Friends in Chains (Books), Tauranga in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty for sale
This memoir of a West Coast teamster takes the reader back to the days when"horsepower"did not refer to a motor vehicle engine; rather to a time when magnificent horse teams provided the motive power for NZ's heavy haulage and passenger transport services. Bob Hemderson spent many years driving horse teams between Westland and Nelson, trips that crossed numerous rivers, along narrow roads, some above rushing torrents, and in weather ranging from summer heat to winter's ice and snow. His story tells of boyhood spent in the hills, bush and timber mills of the Coast. He was employed as telegram delivery boy at Brunner and recalls several days of distributing telegams regarding the disaster at the Brunner mine in 1896 with the loss of 65 lives. Several jobs later, including some time underground in a quartz mine, he used his past experience with horses to become a teamster at 18. As Bob puts it in a preface to his book;".for the next 20-odd years my occupation was logging and tram driving from bush to mill; driving waggon teams conveying timber, machinery and explosives to the quartz mines around the ranges, and driving overland schooners."The"schooners"were large four wheelers similar to the covered waggons of the west bound pioneeers in the United States and were mainly used for transporting supplies and other commodities. The author drove teams of up to nine horses, but also".lighter vehicles with correspondingly lighter teams."With him went his big black Dog Dooly".who was my chief mate and pilot over thousands of road miles, until he was too old to lead, or follow."While biographical in content Bob Henderson's book vividly describes the days when the horse ruled the road, of friendships made, of the characters among them, of stage coaches and light buggies, incidents on the rough byways of those times. He tells a great story in with easy paced and descriptive text which re-creates a now near forgotten, but vital transport role in NZ's early development. A classic account of this association between man and horse. First edition of 1961 from Reed, 190 pages including teamster's glossay, 25 evocative b/w photos, frontis drawing of Bob's dog Dooly, end-paper maps Green hard covers are VG with fading to spine strip and narrow fade bands at cover top edges, former owner ink name on half title, text block otherise excellent with few small foxing spots. Size: 21.5cm By 14.5cm
Author
Bob Henderson
Title
Friends in Chains
Publisher name
Reed, Wellington
Shipping time
2 - 4 days
Publication year
1961
Edition
First edition
Binding type
Hard cover
Listing condition
Used
Item condition
Very good
Vendor name
BOPBooks
Vendor rating
Key words
New Zealand, History, Transport, Horse Drawn Vehicles, Biographical
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