-
Title
-
A DRIVE IN THE NEBRASKA SANDHILLS IN 1911
-
Date
-
1911
-
Creator
-
Frank Shoemaker
-
Description
-
Frank Shoemaker - Omaha, Lincoln, and Nebraska Narratives
-
Identifier
-
321301
-
Transcription
-
2 drawn by four horses, so the going was much easier than the rather crowded first half of the trip. A wagon route through the sandhills has its placement of course with a definite idea of leading to its objective by the shortest practicable mileage. The lowest usable gradient is selected, the bottoms of valleys or draws between sandhills; with frequent dodges to avoid loose sand or plum thickets; so the roadway swerves in most irresolute indirection. And its most impressively odd feature is due to the almost invariable practice here of driving four horses abreast, two horses being quite incapable of furnishing the needful traction in loose sand. After even moderate use the four-horse track becomes difficult by reason of drifting sand; so the next wayfarer drives his near horse in the established track farthest to the right, the other three horses traveling on new ground. So presently with use the original four-horse track has seven tracks; then ten; and so on until the available lateral space is used; perhaps a plum thicket, a stiff stand of yucca, or a rising slope, makes further expansion to the right impracticable. Meanwhile drivers in the opposite direction have followed similar tactics, subject to the same limitations. So in fairly level areas with no lateral obstructions it is not unusual to find as many as twenty tracks side by side, with narrow strips of undisturbed vegetation between them. Where the available route lies between high hills or other obstruc-
-
Rights
-
To inquire about usage, please contact Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. These images are for educational use only. Not all images are available for publication.
