WALLS — WINDOWS. 19 



of extra quality and laid with skill and care. The lintela 

 of windows and doors are not the same in all stables, some 

 being arched with brick, others with granite, brownstone, 

 marble, or iron. On the inside of the walls some are plas- 

 tered, others boarded with pine and sometimes even with 

 foreign and more expensive wood, in many instances giving 

 the appearance of a huge polished box. This high finish 

 is usually given to the walls of the stable and carriage- 

 house only. The hay-loft, except where there are rooms 

 for the groom or coachman to sleep in, are not so highly 

 finished in this respect; nor is this necessary, either for the 

 keeping of the hay or feed. In some instances, however, 

 the game of billiards and other amusements are carried on 

 over the stable, and where sufficient ventilation is secured 

 no injury to carriage, harness, or horse can result from such 

 a contrivance 3 in fact, it may sometimes be a decided 

 advantage, for horses like company and even excitement 

 about them. 



The doors are usually of two sizes, one for the stable 

 proper and the other for the carriage-house; the latter 

 opening in the middle and sliding on rollers back against 

 the wall, thus occupying little or no room when open, and 

 obviating any risk of horses or carriages coming in contact 

 with it. This plan of opening large carriage-house doors 

 cannot be always adopted, from want of space or width 

 of wall to allow the door to run back its whole length. 

 "When this is the case, they should be hung on hinges and 

 open out on the street; always, however, taking the precau- 



