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Washington, D.C., circa 1926. "Four Wheel Drive Auto Co., H Street N.E." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
The fellow in the rear had to stay there for all but the longest runs. Weighing and humping twenty pound sacks to the rear delivery entrance of the up scale homes with fancy parlor stoves. He probably had to make do with a pot belly and soft coal.
Congratulations on another well deserved recognition of your site,Dave. Just read today the list that your blog made put out by Time.
Trolley Tracks on H St. NE in 1926. Looks like there will be a trolley
again on H Street about 90 years later.
"Menominee, Menominee, Menominee", one of the most lyrical place names in the good old U.S.A.
look like they mean business. Delivering coal doesn't look like easy work.
Bag coal was mostly for cookstoves or houses heated by parlor stoves. I've seen a few tattered, very old unopened bags in Pennsylvania cellars.
By this time I would think those big fender-mounted headlamps were electric but they sure look like acetylene lamps. Four wheel drive sure would be the thing to get coal down the chute in terrible storms and inclined driveways.
[These headlamps are electric (note the wire); acetylene lamps on a FWD truck can be seen here. - Dave]
Indeed, I mess around with Stanleys before and after the addition of a dynamo.
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