For the Heavy Loads
There was a time that the word “dray” was used in common conversation. However, it isn’t a word you hear much anymore, but it is an interesting word!
A dray is a type of cart or wagon used to carry heavy loads. In the past, it was usually pulled by horses or other animals. The dray was very useful for transporting things like barrels, large sacks, or heavy goods in cities or on farms.
We don’t use the word “dray” often because we now use trucks and other machines to do the heavy lifting. But before cars and trucks were invented, drays were essential for moving important items, especially in places near factories or ports.
Ten year-old Doris Adams traveled on a ship across the Atlantic to the newly formed country of the United States in, A Little Girl in Old Boston, by Amanda Minnie Douglas. Most of her belongings were held within a large chest. Of course, she couldn’t carry such a large chest when she disembarked. When the ship was unloaded, her chest was brought to her at her new home with the Leverett family.
And presently dusk began to mingle with the golden touches of sunset, and Mrs. Leverett went to make biscuit and fry some chicken, and Uncle Winthrop came at the same moment that a man on a dray brought an old-fashioned chest and carried it upstairs to Betty’s room. But Betty had already attired Doris in her silk gown.
Dray animals refers to the animals that pull these carts, like horses, oxen, or mules. These animals were strong and helped make transporting goods easier.
While the word “dray” is an old-fashioned word, it tells us how things were moved before modern transportation. It’s a great example of how language changes along with the tools and technology we use!
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