The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-05-02
haven't any time to waste in getting
your section ready"
CarrS Inns tightened suddenly. and

ed. Seems he and | are to be on the
same train this time, at least as far as
Corinth. l couldn't ask better man
on a rush trip like this is going to be-"
Fathers SICK" answered Carl Il
came down to see-to get his place.
I've been watching him the last four
or five nights, sleeping little when
could, but he's well enough now to
look after himself until get back"
"Sick?" with some surprise. why.
I hadn't heard And you're to take
his place on this trip? Amt you pref
ty young? wouldn't have thought
the company d agree to it, they're so
particular, though" hastily, you're
perfectly competent, Carl. l know
that. You've been with your father so
many trips you know the ropes as
well IS he. And you've got cool, clear
head. That's what counts in ripening
fruit by thermometers. Aud still-weIl,
you know yourself how the company IS
| about young help. I've got boy OF
your age that hope to get into n mes
senger's job some day, but I've never
|
more. You're lucky; that's all I've got
to say. Ii you make this trip all right,
you'll be on the books for steady runs
before the years OUT
Carts face had grown hot and un-
comfortable.
"You don't understand he explain
ed. ""-
But a man down the track was look
ing toward them and motioning. Mes
senger hurried away.
"Well, hope you'll have good luck,
as, of course, you will,' he called back
over his shoulder. well be too busy
to see much of each other on the trip
/ take the twenty end cars on account
of switching off at Corinth. Yours'll be
forward"
Until that moment Carts head had
been in whirl. Events had followed
each other so rapidly, so apparently
beyond his personal option in the mat
ter, that he had allowed himself to be
borne on the current. Now he decided
to let it go on. He had hurried down
to explain about his father and to see
| if he would not be allowed to fill the
place. But from what he knew him
self and from what 8 had just said he
realized how slight was the chance
Perhaps even his father would be sus
pended for time The company did
not make much allowance for sickness
or convalescence. Their work was toe
Important.
But, as had conceded. he under
stood the work and could probably dc
it just as well as his father, and just
now they were in special need of EN-
ployment. His younger brother was II
the hospital waiting an operation, anl
money must be had to meet the ex
penses.
So he hurried down track to tht
end of his-or rather his father's-sec
ton of the train and began careful
examination of the cars. Then he Sc
about seeing that they We're properl,
treated. The mercury was down to g.
degrees, which was unusually cold TO
New Orleans. and II degrees lowe
than the messengers had started out a
any previous time during the winter
Other messengers We're giving thei
cars little more heat than common
for it would be twelve to fifteen hours
before the now cool bananas could be
gin to generate warmth of their own, ant
the freezing or even chilling of a trail
load would mean the loss of fortune
Carl gave his cars several degrees NOR
than was customary and then had tn
stoves removed and the doors closed
Even with an outside low temperatur
the carefully built cars would then re
tain heat until the fruit began to gen
crate some of its own. An hour late
the train pulled out
A cold wave had been predicted. bu
apparently some weather condition ha'
stayed or swerved it in another diree
ton. Before they We're beyond the cit
limits the mercury commenced to rise
and when they rumbled through Ne
ridian it marked 60 degrees and cor
tinued to go up.
Carl began to look anxious. All b;
ventilators were now wide open, bu
the air in the cars was moist an
sitting. Instead of being chilled, th
danger was now that the banana
Y would overhead, which would be jus
as disastrous.
: A messengers duty is to see that hi
:. fruit gets into market in just the rigl
: condition. He must retard or advane
r the ripening by cold or heat. accordin
. to the condition of the fruit, the lengt
' Of the trip and other circumstance
t He must know from mere glance {
: bunch of bananas how many degree
Of heat will be required to ripen it
I prescribed number Of hours, and
:. he be good messenger he must /
able to have his fruit in just the rigl
: condition when he reaches his de
n tination, whether it be four days I
Z fourteen. With refrigerator cars an
t ventilators it is comparatively eas
r during the summer to shift the the
r mometers to the requirements of IL
$ fruit, and even in winter. when it co
e tinues cold, there are the initial STOW,
b and the generated warmth to deper
] upon, but when an unexpected h
r wave confronts messenger in mi
winter he has little but the resour
It of his own ingenuity to count on. SUI
b problem was now facing Carl Wht
% they pulled into Corfnth the mercu