The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-26
WAGONS THAT BOYS MAKE.
Wheels for SOap-Box Carts a Regular
Article of Commerce.
New York Sun.

Every child likes to have a wagon OF
some sort, and toy wagons and wagons for
larger children are, In these modern days,
made In practically endless assortment.
Some are made of steel bodies, wheels and
all; they are modern to the limit. But not
every boy, by any means, can afford to
buy such wagon as he wants, so lots of
boys make their own wagons.
There are now sold, for use i'm making
boys wagons. great numbers of sets of
wheels. They are simply wooden discs,
with hole bored in the center for the
axle. They cost only a few cents set
Provided with set of such wheels, the
boy buys or begs of a grocer an empty
wagon apo consists NJ fSe I hnx fS
the two sticks serving for axles nailed
rigidly across the bottom.
But the Older boy is not satisfied with
this. He wants a wagon with forward
axle that will turn, like the axle of any
ordinary vehicle, and he nails on the bot
tom of his soap box a strip of board pro-
end he bores hole, through which he
thrusts into the forward axle a kingpn on
which the axle Will turn. That Is the soap
box wagon in its highest primary develop
ment. and there are myriads of such
wagons, with hardwood discs for wheels, to
be seen In the streets to-day.
The enterprising boy, however, let's slip
no opportunity to provide his soap-box
wagon with better wheels. He gets If he
can, for the hind wheels a pair discarded
from a baby carriage, still carrying the
III.
In these days of general Improvement
baby carriages are made with higher and
better wheels than they used to have, and
in many, cases with skeleton wheels of
steel. The soap-bOx wagon may some
times be seen with two baby carriage
wheels of skeleton construction and in good
condition or it may have wheels of differ
ent kinds and different heights on it's rear
axle, SO that ii Says behind on one side
like short-legged man.
Other wheels used nowadays for the soap
hs.r at
OF brokendown velocipedes. The knowing
boy building a soap box wagon goes very
likely To the junk dealers for his hind
wheels. and, perhaps for his forward
wheels, too. He may pick up, there. such
wheels he wants very cheap; not, per-
haps, all from one old vehicle, but mated
up from two or three.
Since the bicycle came into a general use
more than one pair of the tireless wheels
of q worn out bicycle have come finally to
be used on a soap box wagon. With their
thin. clirving, wooden rims they are pretty
frail for this use. and they don't wear long
in 1T, but their height commends them
while they last.
Boys put to this use the discarded wheels
of brokendown wheelbarrows. These are
pretty heavy for the purpose, but with
a suitable axle they do very well. They
are higher than the wooden disk wheels
and they don't break. SOAP box wagon
lately seen had four iron wheels from
brokendown and discarded hand trucks
These made wagon almost too heavy to
Draw WIN 1dc1llly, out doubtless the boy
owners-there were two of thenl-of the
wagon thought they had great outfit
SO almost any sort of wheel can be ma de
to do. and more than one soap box wagon
has been seen-most curious wagons these
with no two wheels alike,
The hard wood disk wheel is a consider
able item OF manufacture i'm factories turn
| ing out wares of wood and IL is a regular
article of trade. Many thousands of sets
of such wheels are sold yearly and the
greater number OF the soap box wagons
seen here and there and everywhere are
running on them. But the bigger boy runs
to bigger wheels and gets them as soon as
ne can.
| And the use OF the soap box wagon In
| its higher development Is not confined to
children of parents In circumstances toe
| moderate to permit of buying more ex-
| pensive wagons. Many boy who could
afford to buy a regularly manufactured
wagon puts together soap box for the
| Joy OF making IT.
In its common use the soap box Wagon
| is, so to speak. a pleasure vehicle. Chill.
/ dren push and pull one another about ir
| them and have fun. but there Is many q
soap box wagon that Is used as well fol-
purposes of utility, for hauling home 70,
| firewood refuse stuff cleaned from the
wreckage of torndown buildings. 1t Is fail
| to presume that, this work done, the chill
| dren that have thus hauled the firewoot
| home turn loose and race their soap boz
! wagons around with the rest.