[or-roots] more Fresno

[Ray Powell]

I've never seen a Fresno with wheels. They used many of them in the making 
of some of the canals in Yakima Valley, and, at least in that area, none of 
them used wheels. They were as previously described as sliding along and 
lifting the handle loaded them.

Ray

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Leslie Chapman" <reedsportchapmans at verizon.net>
To: "Oregon List" <or-roots at sosinet.sos.state.or.us>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2006 8:59 PM
Subject: [or-roots] more Fresno


>I have been corrected a couple of times for calling the device that worked
> in a similar fashion to the previous description of a Fresno by that name 
> by
> my Aunt Nell; she informed me that a "Fresno" had wheels or some such, I
> really don't remember the exact distinction. I have however a bit of 
> advice
> for anyone wishing to try it, grasp the handle(s our similar tool had two
> handles) in a manner that will easily allow you to let go of it, I was
> running it while dad drove once and was grasping the handles in such a
> manner that when the front hit a root and the back flew up I was thrown 
> over
> the top of and in front of it. Not a pleasant experience.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresno_Scraper
>
> gives a fairly good history of the invention, but I was unable to find a
> picture to give a URL for. I probably have a picture of ours around
> somewhere, and possibly one of them being used on the road out of Safford.
> Okay, that triggered an idea and while I didn't actually get what I 
> thought
> I would get, I did find a picture of a Fresno, or what is called a Fresno
> and if the caption is correct my memory or Auntie's is defective. It has 
> no
> wheels, but IS different from the tool I worked with on our ranch, ours 
> was
> shallower, about two thirds as wide and I would say at least twice as long
> as the one shown here;
>
> http://www.jtraintours.com/articles.htm
>
> Les Chapman
>
>
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