Boyhood Days - Wagons

Who remembers the summertime sleds of old days, when we used to slide down Clopton Hill, in old Manchester. Clopton Hill was at Tenth And McDonough Streets and was surmounted by the old house with its grounds occupying a whole square, where sometimes the boys would depredate for peaches, cherries, figs or pears. But that is aside the matter of sledding in the summer.

The sleds were made of barrel staves, four or five of which would be fastened together with pieces of the hoops. Upon this sled a boy would sit and slide down the grassy slope of the hill. (There was a great sycamore tree at the foot of the hill--toward one side--just like in Ben Bold.)

Then, as there was a broad footpath going down the hill, upon a more lengthened and gentler slope, we would sometimes ride down that path on another sort of vehicle, to-wit: A long, flat and narrow wagon. The wheels, of which there were four, were made of good heart pine, almost as hard as flint, sawn out in a circular shape and with each a small round hole in the center, in which fitted the axle. The body was made of a single board, which was fastened to the rear axle with bolts, for firmness. The front end of the board was made narrow and had a hole in it, that fitted around another bolt, loosely geared, for a swivel, upon which the front axle might be made to describe an eighth turn for steering purposes.

There was a stout string attached by its two ends to the front axle, like a bridle rein. Then Mr. Boy would sit on his wagon, put his feet on the exposed ends of the front axle, take the bridle rein in hand and roll down the hill at a dizzy rate of speed. The bridle rein was useful, also, for hauling the wagon up hill again.

We have seen a hundred boys, big and little, rolling down old Clopton Hill, one after another, just like automobiles on the Petersburg Pike nowadays.