I like to work with two rings on a yoke: a "big ring" for the tongue and a "calabash," or a "grab ring" for the chain. (They also go by the name "bitch link.") With that set-up, chains are no problem - even without a hook on the end - and the tongue to a cart or wagon is carried in the big ring while a chain carries all the draft, extending the life of the tongue.
But both the freight wagon and the caretta at Bent's Fort have a different tongue. While it has a traditional tongue stop below, the load is carried by a loop of iron which passes through a pair of holes in the tongue. Two cotter pins hold the loop in.
It's fast to hook and unhook, but I'm not sure the origin and would also like to see anyone's historic photo or drawing of it in use, just to be sure we weren't missing something about the hitching process.
But both the freight wagon and the caretta at Bent's Fort have a different tongue. While it has a traditional tongue stop below, the load is carried by a loop of iron which passes through a pair of holes in the tongue. Two cotter pins hold the loop in.
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