The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-21
THE PRIMITIVE CART.
1t Series the Canadian Half Breed Both
Wagon and as Boat.

II Serves the Canadian Half Breed Both as
Wagon and as Boat.
By preference, and from lack of other
timber, the half-breed of the north
western plains constructs his cart of
poplar-the characteristic vehicle for
all purposes in summer, and his sledge
or jumper for winter use. With his ak,
an auger and his buffalo knife for tools,
in short time he builds a light, stout
cart singularly well adapted to his cir
cumseances. As ordinarily constructed,
1T contains, like the harness with which
it is attached to the draft-animal, not
particle of iron. The wheels are well
framed together, and are about five feet
in diameter. The spokes are well
driven into the nave, the pieces of the
felly are doweled together, and the
structure dishes after the most ap-
proved fashion. The pony CT the bull
lock which is to supply the motive
power is harnessed between two large,
light shafts, and upon the axle of the
cart a light framework is built to con-
tain the packages which are to form the
load. 1t is lined and hoored with thin
boards wrought out of trees with the ak,
or, more recently, the whip-saw. On
such a cart load of eight hundred
pounds can be carried with safety, and
its strength is such that repairs are
rarely necessary.
When the half-breed comes to
river to be crossed, however swollen
and wide, he finds it scarcely an OBJ
struction. A buffalo hide, or, in recent
times, since the buffalo has disappeared,
a canvas cart-cover, placed beneath one
Of the wheels, its edges brought up over
the rim, furnishes him a ''bull-boat,"
seated upon the center of which he pad
dies himself across and guides his swim
ming pony. In succeeding Journeys he
ferries over his load and tows his re-
manning cart frame. The wagon of
the white man, however skeleton like
and light it may be, is incomparably less
well adapted to the necessities of plains
travel than this primitive construction,
which practically can neither break
nor sink, and which requires no black
smith nor skilled wheelright for it's re-
pairing 1t is at the same time a wagon
and boat, and in case of necessity it
the hunters and traders trains are
made up of from twenty to seventy, or
even more, of these vehicles moving in
a varying line over the rolling plain,
each animal, except the first, attached
to tho cart in front Covered usually
with canvas covers, more or less white,
they constitute picturesque feature in
the landscape when seen at distance
against the sky as they creep over the
summit of some slope-the only objects,
except the clouds, within the reach OF
vision, arousing in the lonely spectator
suggestions of human life and COM
merce and far-off civilization. No grease
other lubricant is ever applied to the
aXles, since the Indian considers such
use of fatty substances sheer waste of
food, and the lugubrious crealiing and
wailing of the thirsty wood locates such
an outfit even before it can be seen and
after it disappears 4 specimen of the
the Fed river cart can be seen in the
National museum at Washington, but
1t has been repaired by the civilized de-
vice of iron nails, and SO is not quite /
typical