Picture Courtesy of Jim Kuntz

Picture Courtesy of Jim Kuntz

Many farm ponds were built with a tool similar to this. They were very popular with rural road builders and were manufactured in three different sizes. This slip, the smallest, called for a regular team of horses, held 3½ cubic feet of dirt and was called a No. 3 scraper. The No. 2 and No. 1 scrapers held 5 and 7 cubic feet respectively. They were usually equipped with a three or four horse team. If possible, a plow would first loosen the soil six to eight inches down. One man controlled the team while his partner operated the scoop of slip. The operator held the handles firmly and was careful not to take too deep a bite. Once the scoop was full, he pressed the handles downward enough so that the load slid over the surface. Scoops could be purchased with or without runners welded to the bottom. Once the load was in place, the operator raised the handles and let go. The scoop turned upside down and was dragged that way until it was ready to be loaded again.

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment