Re: [CBQ] What could these crates be?

[Jpslhedgpeth@aol.com]

I thought I covered this, but here it is again..Bananas were extremely 
temperature sensitive and they created their own heat as they ripened.
The messenger periodically would "stick" a few samples of the fruit and 
regulate the heat or ice or vents as the case might be.  Heaters...maybe in 
winter and ice and/or vents in summer.


They would perform these duties at regular "icing stations and/or division 
points.  In spite of their low ranking on the "social register" these men..I 
never heard of a woman on this job...had very critical responsibilities...I 
think even more so than lilvestock drovers.


Pete



-----Original Message-----
From: rquisenb <rquisenb@comcast.net>
To: CBQ <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Mar 20, 2014 4:20 pm
Subject: RE: [CBQ] What could these crates be?


 
  
    
                  

What were the responsibilities of banana messengers?
I think I understand what a Drover is, a person responsiblefor the care and 
watering of the cattle being shipped.
Ray Quisenberry

---In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, <cvlk@...> wrote :




West Madison Street in Chicago was “skid row”……where bums and derelicts 
(“homeless persons” in todays PC terminology) congregated ...
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