Sewickley Herald

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The Sewickley Valley's Home-News Weekly
Vol. XXXII.   No. 9.
SEWICKLEY, PA., FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1935
Price 5 Cents
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presented to .Allegljen? (Louttt?
James C. Chaplin's fleet of handsome horse-drawn vehicles to he par t of permanent Historic Exhibit in South Park.
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(Tlio Photograph is by A. H. Diehl)
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J. 0. Ohaplin of. Frederick Avenue,
who used to be very fond of horses, has
donated his collection of eight horse-
drawn buggies and carts, which originally cost thousands of dollars, to Allegheny County to be placed in a new
fireproof building in South Park whero
they will be kept in a permanent exhibit of things of historical value. The
vehicles, which, of course, have not
been manufactured for years, aro becoming scarce in this country and their
value increases each year.
Last Friday morning a crow of county police, with a huge horse-carrying
van, appeared at Mr. Chaplin's largo
barn, at the roar of his home, tho lower
floor of which is now devoted to slcok
prosont day motor vehicles, and, using
a heavy block and tackle, swung the
buggies out and down from tho second
floor of the barn. The vehicles, many
of wliich were used from yoar to yoar
at the annual riding and driving party
preceding the horse show at tho Alle
gheny Country Club, were in perfect
order, although all of them are more
than thirty years old. Sonic of the harness was destroyed when part of the
barn burned a number of years ago, but
the rest was hanging in thc usual
placo, pliable, brightly polished, and
ready to be Usod at any time.
In the picturo, Mr. Chaplin is shown
standing at the sido of his house with
the vehicles lined up ready for transportation to thoir now home. Modern
readers who aro not familiar with tho
names of tho various vehicles may bo
interested to know that tho first buggy
in tho line is known as a surrey, Which
is designed for a team of horses and
carried from four to six passcngors. Tho
padded seats wore appropriately enough
packed with horsehair and thc folding
top was the forerunner of thc so-called
one-man top on early automobiles. Next
is tho lady's phaeton with thc folding
fringed top, a rood body, extra springs
and a small seat at thc roar for the
driver. It was a one-horse, comfortably
upholstered, smart appearing buggy.
Tlie one with the square oil lamps,
driver's scat in front, long mud guards
on tho sides and the top with thc appearance of a bonnet, is known as a
Victoria. Heavier and more expensive,
it was used extensively in going to and
from the less formal social affairs. For
tho formal affairs, or in bad weather,
thc glass enclosed Opera Cab was used.
Drawn by a team, with the driver
mounted on a small seat in front of tho
cab with a foot broke to aid in stopping or going down hills, the heavy
cab had thick plate glass windows on
all sides. Thc scats were on each sido
of the cab, so that passengers sat facing
each other, and the door was at the
rear. For good weather, the windows
could be let down on wide straps.
For sporting events, or fast traveling,
the six-passenger open vehicle, next in
line, known as tho four-in-hand-bi'ako,
was used,  as it was  drawn by  four
horses. The red and black bodies and
red wheels added a smart appearance
to the high vehicle. Next in the line,
was an old fashioned bugg}"-, with a
folding top and side curtains, like the
ones used by tho old country doctors,
and then came another gaily painted
sport wagon, with only two padded
seats, sufficient for four to five passengers. It also was high, like tho four-
in-hand, but was known as an English
game cart, or a "Dos-a-dos." Last in
thc line was a peculiar vehicle, with no
wheels, just a pair of shafts foro and
aft. Horses were harnessed botwoon the
shafts and carried the wholo burden of
the Portuguese Carry-All and the passengers, Intricate golden designs were
painted on the black background on the
sides of the carry-all and every so often
a small Portuguese flag was painted
on. In a country whero the roads arc
narrow, muddy or impassable for wheeled vehicles part of the year, the carryall might bo useful if liot comfortable.
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