ing
array of tree-trunk flag poles. Try first to picture in your mind's eye,
a building in the form of a parallelogram, large enough to afford two
acres of floor-space; with the first story surrounded on every side by a
wide, open veranda: with a full length second story one hundred feet
wide, rising gracefully from the central roof of the first; altogether,
completing a design of exterior so boldly rustic in its general effect,
as to suggest the idea of trees and forests at every point; then, you
may get the delightfully novel effect, which the architect conveyed to
my mind as I approached this curiously fascinating structure. A closer
inspection increased the rustic effect of the general design. The main
outside walls, were composed of thousands of wide, bark-coated slabs,
cut from the choice typical trees of our American forests.

"The wide roof, was in itself an ideal creation; it was thickly covered
with curving tiles of rough bark, in alternating layers of the varying
kinds, which formed a picturesque combination redolent with the spicy
resinous odors of birch, basswood, hemlock and fir.

"Completely encircling the building, with feet firmly planted on its
solid stone foundation, rising to the roof through the floor of the
veranda at its outer edge, were the thickly planted supporting pillars.
These pillars like a long line of watchful sentinels, were placed in
trios. The two outside pillars of each trio, were only separated from
the middle one by a few inches of space, and were as nearly as possible,
ten inches in diameter. The one in the center was much larger and held
the post of honor as the flag bearer of its triumvirate. By pushing its
way through the roof it became a huge flag pole, fifty feet from base to
tip, with a beautiful banner proudly waving from its ball crowned
summit. These pillars, both large and small, were bark-coated below the
roof. Each one had been carefully selected for its symmetrical
straightness, as a representative tree from the different forests of the
world. Altogether, they formed a most interesting collection, to which
might well be devoted, many hours of admiring inspection, by every lover
of trees.

"A wide lattice work of bark-laden tree limbs, of a uniform size
completed the charmingly rustic cornice, which, like some endless
curtain seemed to hang suspended from the caves of this bark-thatched
roof.

"Having sufficiently studied the exterior beauties of this remarkable
bu