156 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



HAULING WITH A TRACTOR. 



By Raymond Olney. 



The tractor has proved itself a strong competi- 

 tor of the horse for hauling purposes. In most ever}' 

 respect it has established its superiority over animal 

 power as a means of road transportation. 



In many sections of the country road conditions 

 have made hauling with horse power next to im- 

 possible. Especially is this true in mountainous 

 regions where the grades are very steep and rough. 

 Here the tractor is found to be a very reliable and 

 economical source of power, and in fact it is the 

 only kind which can be used successfully on account 

 of the severe service which has to be met. 



While the horse has a reserve power equal to 

 four or five times its normal capacity, still this re- 

 serve power cannot be called upon too often, as is 

 the case for heavy hauling, particularly where the 

 topography of the country is inclined to be hilly. 



Rumely Oil Pull Tractor, Type "E," hauling 22 14 yards of crushed 

 rock Five Troy Dump Wagons Kouts, Indiana. 



Considerable discretion is necessary in loading 

 horses or mules for long hauls. 



A traction engine manufacturer recommends' 

 that his engine has a certain rated horsepower 

 capacity. As long as it is kept in good working 

 condition it will maintain this capacity continuously 

 without regard to the length of the day or the sever- 

 ity of the work. The horse, on the other hand, is 

 good for only a few hours. Particularly when it is 

 exerting an overload capacity, it soon uses up its 

 reserve power and must necessarily be stopped to 

 rest and store up a supply of energy. Horses also 

 lose much time in hauling as they must be stopped 

 frequently in order to get their breath and keep from 

 being too quickly fatigued. 



Hauling with horses requires either a number 

 of separate teams and wagons or one large team to 

 haul a train of wagons. Of the two the former is 

 the best and the most economical. But one man is 

 required to handle each team. In the case of the 

 latter large teams are awkward and unmanageable 

 to a very great degree and they are also decidedly 

 inefficient. 



But with a tractor the power is concentrated in 

 a single unit, which one man will handle as easily 

 as a team. This means in the first place a big sav- 

 ing in labor. Then again, a long train of wagons 

 could be hauled behind the engine, and a large 

 quantity is moved at one time. 



Comparing the steam and the internal-combus- 

 tion tractor for hauling purposes the latter out- 

 classes the former in almost every respect. On long 



hauls extra teams are required for hauling water 

 and fuel for the steamer, whereas in the case of an 

 internal-combustion engine a tank containing fuel 

 and supplies may be hauled along with the outfit 

 and no teams are needed to do this work. It is also 

 not necessary to make frequent stops for replenish- 

 ing fuel or water. 



A tractor that has proved itself particularly 

 well adapted for heavy hauling and mountain climb- 

 ing is the Rumely Oil Pull Tractor, manufactured 

 by the M. Rumely Company, La Porte, Indiana. 

 This tractor burns kerosene and other cheaper pe- 

 troleum distillates under all loads and under all con- 

 ditions of climate and altitude, and at a very low 

 fuel cost. It possesses a large overload capacity 

 which makes it especially desirable for heavy haul- 

 ing where reserve power is frequently needed. 



An excellent example of the advantage of a trac- 

 tor for hauling is shown by a long haul made from 

 Rock Springs to Atlantic City, Wyoming, by means 

 of an Oil Pull Tractor and over a rough mountain- 

 ous road. The total trip both ways covered a dis- 

 tance of 97 miles and was made in spite of the worst 

 conditions imaginable. During part of the trip it 

 was necessary for the engine to break its own way. 



The load consisted of one big wagon carrying 

 23,000 pounds of hard lumber, nails, and a steam 

 pump equipment, a smaller wagon carrying oil, sup- 

 plies, and a living outfit for the crew. This made a 

 very big load for the tractor, but the men in charge 

 were anxious to see it put through the hardest kind 

 of a test. 



During the trip the outfit encountered some 

 fine, creepy sand in which the truck wheels would 

 sink over 4 or 5 inches and in some places it was 

 necessary to get out by means of a cable. 



In crossing the Continental Divide the grade 

 was so steep in places that it was necessary for an 

 attendant to hold his hands over the openings in 

 the top of the carburetor to keep the fuel from run- 

 ning out. 



Those who watched this trip pronounced it an 



Rumely Oil Pull Tractor, Type "E," used for hauling by a mining 

 company in Colorado. 



exceptional performance. Other tractors have been 

 tried out over this same route and have fallen down 

 because of the fact that they were unable to ac- 

 complish the requirements for this severe haul. 



For road building this same make of tractor 

 has proved very satisfactory and has many advan- 

 tages for this work over horse-power. At Amarillo, 

 (Continued on page 165) 



