Shoofly

[NW Mailing List]

RE: The term "shoofly" or "shoo-fly"

On Thu, Nov 22, 2012 at 8:37 AM, <nw-mailing-list-request at nwhs.org> wrote:


> first appeared in railroad jargon around 1905



The use of the term "shoofly" definitely predates 1905.  A few examples
follow:

The January 4, 1879 edition of "Railway World" noted in regards to Madeira
and Mamore railroad (a line being built in South America) that,"Three miles
of and a shoo fly of five miles has already been laid."
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZIJRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA14

Quoting from "The Economic Theory of The Location of Railways", first
published in 1887, "First, the exploration line or what is popularly called
a shoo fly line should be run as rapidly as possible over the entire route
which it is contemplated will ultimately constitute the road."
http://books.google.com/books?id=OcpAAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA860

Page #110 of the "Proceedings of the First Annual Meeting of the American
International Association of Railway Superintendents of Bridges and
Buildings", held in St. Louis, MO, on September 25, 1891, makes three
references to the term "shoofly" in regards to making repairs to
embankments that have been badly side washed.
http://books.google.com/books?id=93ASAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA110

C. Lloyd
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