of
strakes also indicates that these early wagons had no brakes such as
the large Conestogas of a later era had.[15] From all indications it
would appear that these early farm wagons differed from the larger
freighters of the 1790's and were probably similar to the lighter,
farm-type Conestogas of the 19th century. Farm wagons are somewhat
smaller than road wagons, generally bear less ornamentation and lack the
more graceful lines of the latter.

[Illustration: Figure 4.--A STRAKE, SHOWING SPIKES. On early vehicles
the tires were put on in sections and spiked in place. Later one endless
tire was "sweated" on by being heated to expand it, fitted on the wheel,
and cooled in place.]

Contemporary letters and newspaper advertisements attest to the fact
that farm wagons were the type used by Braddock. For example, Franklin's
advertisement in the _Pennsylvania Gazette_ on May 22, 1755, noted that
"several Neighbors may conveniently join in fitting out a Waggon, as was
lately done in the Back Counties." Had these wagon owners been other
than farmers of poor means, such a notation would have been unnecessary.
In another communication to the inhabitants of Lancaster, York, and
Cumberland Counties Franklin said, "three or four of such as cannot
separately spare from the business of their Plantations a Wagon and four
Horses and a Driver, may do it together, one furnishing the Waggon,
another one or two Horses, and another the Driver, and divide the pay
proportionably between you."[16] Many letters describe the owners of the
wagons with such phrases as "the Poorer sort," and "narrow circumstances
of the Country People, who are to supply the waggons...."[17] These
remarks indicate that farm wagons were used and suggest that the larger
Conestogas, such as were driven by professional teamsters, probably had
not yet been developed.

[Illustration: Figure 5.--BANDS AND HUB BOXING shown in figure 3. These
and the strakes shown in figures 2-4, parts of an old Pennsylvania farm
wagon, were found in Edmunds Swamp, Pennsylvania, along the route of the
Forbes Expedition of 1758.]

That Braddock's wagons were small is evidenced by the loads carried.
Governor Morris seems to indicate loads as small as thirty-five bushels
when he sent a dispatch to Braddock informing him that he had bought
"one thousand bushels of Oats and one thousand bushels of Indian Corn in
this town [Philadelphia], and have directed sixty waggons to be taken
up."[18]