Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 I happened on an article about Carlos Gove, the great Denver gunsmith most readily known for his conversions of sporting rifles especially the Remington Rolling Block. Prior to that he was involved in all sorts of endeavors but one really caught my interest. In 1860 he hauled 40,000 lbs of goods in 6 wagons (~6,600 lbs/wagon) using 18 oxen. He received the freight in Plattsworth, Nebraska and delivered it in Denver 37 days later. That calculates an average of 14.4 miles a day which seems pretty fast considering it wasn't exactly an interstate with all the facilities. The article reported he used 18 oxen so three to a wagon . Anyway, each ox would be pulling over 2000 lbs. Does this seem possible or do you suppose he meant 18 to a wagon?. I'm thinking the latter as it would be an easy way to move stock and they could be sold at Denver. I found another article whereupon he returned home in 1861 and made another trip with five wagons and 18 span of mules. He had found oxen too slow!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 Great question. From what I could find on a quick search the 2,000 would be about right.https://www.lancasterfarming.com/news/northern_edition/oxen-no-has-beens-when-it-comes-to-hard-pulling/article_b79a5f8f-5d4b-578d-997a-f385095dc7c9.html#:~:text=In fact%2C while a team,as 12%2C000 to 13%2C000 pounds. "These powerful beasts can out-pull a big team of horses. In fact, while a team of oxen can pull its own body weight at a walking pace, for short bursts of six to eight feet, a well-trained team of oxen can pull up to 2!-W times their body weight — or as much as 12,000 to 13,000 pounds."This one I don't trust quite as much, but it does support the above:http://www.janetpope.org/a-yoke-whats-that-all-about/ •A yoke makes independence impossible. You can’t go your own way.•Typically a young, untrained ox is yoked with an older, trained ox. The younger learns from the older.•If a trained ox can pull 5,000 pounds and an untrained ox can pull 2,000 pounds, together they can pull 10,000 pounds—much more than the sum of the two.•Over time, the untrained ox becomes trained and the two begin to walk in-step with each other. Then they can pull 15,000 pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 Had an old girlfriend that could haul 20,000 lbs. by herself (at the Waffle House). I had to dump her. Couldn't afford the feed bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 Could it have been a train of six wagons being pulled by 18 oxen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 43 minutes ago, Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 said: Had an old girlfriend that could haul 20,000 lbs. by herself (at the Waffle House). I had to dump her. Couldn't afford the feed bill. dont know of your girlfriend but i love the waffle house - we dont have them up here , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 Posted September 8, 2020 Author Share Posted September 8, 2020 12 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said: Could it have been a train of six wagons being pulled by 18 oxen? Bingo! That’s likely the case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 So, how much did the wagon weigh pulled by 20 mules? With all that borax, must have been a real clean outfit! The Old Ranger never said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 14 hours ago, Trailrider #896 said: So, how much did the wagon weigh pulled by 20 mules? With all that borax, must have been a real clean outfit! The Old Ranger never said. Most references list the total weight of 2 loaded wagons plus the water wagon having a total loaded weight of 73,200 pounds. Borax: The Twenty Mule Team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Hangtree Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 On 9/7/2020 at 7:40 PM, Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 said: Had an old girlfriend that could haul 20,000 lbs. by herself (at the Waffle House). I had to dump her. Couldn't afford the feed bill. You dated her too, Okie? She swore I was the only one. Lyin' heffer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 "She burns green, Rosie! We're rich!" From an episode on "Death Valley Days" starring "the Old Ranger", followed by some actor originally called "Dutch". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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