[Vwdiesel] The One Horse Shay

[William J Toensing]

Rumple Stiltskin asked what was the story of the "One Horse Shay". It was a poem written by Oliver Wendell Holmes who lived from 1809 to 1894.The poem was of "The Deacon's Masterpiece" or "The Wonderful 'One-hoss Shay". I won't repeat the story or poem which I remembered from grade school days. I found that poem in a Google search. In summary, it was about a one horse shay that in 1755, it was built so well that it lasted 100 years to the day with out needing any repair. Then it all wore out at the same time fell apart into a heap or mound when an earthquake hit Lisbon, Portugal. As you know, components of cars, & other mechanical things will have a component that fails before other components do,  so lasting as long as the "One Hoss Shay" is a euphemism for something lasting a long time & then failing all at once.