OTHER BRANCHES OF INDUSTRY. 321 
“ Balloon” from its lightness, and “ Chicago” because they first 
came extensively into use in that place about fifteen years ago, 
appears very strange to a carpenter familiar only with the old- 
fashioned frames held together by tenons and mortices; but 
weak as the balloon-frame appears, it is really the strongest 
‘kind of a wooden building; and it is not unfrequently made 
four or five stories high, whereas the heavier frame very rarely 
reaches three stories. 
In the balloon-frame, the sills, instead of being eight, ten, or 
twelve inches square, are only two or three inches by six or 
eight; and they rest on numerous studs, which again rest on 
the ground. The sills are nailed together at the corners. The 
studs are not morticed into the sills, but nailed upon them. 
The lower joists stand upon the sills, and the upper ones rest 
upon an inch board “let into” the studs to which they are 
nailed. On the top of the studs is no heavy plate, but only a 
board. At the corners two studs are put side by side. Each 
stud is hoisted to its place separately, so there is no “raising.” 
Wooden houses are all covered with shingles. White pine, 
imported from the Eastern states, is used to a considerable 
extent for the frames and casings of doors and windows, and 
for other inside-work; and nearly all the doors and window- 
sashes are imported ready made. 
Three-fourths of the houses in the state are of wood; the 
other fourth are of brick and adobes. Stone houses are very 
rare. Brick buildings are numerous in the business-streets of 
the cities and towns. Every town of note has its fire-proof 
brick stores, with iron doors and window-shutters, and its 
roof of brick laid in mortar. The bricks are made in this 
state, and the lime is burned here. Brick buildings not con- 
structed to be fire-proof, have shingled roofs. There are a 
few buildings with fronts of granite, which for one house was 
brought from China, and that for others from the Eastern states. 
Stone houses are very rare in California; it would almost be 
possible to count all of them on the fingers. Nearly all the 
dwellings in the counties bordering on the coast, from Monte- 
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