RE: [CBQ] What could these crates be?

["Charlie Vlk" <cvlk@comcast.net>]

West Madison Street in Chicago was “skid row”……where bums and derelicts 
(“homeless persons” in todays PC terminology) congregated because of a number 
of Rescue Missions located in the area.

It was not far from the Fulton Street Market which was the wholesale 
distribution center for (primarily) fruits and vegetables.   Pete mentioned 
that the Banana Messengers were recruited from West Madison Street so we a 
likely talking about contract employees hired by the banana distributors on a 
per trip basis, not regular employees of the railroad.

Seems to me there was an article on the banana traffic in RMC not too long ago 
that probably covered this.   

IC had some extra long cabooses set up with accommodations for banana 
messengers (plans were in MR and identified as “Banana Caboose”) so the concept 
is not unlike that for livestock drovers that accompanied and cared for the 
shipment of animals.

Charlie Vlk