Richard, post: 350811, member: 833 wrote: [USER=1965]@C Billingsley[/USER]
Not sure what you'd call it but this is it.
The 'can' with the handle is a 'Billy'. Fill with water and when boiling throw in desired amount of tea.
When 'done' the leaves sink to bottom and time to enjoy.
It's an old device goes back yonks (ages) - probably an Aussie item when first settled as it is the subject of poems and ballads.
Here's a video that depicts the very essence of 'the billy', bit long but it's better watching than some of those 'lets bake a cake using the new thermogimeeyourmoney gadget'.
"My Old Black Billy" Ballad
I guess we learn something new every day. Similar items were used in the States a lot in the old days, but I've never heard a name for them other than a "pot".
C Billingsley, post: 350809, member: 1965 wrote: Ok, for those of us on the other side of the world, what does that mean?
"Billy" is of course from the national anthem of Australia, "Walzing Matilda"
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled:
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me?"
Advance Australia Fair. Yes still the National Anthem.
It's a bit of a dull song IMO
Hasn't got a swing to it and no, not easy to sing.
Waltzing Matilda a bit unfavourable. The poor bloke committed suicide rather than face justice.
Depends how you look at it.
To me it's a tale of tough times with tough people.
"I'm looking at another line that was taped along a street on August 27, 1931 where a modern remeasurement shows these discrepancies:
704.50 (1931) vs. 704.77 (Actual)
348.00 (1931) vs. 348.10 (Actual)"
Kent, I love how you labeled your distances as "actual" .
We have a EDM baseline that gets re-measured with great care every couple decades. The thought seems to be that somehow we are measuring it better each time, getting closer to the true distances. Precision increases.... In reality the measurements are only a snapshot in time. Things move around due to fluctuating water tables, soil moisture, asphalt temperature, settlement, monument stability, ect.
Still useful measurements, but perhaps not any closer to the "actual" distance. Some places are worse than others
imaudigger, post: 350943, member: 7286 wrote: Kent, I love how you labeled your distances as "actual" .
Yes, when you're doing a professional job of measuring, you can say stuff like that. In Austin, concrete monuments such as those set well below grade are remarkably stable. Those three that were set before 1931 on line are still within 2mm of one straight line.
Kent McMillan, post: 350947, member: 3 wrote: Yes, when you're doing a professional job of measuring, you can say stuff like that. In Austin, concrete monuments such as those set well below grade are remarkably stable. Those three that were set before 1931 on line are still within 2mm of one straight line.
East-West line?
adjust for the curve, they may be dead onB-)
MightyMoe, post: 351008, member: 700 wrote: East-West line?
More like double-centered transit line. The City Engineer's staff actually knew how to run a straight line. In the early 20th century, many of the surveying staff actually had engineering degrees. Of course, that was back when surveying was an important part of the civil engineering curriculum.
