Ed Shannon, Between the Corn Rows

Al Batt always starts off his Tribune columns with a reference to his friend Crandall stopping by. And from time to time during the past few years I could certainly have started a column by saying what follows is based on a welcome contribution by local historical researcher Kevin Savick.

For this column, Kevin’s contribution is based on a news article from the Sept. 24, 1884, issue of the Freeborn County Standard weekly newspaper.

Now, what follows is the way this article explains what was reportedly then a real problem for folks riding in carriages and buggies:

“One of the greatest annoyances that the American people have suffered during the past, and now enduring with forced equanimity, had arisen from what seemed an irremediable source.

“From this annoyance no class of people have been exempt. Pleasure seekers on our common roads, in the city and country, businessmen of every calling and profession, and in short all who ride or drive, or are in any way connected with or have the care of buggies, know that riding which otherwise is one of the most delightful recreations, and which is the only available means of doing business in the country and which constitutes the livery man’s life, is made a bore and a nuisance by the fact that buggies are at present so constructed that mud and sand will inevitably fly from the wheels at even moderate rates of speed. How often a trifling amount of mud spoils or defeats entirely the pleasure of an afternoon ride. No speed can be indulged in without totally demoralizing the dainty costumes prevalent among our ladies. This is true at times on our freshly sprinkled streets. Those who have traveled over muddy roads know well how barbarous is the experience. The mud from the wheels flying indiscriminately in all directions loads your buggy from stem to stern, from bottom to top, without, and worst of all within. A few hours drive suffices to change you from well-dressed, amiable individual into a veritable misanthrope. A large portion of the road over which you have come seems to have been thrown into your buggy; you are besmeared from head to foot; your whole appearance discounts that of a crawfish, and you feel like Barnum’s ‘what is it.’ Nine-tenths, if not all this trouble comes from the wheels. They cannot be prevented from catching up and throwing mud. The covers over the rear wheels of the phaetons prove only slightly beneficial for most of the mud come from the front wheels just as it rises.”

There’s more to this long-winded paragraph, but this hopefully indicates the problem for folks riding in carriages and buggies.

In the overly-long paragraph is a word that needs more explanation. The word is phaeton. This word is based on a myth about the child of the Sun. In the 19th century it’s the name used for a fancy open and sporty four-wheel carriage. And since 2002 it’s being used as the designation for a model of vehicle made by Volkswagen in Germany.

Now here was the solution for this alleged mess. The Standard’s article said, “A citizen of Albert Lea, realizing the need for a perfect device, has invented a complete cover for all four wheels, which may be attached to any vehicles of any style, old or noew, large or small, for city use or heavy country roads. Being light simple, neat and effective it cannot fail to come into general use and the inventor assures us that when once introduced and used, vehicles that do not have it will appear and be decidely unfinished without it.”

Finally, in the very last paragraph, comes the name of the local person who reportedly had the solution to thjis carriage and buggy problem. This news article concluded with, “Samples will be attached to buggies on our own streets as soon as they can be manufactured. Among the thousands of inventions this is certainly one of the most practical. The inventor, Mr. J.M. Todd is contemplating manufacturing on a scale here or elsewhere as soon as satisfactory arrangements can be made.”

To conclude all this, there’s no indication that this fender device ever became a reality back in the 1880s.

Ed Shannon’s column has been appearing in the Tribune every Friday since December 1984.