round of logs six to twelve inches above 
the ground. After the stone foundation 
is leveled, slightly flatten the ends of 
effort, roll on your side logs. Pull up 
two logs, then saddle and place in posi- 
tion front and back; — now, turn your 
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logs selected for front and back and with 
a “cant hook’ or “peavy,” place both in 
position on stone foundation, then true 
them with care to see that they are 
squared. Next, cut a round notch in 
your two side logs to fit over the front 
and back logs and lay them on the two 
already placed — and again square your 
entire round. 
It may be well to explain the different 
comer notching used in building the 
cabin. There are three styles, “Round,” 
“Saddle,” and “Tenon” as illustrated. 
No. 1, 2 and 3. All are good. I prefer 
the “Round” as it is simple and having 
no cut on the upper side, it withstands 
the weather better than the others, there 
being no surface to hold water. 
After the first round is laid and 
squared, and your side logs in place, you 
will have your two piles of timber, one 
parallel with the front and the other 
with the side wall, as explained in draw- 
ing the logs. The method by which two 
men can place the logs is this: Have 
two lengths of 1 inch hemp rope and 
tie one end round your two side logs, 
behind where you have saddled them, 
to the front logs. Take the loose ends 
and put under and over the ends of a 
log on your front pile, bringing rope 
back to corner. Then place small pole 
on your front log, three feet from each 
end and directly in front of your pile 
of timber. Now, each man taking a 
corner and straddling the side logs, take 
loose ends of rope and pull. You will 
find by each pulling evenly, the logs will 
come up the “skid” and with hardly an 
Now that building the walls has been' 
explained, we will go back. When rounds^ 
are laid as high above the ground as you- 
wish the floor to be, notch logs for your' 
floor sleepers, 3 feet apart, front andj 
back, (as illustrated). No. 5. Not less 
than 18 to 24 inches should be allowed 
from the ground. Dig no cellar, as it^ 
becomes only a water-hole. 
Next select the position for your fire-’ 
place and build a rough box, from the 
earth to the floor level, 6 inches larger 
than your proposed hearth. Fill this in 
with stones and earth, to the level of the 
floor joists and pack well while filling. 
Leave in this state until cabin is com- 
pleted. Now that floor sleepers are laid, 
continue building your walls, and when 
the desired height for the top of your 
doors and windows has been reached, 
notch the top log partly through with 
axe or cross-cut saw. This is to insert 
cross-cut saw, after walls are finished, to 
make the opening for the doors and 
windows. Line both sides of window 
and door space with plumb-line chalk 
line and nail a straight edged plank 
flush with this line. Then outside of 
plank drive a wedge between each log; 
this is to hold logs in place after win- 
dows and doors have been sawed through 
and until the frames are built in. 
If you are to have a veranda, for your 
last two side logs select two logs the 
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ropes and “skids” to side pile and repeat 
the operation on the two side logs — and 
so on till your wall is built, (as illustrat- 
ed) No. 4. It is of the utmost importance 
to true each round as laid and also plumb 
the corners true with plumb-bob line. 
width of your side wall plus the widtH 
you wish your veranda and lay with top 
ends overhanging the front wall. This 
will constitute the first supports of your 
veranda roof (details explained later). 
Next lay front and back top Jogs, 
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