WCP58

[1]

[sketch of a pattern]

Parkstone, Dorset.

July 27th. 1902

My dear Will¹

Your boss at Rugby seems to be a good sort of chap & I suppose his feeds were satisfactory.

The house seems going on faster now the heavy work of the roof floor-joists, partitions &c. is finished. The bricklayers are still doing the finicking finishing work, pointing every joint, finishing round the window frames, putting in the window-cills &c. &c. One carpenter (or two) are putting down floor-boards (2 rooms already floored), while Percy & a joiner have made almost all the door frames, and put up a small stairs into the roof, an excellent job, quite out of sight & [2] very convenient. The enclosed rough tracing will enable you to put it on your plan. It is 2 feet wide, and under it is a cupboard. He is now beginning the main staircase which he says will be done in a fortnight & by that time all the upstairs floors will be done, the windows partly or wholly glazed, and the plastering of upstairs rooms in progress. That is to be done by contract. When this month's bills come in, which will the last heavy lot, I shall see better where we are, but I think now that I shall perhaps be able to go on to a finish without borrowing, & the more I see of the house the more I like ^it, and am convinced it will be a paragon of comfort, convenience, [3] and picturesqueness. The event of the week however, to me, has been the arrival of the teak bought for me by Mr. Curtis Sen^r.. at Plymouth Dock-yard sale, of which I think I told you. There is over 130 cubic feet, consist^g. of about 100 boards 10 ft. to 15¹⁸ feet long, 9 to 15 inches wide, and from 1/4 inch to 3 inches thick. There is a large quantity of 1/2 in. 3/4 in. & 1 in. boards which will do admirably for panelling, & though perhaps 1/3 of it is more or less damaged & irregular, being often cracked or split, this will all come in as we shall want it mostly in short narrow pieces for the framing of the panels &c. There being a good lot of 1 1/2 in. and 2 inch boards we are going to have a front door of Teak, — massive & handsome, & if [4] you have in any of your books or papers good designs for such a door, send it. There will anyhow be plenty of stuff to entirely panel the dining-room, and put a dado round the Drawing Room, Hall, Staircase, & Upper Landing, — all which will require no paint or varnish, but merely occasional rubbing to get a handsome glossy surface. There is also plenty for the Sideboard, & for enclosing the Lavatories, Baths, &c. & closet seats — & lots of other fittings as there must be considerably over 1000 ft. super of boards, and the thick ones can be sawn up if required. It cost about 1/- a ft. cube about half the price of common deal boards, and it will give a character to the house that not one in a thousand houses of this size possesses. Curtis says these were the only lots in the sale that had so many thin boards suitable for us.

Your affectionate Pa | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]