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06846_Field_TCUM T411.txt
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1996-04-10
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902b
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16 lines
To come more directly to our subject of the wheel, Lynn
White explains how the evolution of the wheel in the Middle
Ages was related to the development of the horsecollar and the
harness. The greater speed and endurance of the horse was
not available for cartage until the discovery of the collar. But
once evolved, this horse-harness led to the development of
wagons with pivoted front axles and brakes. The four-wheel
wagon capable of hauling heavy loads was a common feature
by the middle of the thirteenth century. The effects on town life
were extraordinary. Peasants began to live in cities while going
each day to their fields, almost in the manner of motorized
Saskatchewan farmers. These latter live mainly in the city,
having no housing in the country beyond sheds for their
tractors and equipment.
With the coming of the horse-drawn bus and streetcar,