The following morning he put eggs under several hens that wanted to set, trimmed his grape-vines, examined the precious ginseng beds, attended his stock, got breakfast for Belshazzar and himself, and was ready for work when the first carpenter arrived.
Laying hewed logs went speedily, and before the Harvester believed it possible the big shingles he had ordered were being nailed on the roof.
Then came the plumber and arranged for the bathroom, and the furnace man placed the heating pipes.

The Harvester had intended the cabin to be mostly the work of his own hands, but when he saw how rapidly skilled carpenters worked, he changed his mind and had them finish the living-room, his room, and the upstairs, and make over the dining-room and kitchen.
Her room he worked on alone, with a little help if he did not know how to join the different parts.

Every thing was plain and simple, after plans of his own, but the Harvester laid floors and made window casings, seats, and doors of wood that the big factories of Grand Rapids used in veneering their finest furniture.

When one of his carpenters pointed out this to him, and suggested that he sell his lumber to McLean and use pine flooring from the mills the Harvester laughed at him.
"I don't say that I could afford to buy burl maple, walnut, and cherry for wood-work," said the Harvester.

"I could not, but since I have it, you can stake your life I won't sell it and build my home of cheap, rapidly decaying wood.