It's All Trew: Like Grandpa said, 'Where there's a will, there's a way'

No better examples exist than the problems of the old-time freighter. Limited by size of wagons and teams, facing rough trails and terrain, hauling every size, type, weight and fragility of items, he continued to deliver the western-bound goods to plains, valleys and mountaintops. Maybe the fact of traveling only 15 miles per day allowed time to think out his problems. For example, with limited braking equipment, how did he get his loaded wagons down steep hills? Common sense told him to chain his rear wheels so they could not turn and let them slide down the hill, providing braking. Many freighters used six-horse teams pulling two loaded wagons in tandem. Six horses could easily pull the two wagons out on level ground until they came to a creek crossing with embankments on each side. Instead of unhooking the rear wagon and pulling the front wagon up the embankment, then going for the second wagon, they pulled a hitch pin leaving the rear wagon sitting at the foot of the embankment but still attached by a long chain or heavy rope playing out its length. When the first wagon reached level ground, the teams were unhitched from that wagon and attached to the long chain. They were urged forward pulling the second wagon up the embankment to be re-hooked to the front wagon. The teams were then backed up to where they could be re-hooked to the front wagon tongue, and the train continued its journey...read more