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Add context - replaced Oz spelling for Oz subject written by an Australian.
== 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 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.
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 rumour 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:
The term and its origins are the Australian land bound equivalent of the nautical "scuttlebutt" describing gossip around the water keg (butt) on board ship in the days of sail. These days, the water cooler, tea urn or coffee maker serves the same purpose.
John Furphy, who started the company, attended his local Methodist church and was a lay preacher there. His water carts are known for round cast-iron ends embossed with various wording, including a rhyme and a temperance message in shorthand. The rhyme reads:
:Good - Better - Best
:Good - Better - Best
:Never let it rest
:Never let it rest
: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? -->
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 whisky 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 galvanized mild steel in 1983.
The water carts are still made, although the cast-iron ends were replaced with galvanis
ed mild steel in 1983.
== Sources ==
== Sources ==