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Line 14: − The shorthand message varied a little over the years, but one version of it was, ''Water is the gift of God, but beer and whisky are concoctions of the devil, come and have a drink of water.''<!-- Can anyone read the shorthand on the accompanying picture? -->+ − +
→The Furphy water cart: grammar and spelling
== The Furphy water cart ==
== The Furphy water cart ==
The company, which began in 1864, is most famous for their [[water]] cart, designed in the 1880s primarily for farm use, but which was extensively used in Australian military camps, and on the battle fields of [[Europe]] and the [[Middle East]] in [[World War I]]. There the water cart drivers who brought the water carts were sources of information and gossip for the soldiers, and the term ''furphy'' came to mean a rumour or unreliable information.
The company, which began in 1864, is most famous for their [[water]] cart, designed in the 1880s primarily for farm use, but was extensively used in Australian military camps, and on the battle fields of [[Europe]] and the [[Middle East]] in [[World War I]]. There the water cart drivers were sources of information and gossip for the soldiers, and the term ''furphy'' came to mean a rumor or unreliable information.
John Furphy, who started the company, attended his local Methodist church and was a lay preacher there. His water carts are known for their cast-iron ends embossed with various wording, including a rhyme and a temperance message in shorthand. The rhyme reads:
John Furphy, who started the company, attended his local Methodist church and was a lay preacher there. His water carts are known for their cast-iron ends embossed with various wording, including a rhyme and a temperance message in shorthand. The rhyme reads:
:Till your Good is Better
:Till your Good is Better
:And your Better - Best.
:And your Better - Best.
Another shorthand message has varied a little over the years, but one version of it was, ''Water is the gift of God, but beer and whiskey are concoctions of the devil, come and have a drink of water.''<!-- Can anyone read the shorthand on the accompanying picture? -->
The water carts are still made, although the cast-iron ends were replaced with galvanised mild steel in 1983.
The water carts are still made, although the cast-iron ends were replaced with galvanized mild steel in 1983.
== Sources ==
== Sources ==