QUOTE OF THE DAY. King Banaian:

I doubt many of us think much these days of the great discovery of the refrigerated railroad car. We have the Germans to thank, who wanted refrigeration for their beer. (We have beer to thank! We must always thank beer!)

The Superintendent endorses the sentiments, although in the interest of historical accuracy, refers readers to John H. White's The American Railroad Freight Car for the history of the refrigerated box car, and for the privately operated meat reefers: the railroads being reluctant to invest in special-purpose cars that would be operated empty at least half the time. If you'd like some early twentieth century corporate special pleading with your Sprecher, there's a new reprint of Jonathan Ogden Armour's The Packers, The Private Car Lines, and the People (think of it as the anti-Jungle) available.

The brewers, prior to Prohibition, probably had more colorful billboard refrigerator cars than the meat packers.