FARM CONVEYANCES 189 



plate bolted to the bench plank of the front sleigh. 

 This plate is a combination of wearing plate and circle 

 and must be kept oiled to turn easily under a heavy 

 load. It not only facilitates turning, but it prevents 

 the bolster from catching on the raves or on the up- 

 turned nose of the front bob when turning short. 



The heavy hardwood plank reach that connects the 

 two bolsters is put through a mortise through the front 

 bolster and is fastened rigidly by an extra large king- 

 bolt. The reach plays back and forth rather loosely 

 through a similar mortise in the other bolster on the 

 rear sleigh. The rear hounds connect with the reach 

 by means of a link and pin. This link pushes up 

 through mortise holes in the reach and is fastened with 

 a wooden pin or key on top of the reach. Sometimes 

 the hounds are taken away and the reach is fastened 

 with pins before and behind the rear bolster. This 

 reach hitch is not recommended except for light road 

 work. These two ways of attaching the rear sled neces- 

 sitate different ways of fastening the rear bolster to 

 the sled. When the rear bolster is required to do the 

 pulling, it is attached to the sled by double eyebolts 

 which permit the necessary rocking motion and allows 

 the nose of the rear sled to bob up and down freely. 

 This is an advantage when a long box bed is used, be- 

 cause the bolster is made to fit the box closely and is not 

 continually oscillating and wearing. Eye-bolts pro- 

 vide for this natural movement of the sled. Light 

 pleasure bobs are attached to the box with eyebolts 

 without bolster stakes. The light passenger riding seat 

 box is bound together with iron braces and side irons 

 so it does not need bolsters to hold the sides together. 



Bobsleighs for use in the woods are hitched together 

 quite differently. The old-fashioned reach with a staple 



