various things....

["John VanCamp" <jvcstnwrks@zzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

Sure do not want to step on Daed's toes by answering a question
posed to him, but here goes.
The reference is to traditional stone work ( some would call it
structural stone work) where the stone walls are the supporting
structure.  Nothing at all like the modern stone veneer facing
stick framed or cmu walls.   The old castles, and cathederals,
and farm houses scattered about the country side are most
definitly not a "cold immobile herd of stone"  Quit the
contrary.  They are living, breathing entities that are
constantly moving about.  Ground settles and re-expands, and the
stone walls move with it. Roof and floor loads settle and push
on the walls. And gravity is a constant force trying to pull the
wall back to earth.  But in a well laid lime mortar wall, or dry
wall, the evidence of this is not readily seen. And the walls do
not break and fall over.  Unlike that modern veneer laid up with
high strength cement mortar where the slightest movement in the
foundation telegraphs its presence with a cracked mortar joint
moving up the entire height of the wall.  The reference to oiled
sand is what was used to protect the lime mortar so rain water
does not wash it out.  Here in Central Texas, there are quite a
few old style lime mortared buildings still around-- several
across the street from my shop in fact.  In those, the lime
mortared joints are protected with a surface pointing of hard
portland mortar  which does crack and crumble and periodically
needs to be reapplied or the exposed lime mortar begins a
journey to the foot of the wall.  However, even without a good
maintenence program (most are totally ignored), these buildings
without benefit of concrete foundations, still stand proud and
true. The legacy of real stone masons.
JVC