Stanley Doble
Call Me a Cab
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The term "tank town" "jerk" or "jerkwater town".
All have similar origin. When the first railroads were built the locomotive had to stop for water every 50 miles. If there was no town or depot, they built a water tower with a wooden tank on top, and a windmill to fill it.
The local farmers knew that was the place to "flag" a train, or pick up freight. Often someone would open a store, and a small town or village would develop.
These little settlement with no reason for existing besides the railroad, were known as "tank towns". To be stuck playing tank towns was the bottom of vaudeville, almost as bad as being stuck in one.
The next development was to build a trough between the rails that could be filled with water. Then the train could lower a scoop and scoop up water without stopping. This was known as "jerking water" or taking water on the fly.
Some former tank towns became jerkwater towns where the trains didn't stop anymore.
A hopeless rube or someone completely lacking in smarts or sophistication, came to be called a jerk, in reference to his suspected origin in a jerkwater town.
All have similar origin. When the first railroads were built the locomotive had to stop for water every 50 miles. If there was no town or depot, they built a water tower with a wooden tank on top, and a windmill to fill it.
The local farmers knew that was the place to "flag" a train, or pick up freight. Often someone would open a store, and a small town or village would develop.
These little settlement with no reason for existing besides the railroad, were known as "tank towns". To be stuck playing tank towns was the bottom of vaudeville, almost as bad as being stuck in one.
The next development was to build a trough between the rails that could be filled with water. Then the train could lower a scoop and scoop up water without stopping. This was known as "jerking water" or taking water on the fly.
Some former tank towns became jerkwater towns where the trains didn't stop anymore.
A hopeless rube or someone completely lacking in smarts or sophistication, came to be called a jerk, in reference to his suspected origin in a jerkwater town.