CH. I DEVELOPMENT OF THE COACH 3 



A simple attachment of the pole to the axle being 

 deficient in strength, two hounds or futchells are 

 added, fastened to the axle near its ends and run- 

 ning out on the pole a short distance, and, in order 

 to support the pole more efficiently, their hinder 

 ends, prolonged, are connected by a cross bar, the 

 sway-bar, which bears against the under side of the 

 perch, and balances the weight of the pole. Some- 

 times the futchells are fastened directly to each 

 other in front, and the end of the pole, being forked, 

 is attached to them by a bolt. In this case, the 

 point of the pole must be supported by the harness, 

 as it is in a trotting wagon. For the purpose of 

 attaching the horses to the wagon, a double-tree 

 rests on the pole in front of the futchells, and is 

 secured to it by a pin which permits it to turn ; to 

 this double-tree are attached two swingle-trees.* 

 Near the ends of the hind axle, two vertical stand- 

 ards are firmly fixed, and at the ends of the bed 

 in front are similar ones. Boards laid between 



* There is some uncertainty as to the proper spelling of this word. 

 Bartlett, in his Dictionary of Americanisms, says that swingle-tree 

 is vulgar for single-tree, but Skeat in his Etymological Dictionary 

 says, under Swingle-tree, ' Corruptly called single-tree, whence the 

 'term double-tree has arisen to keep it company. "A single-tree is 

 ' fixed upon the end of another cross-piece called the double-tret, 

 • when two horses draw abreast," Haldeman (in Webster). Middle 

 ' English, sivingle-tre, spelled swyngletre in Fitzherbert On Hus- 

 ' bandry. The word tree here means a piece of timber as in axle- 

 ' tree. The word swingle means a " swing-er, " a thing that swings ; 

 ' so named from the swinging motion, etc' 



