THE MULE. 61 



During the rebellion there were a great many 

 wagons used that were not of the army pattern. One 

 of these, I remember, was called the Wheeling wagon, 

 and used to a great extent for light work, and did well. 

 On this account many persons recommended them. I 

 could not, and for this reason : they are too compli- 

 cated, and they are much too light to carry the ordinary 

 load of a six-mule team. At the end of the war it was 

 shown that the army pattern wagon had been worked 

 more, had been repaired less, and was in better condi- 

 tion than any other wagon used. I refer now to those 

 made in Philadelphia, by Wilson & Childs, or Wilson, 

 Childs & Co. They are known in the army as the 

 Wilson wagon. The very best place to test the dura- 

 bility of a wagon is on the plains. Run it there, one 

 summer, when there is but little wet weather, Avhere 

 there are all kinds of roads to travel on and loads to 

 carry, and if it stands that it will stand any thing. The 

 wagon-brake, instead of the lock-chain, is a great and 

 very valuable improvement made during the war. 

 Having a brake on the wagon saves the time and 

 trouble of stopping at the top of every hill to lock the 

 wheels, and again at the bottom to unlock them. Offi- 

 cers of the army know how much troiible this used to 

 cause, how it used to block up the roads, and delay the 

 movements of troops impatient to get ahead. The lock- 

 chain ground out the wagon tire in one spot. The 

 brake saves that ; and it also saves the animal's neck 

 from that bruising and chafing incident to the dead 

 strain that was required when dragging the locked wheel. 



There is another difficulty that has been overcome by 



