House Built by a Woman.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 2 October 1914, Page 8

House Built by a Woman.

Little more than seven years ago Mrs. Holton purchased a block of land, which was particularly rugged and rough, and to the majority appeared practically useless, near Uraildla, 'in the Adelaide hills South Australia. With the assistance of her three children, the woman resolutely worked on, cleared her holding, and planted an orchard, which now contains 1400 fruit trees, strawberry beds, raspberry fields, and flats for vegetable growing. In October last she decided to build a new house. She utilise I only her spare moments to erect the structure, and was never able to give more than half a day at a'stretch to the work, yet to-day there stands a substantially-built five-roomed house, with kitchen attached. The building is of cement concrete. The rooms are each 13ft. long, 12ft. wide, and 10ft. Bin. high. The outside walls are rough cast, and the inside walls are plastered and papered. An exceedingly neat design is used for the ceilings, which consists of asbestos beaded with red pine wood. The house ia particularly well built, it being perfectly square, upright and plumb. To ensure a maximum stability, stout waterpipes were, stood vertically from the foundation, and on to these pipes the wallplates and rafters are screwed. Stretching right around these pipes inside the walls are coils of barbwire. The estimated value of the house is at least £400. Mrs. Holton can claim that everything done to the house—except the roofing—was performed by her own hands. All the material, such as stones, gravel, lime, and cement, was procured and carted to the desired spot by herself. Even the scaffolding was made by her, and shifted according to the progress of the work. The whole undertaking is a grand testimony to the perseverance, tenacity, and grit of the woman.