Dog Carts: Hub Magazine

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Dog Cart Articles from The Hub Magazine

The Hub was a 19th century trade magazine published for the USA carriage industry.

A real Dog Cart

A 19th century horse cart called a "Dog Cart."

The Hub refers to this style of horse cart as

"the aristocratic English dog cart."

Notes From Antwerp

The Hub magazine, May 1894. Page 110.

From The Hub’s special Correspondent.

A truthful report upon the American Building, carriages at the exposition, the trade at Antwerp, Belgium “Dog Carts”, useful hints for intending comers to this port.

… The Photograph here produced is to show how dogs in Belgian cities, Antwerp and Liege especially, are put to use instead of allowing them to run about idle, often at the public’s peril during the hot weather. These animals, in nearly all cases, are well cared for, and are used principally for carting milk, butter, cheese, eggs, vegetables, oil in cans, baskets of clothes to and from the laundry, while now and then a room full of furniture may be seen packed on the little “dog cart,” which is nearer reality than the aristocratic English dog cart, which is only seen running about in most reserved quarters of all important cities, while the humble, and yet extremely useful vehicles of that designation is to be seen all over Antwerp City from early morn till evening. After 7 P. M. little is seen of this novel merchandise conveyance.

A pair of trained animals, and of good size, are worth about $20.00; the harness costs altogether about $1.25, and the charrette (small cart), generally, three to five dollars. For a heavy load, four dogs are mostly hitched to the cart, and it is surprising how quickly they go along. The man in charge, or boy, often being the owner, walks, sometimes running alongside of the cart. In proportion, it is said they (the dogs) are of a quicker step than the horse, and can pull a heavier load than the latter. As a means of transportation, dogs are certainly cheaper to keep than horses. No shoeing is required, a great item in horse keeping, cleaner, and noiseless in movement, besides being a saving to the cleaning department of the city’s municipality.

A Four -In-Hand

The Hub Magazine, September 1878

A Four – In – Hand

The Hub magazine. September 1878.

The illustration on the opposite page adds one more the many supplements which The Hub has given in the past two years. Such a vehicle is no uncommon sight on the streets of New York (City), though not always drawn by four dogs. Frequently one strong, panting dog is considered power enough to draw the wagon, while its owner, man or woman, searches gutters, ashboxes, and other receptacles, for rags, paper, nails, and other refuse, for which they find a ready sale. In the accompanying picture of a burly female has her back turned toward us, arranging the contents of her cart while the dogs are resting beneath, evidently tired out with their labors. The string of bells, consisting of three or four old cowbells and several sleighbells, perform hideous music, deafening the ears of all passers-by.

Notes:

A dog cart is any wheeled vehicle pulled by a dog. In addition, there is a type of horse carriage called a "Dog Cart." This carriage was designed to carry hunting dogs under the seats in ventilated comparments. This carriage style was popular in the late 19th century since it was a small horse carriage with plenty of room for luggage. The canine cart predates, by hundreds of years, the 19th century carriage called a "dog cart." Many modern carriage drivers think a dog pulling a cart or wagon is a visual pun and thus a big joke.

Rabies outbreaks were thought to occur in the summer. Thus loose dogs in warm weather were regarded with suspicion.

Old traffic laws required a vehicle to have bells if it were pulled by an unshod draft animal. The bells were to warn pedistrians of the approach of the vehicle. When snow was on the ground, all vehicles had to have bells. Hence, why we associate "jingle bells" with horse sleighs.