|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
There are more than a few former occupations made obsolete by changes in technology. Who can remember the name of the gentlemen who removed the pollution left behind by horses?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
wasn't it a street sweeper? in NYC, the first street sweepers, and all of the department of Sanitation, was a sub agency of the board of health.. Sanitation, (aka, san man or garbage man) is also the agency responsible for water-- supply side that is! and now days, they work closely with the Department of Parks, and compost fall leaves and summer grass clipping into compost (free for the hauling-- and container are availabel at a discount.)
the Ringling Br. Circus also markets "exotic manure" for your garden... you can get Elephant manure (at a premium price for manure) for your garden.
but continuing on the theme. Coleco, a toy manufacturer, (notably, Cabbage Patch kids dolls, ) used to be...?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
I must be mad to post what I'm gonna post, but here goes:
(I confess) I was a tour guide at Walt Disney World ages ago. We called the street sweepers on Main Street USA who swept up the huge droppings of the Percherons, Belgians, and Clydesdales pooper scoopers.
Snow White, at the time I worked in the Magic Kingdom, was rumored to be having an affair of the heart with one of the Seven Dwarfs.
Beast regards,
Walt'sWorld
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear of troy: those horse apple removers had a euphemistic designation based on color of their uniform. Can you recall that?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
its before my time! but NYC street sweepers wore white!, like nurses and other health profressionals.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Right! And they were mockingly called "Whitewings" it's even in my dictionary. There were many jokes and cartoons about them.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Then there was the low-paid functionary who took care of horses for people who needed that service. There was a famous doctor so named. Can you remember it?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
wwh writes:
Then there was the low-paid functionary who took care of horses for people who needed their services. There was a famous doctor so named. Can you remember it?
All I can think of is:
stable boy ... Nope, no Dr. Stable Boy
groom ... Nope, no Dr. Groom that I know of
ferrier ... Nope, no Dr. Ferrier that I know of
Hey! Define "low-paid"!
Beast regards,
Wordworried
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear WW: Dr. Osler was a Canadian who taught at Johns Hopkins. In WWI, families of wounded Canadian soldiers were greatly relieved by a telegram saying their son had been seen by Dr. Osler. That was all they needed to be sure he was well cared for. But the name is a variant of "hostler". My grandfather kept four horses for making house visits. When my father was small, my grandfather had an hostler who lived in a small room in the attic. One of the mementos of his stay was a dozen or more phosphorus matches in a little ceramic saucer with an integral cup with millimetre raised ridges close set, with a second chemical to help phosphorus match ignite. Smokers who used the match sticks for toothpicks, and carried them in their mouths for extended periods developed a nasty lesion called "phossy" jaw. That was also fate of many workers who licked tiny brushes to put phosphorus on watch dial numerals to make them legible in dark.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,317
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
688
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
