Gate Openings were Made in the Fence Where Necessary, and Gates of Poles Hung in the Ordinary Manner
A lean-to was built by setting three poles at a distance of 8 ft. from one side, beginning at the center and extending to the end of the main building. These poles were about 6 ft. long above the ground. The rafter poles for this part were about 9-1/2 ft. long, notched at both ends for the plates, the ends of the house rafters being sawed off even with the outside of the plate along this edge. The rafter poles for the house were 10 in all, 8 ft. long, and were laid off and cut to fit a ridge made of a board. These poles were notched about 15 in. from their lower ends to fit over the rounding edge of the plate pole, and were then placed directly over each vertical wall pole. They were nailed both to the plate and to the ridge, also further strengthened by a brace made of a piece of board or a small pole, placed under the ridge and nailed to both rafters. On top of the rafters boards were placed horizontally, spaced about 1 ft. apart, but this is optional with the builder, as other roofing material can be used. In this instance metal roofing was used, and it only required fastening at intervals, and to prevent rusting out, it was well painted on the under side before laying it and coated on the outside when fastened in place. If a more substantial shelter is wanted, it is best to lay the roof solid with boards, then cover it with the regular prepared roofing material.
Some large trees were selected and felled, then cut into 4-ft. lengths and the bark removed, or if desired, the bark removed in 4-ft. lengths, and nailed on the outside of the poles, beginning at the bottom in the same manner as laying shingles, to form the siding of the house. If a more substantial house is wanted, boards can be nailed on the poles, then the bark fastened to the boards; also, the interior can be finished in wall board.
The same general construction is used for the porch, with horizontal poles latticed, as shown, to form the railing. It is very easy to make ornamental parts, such as shown, on the eave of the porch, by splitting sticks and nailing them on closely together to make a frieze. Floors are laid on the porch and in the house, and doors hung and window sash fitted in the same manner as in an ordinary house.
All Furniture, Together with the Large Lawn Swings, Took on the General Appearance of the Woodland, and As the Pieces were Made Up of the Same Material As the Houses, the Cost Was Only the Labor and a Few Nails
A band stand was constructed on sloping ground, and after setting the poles, the floor horizontals were placed about 2 ft. above the ground, on the upper side, and 4 ft. on the lower side. The poles used were about 18 ft. long. Instead of having the horizontals 2 ft. apart, the first was placed 1 ft. above the floor, the next at about one-half the distance from the lower one to the plate at the top, and the space between was ornamented with cross poles, as shown. A balcony or bay was constructed at one end, and a fancy roof was made of poles whose ends rested on a curved pole attached to the vertical pieces. Steps were formed of several straight poles, hewn down on their ends to make a level place to rest on horizontal pieces attached to stakes at the ends. A pair of stakes were used at each end of a step, and these were fastened to a slanting piece at the top, their lower ends being set into the ground. The manner of bracing and crossing with horizontals makes a rigid form of construction, and if choice poles are selected for the step pieces, they will be comparatively level and of sufficient strength to hold up all the load put on them. The roof of this building was made for a sun shade only and consisted of boards nailed closely together on the rafters.
The Entrance to the Grounds was Given an Inviting Appearance with Large Posts and Swinging Gates