EDITOR
Mr. "William A. Radford will anirwWF questions and give advice FREE OF COST on all subjects pertaining to the subject of building, for the readers of this paper. On account of his Wide experience as Editor, Author and Manufacturer, he Is, without doubt, the highest authority on all these subjects. Address all inquiries to William A. Radford, No. ITS West Jackson boulevard, Chicago, 111., and only inclose two-cent stamp for reply. • This house plan appeals to me n being one of the neatest and most interesting low-cost houses I ever built. The plan lends Itself to a splendid arrangement of rooms, both upstairs and down. It is easy to arrange the necessary conveniences when the rear of the house is wider than the front, and this object is easily accomplished with a two-section roof on the three-gable plan—one of the most satisfactory' roots ever built. This style of roof dates back to the earliest American architecture. It originated |n. the efforts of builders to add a pleasing front to the old-fashioned long houses built with the side to the road; but thlsplan has been t improved upon, until the completed house shows very little resemblance to the original efforts in this direction. . < While the front part of the house is pleasing and the arrangement is almost perfect, the rear section is given up entirely to the dining room, kitchen and the accessories to these rooms. While we all like to see a pretty parlor and an attractive hall, we should remember that a house is built to live in next year and for a good many years to come. The work of getting uneals Is about the same, day after day and year after year. Meals are prepared in the kitchen and served la the dining room three times daily, and a little saving in workeach time amounts to a great deal in the aggregate. A dining room 12 feet wide and 26 feet 6 inches long is unusual, even in a large house. This Is not a large house, but there Is room enough for a large dining room without encroaching on anything else. The little square hall in the rear is
really a vestibule. It is the right place for an ice-box. away from the of the kitchen, but not far enough away to be inconvenient I like to see a refrigerator close to the outside entrance. Ice comes in dripping wet in warm weather, and the man who carries it usually has more or less mud and dirt on his boots, it is a great saving on a woman’s nerves to have dirt left* outside, or as near outside as possible. Then there Is a saving of ice by having the refrigerator in a comparatively cool place, ts we have our own ice-house, the work of getting the ice out washing It and putting it into the Ice-box is
considerable, bo that the economy, even in this case, is advisable; but when ice is bought and paid for at prevailing summer prices, the necessity for being careful la much greater. , Sometimes it is not convenient to drain the Jce-box into the sewer. When placed neat to the outside wa® it Urou « a u* an elbow, and run the pipe outside, the waste water from the melting ice carried oyteWfc of the wall and the
drip carried to a bed of mint. We all know how to appreciate roast lamb with mint sauce; and when the mint is gathered fresh and clean at the side of the house, it is mufih more of a delicacy; than when bought from the market and carted around through the dust for 24 hours before being delivered. Mint will grow fairly well In the garden if lightly shaded; but it is a water-loving plant, and does better when it gets a continual supply of moisture. If the pipe from the Icebox is short, the water is likely to be rather cold. It Is better to run the water along an open trough for a distance of eight to feet feet, to raise the temperature of the drip water. For this purpose an open trough Is better than a pipe, for two reasons:
the water is exposed to the atmosphere, and warms up much better in summer; and, if the ice-box Is used in cold weather, a trough will not burst when the water freezes. Another drain for an ice-box that came under my observation, was carried to a porcelain dish for the benefit of the birds. It kept a constant supply of water in a shallow dish, and the birds
enjoyed their daily bath during the warm weather. It was amusing to see them splash the water about. This was an occurrence that interested and delighted the children very much. This style of house just suits a twostory porch, .and the porch seems tofit the house as though it grew there. It is not always easy to arrange a porch on three sides of a house with- - out making some of the rooms dark, but that objection is eliminated in this plan. This style of porch is a finish to the building and is a great protection to both front and side doors opening into the dining room. I .tike an outside entrance to the dining room, especially where the room is large and not overcrowded with furniture. I think most house wives likevthld' arrangement also. A dining room is not furnished usualls so expensively as a front parlor. When there is a side entrance the immediate friends of the family usually step right into the Inner circle without the formality of ringing the front door bell. There is an element of sociability in this sort of thing that induces comfort Ido not believe in furnishing a parlor in such a way that it is too nice Jd use. 1 believe ih comfort first and'jshow afterward; but at thh same tlme‘&is considerable work to keep the frdut part ot the house In first-class condition and have every member of the family running through it continually, A woman dislikes to order the children qut of the parlpr, to stay out, unless they have some other place to go, and there should be a comfortable place for the children in every home. The'dining room in this house offers a solution of the problem. With a good grate and a cheerful fire In cold weather, the youngsters will be found in the dining room every tinfe, unless the old folks are so selfish that they are obliged to find recreation at one of The size of this house is 33 feet « inches wide by 34 feet tong, exclusive of the porch, which Is large enough to mate six good rooms, besides numereus cupboards, bathroom, and an alcove that comes la very handy tor a, sewinx room. jsuo., .
Second Floor Plan.
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