Chapter 10
Hauling Coal

In the summer of 1931 Uncle Charlie asked me if I wanted to go with him and Uncle Clair to Estevan Coal Mines for coal. Clarence Hammond was also going. It didn't take me long to agree to go along. We all took a team and one wagon each and drove down in a short day. We stopped at McClary's, just south of the bridge on 39 Highway. They were selling coal at $1.25 a ton, a heaping triple wagon box full for $2.50. As I remember it now, the main problem was to find a place to water the horses along the road. Not everyone along the road had lots of water, and some people weren't willing to share what they had. Hauling coal from the small mines was to become a major project to save dollars. When we hauled coal after freeze-up, it was necessary to put shoes on the horses since their hooves couldn't stand the rough gravel on the highway. I spent part of two days putting shoes on four horses to make a trip. I expect a lot of farmers got practice the same way. It may have been the same trip that I wore out the soles on a pair of red rubber overshoes, walking most of the way to keep warm. I'm not sure if I saved any money that trip or not. It was also that trip that Roy Hughes and I were traveling together from Estevan to Midale. I turned north off the highway and had eleven more miles to our place east of Halbrite. Roy still had to go to Weyburn and a few more miles to where they lived.

Another trip I remember well was in October 1933. I had two teams and wagons which had become quite a usual practice. It started to snow as I arrived in Estevan and I headed for the Fair barns, since the livery barns were already full. There were coal haulers from everywhere it seemed. The two I remember best were Dean Danforth from Halbrite and Charlie Goranson from north of Ralph. Dean had five horses and two wagons. Charlie had four horses and a grain tank. The Fair barns were full of horses and men, most of us had a grub box along. It was not quite freezing temperature but I don't know how we managed for hot coffee. It took a while to get moving in the morning as there was at least five inches of snow to cope with. Dean and I went to a mine I didn't know very well. They didn't have very good coal either we were to learn later. We were fortunate to get loaded, have dinner, feed our horses and leave Estevan by 2:00 p.m. There was a string of teamsters half a mile long leaving Estevan going west on 39 highway. A car pulled out of the track up on the hill. I couldn't imagine who would have so much patience - it was an RCMP car. Dean and I got as far as a mile east of Macoun by dark. Some of you may remember the proposed filling station that was planned for that location. There was a building put up there, and that's all the farther the business developed - in other words it didn't get off the ground. Dean and I pulled off the road, put our horses inside. and fed them. The horses were all quite warm. We unrolled our blankets in a corner and hoped none of the horses would get loose at night. I suppose we ate cold sandwiches and that's how it was. The ground was frozen in the morning when we started out so the loads rolled on the frost. I pulled off east of Midale to get some warm refreshment at Uncle Charlie's. Dean continued on home to Halbrite. In the afternoon I made it home another thirteen miles.

Another trip was made with Russell Nord. I don't remember what year it was, but we went with just one team and wagon each. The fact that I was driving Dan and Robin tells me it was made before 1934. as we sold Dan up at Naicam. Russell was driving a good, big, young team they had raised. It was probably Russell's first trip and he wanted to go with me as I had made a few trips and knew most of the ropes. It wasn't an easy or fun experience at any time, but we had the horses and wagons and the time and we saved a few dollars that were very difficult to find. I believe the last trip I made for coal was with Rex and Curly hitched to Uncle Elmer's four wheel rubber tired wagon. It was so different I couldn't believe it. I had two tons of coal on and it pulled like an empty buggy going down any slope.

One disappointing experience though was to have someone steal the martingales off my harness in the livery barn where I kept my team overnight. I didn't know how I'd manage down the hill out of Estevan. Finally I figured out that I could use the halter ropes of each horse. It worked out OK but it rather shameful to have to cobble up something like that.