r
the line may be marked with a piece of chalk, and the logs taken
down in order to accomplish it. The roof is now required. This
should consist either of strips of bark or the rounded sides of
logs split off and hollowed into troughs. The latter method is
preferable, on account of its greater strength and durability,
but the bark will answer the purpose very well, and is much more
easily obtained. The manner of adjusting the roof pieces is clearly
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shown in our illustration. The first row is laid on with the hollow
side up, securing them at top and bottom by nails driven through each
into the ridge pole and eaves-log, care being taken that one of these
pieces projects well over the gable, on both ends of the hut. These
pieces are now overlapped by the second row, and with the addition
of the large piece which covers them all at the ridge pole, the
roof is complete, and will stand a heavy rain with little or no
leaking. The crevices should now be stopped with moss, dried grass
or clay, after which the log cabin is complete. When the bark roof
is made, additional poles may be inserted beneath as props. They
should be three or four inches in diameter, and run parallel with
the ridge pole, at intervals on the slope, notches being cut to
secure them.
Our engraving represents a chimney, which may be constructed if
desired, but the necessity of this may be done away with by using
a small camp stove, and making a small opening in the gable end
of the hut for the passage of the pipe. If it stove should not
be at hand, and our amateur should decide to "rough it" to the
full extent, he may build his fire-place and chimney as follows:
It will be necessary to cut away an opening in the logs at the
gable end, as was done for the door and windows. This should be
about three feet square, and the fire place should be built of
stone and clay, or cement, to fill the opening, and project inside
the hut.
The chimney may then be built up outside in the same manner,
sufficiently high to overtop the gables.
Inside the hut overhead will be found abundant room for the hanging
of the skins, and any number of cross-poles may be rested across
the beams. There are facilities for the swinging of a hammock,
if desired, and, in fact, a hut constructed like the foregoing
is a perfect one in its way. There are other methods of building
a log cabin, but we will content ourselves with what we consider
the _best_ way of all, and pass on
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