shorthand for "
private investigator" (private "i".. get it?). interestingly enough, the
pinkerton national detective agency, the first detective agency in the
united states, had as its slogan, "we never sleep". they had, as their logo, a big ole eye, symbolizing their vigilance and ever-watchfulness.
the pinkerton national detective agency was founded by allan pinkerton in 1850. encyclopedia.com has this to say about him:
Pinkerton, Allan
1819-84, American detective; b. Scotland. In Chicago he
founded (1850) what became the Pinkerton National
Detective Agency. During the Civil War he directed an
espionage system behind the Confederate lines. His
agency, which solved numerous railroad robberies, also
gathered the evidence that broke up the MOLLY
MAGUIRES in the 1870s. It subsequently became
notorious as a private police force for hire to
management as strikebreakers.
this company is still in existence - "Pinkertons, Inc. is the World Class Enterprise Security Solution for the 21st Century". visit them at www.pinkertons.com.
they still have an eye logo.