Re: Drover's caboose?

Drovers cabbose were used when transporting cattle to summer or winter range or to the stock yards. These cattle were subject to strict Federal laws about how long they could be on the train before they had to be unloaded, watered and fed.
I share 3 grandkids with a man who has been showing cattle since he was in his teens. With
show cattle, and I would think that would also apply to Rodeo stock, special arrangements are made to have feed and water in the car with them.
The cars were equipped with a shelf in each end.
One for feed and the other as sleeping space for the attendants. There was no way they would let these valuable horses and cattle would be put
in a pen where common stock had been. The risk
of disease was too great. Dad King said on several occasions he and his helpers had to hold
off train crews with their pitch forks to keep
them from unloading the show stock into the public pens. Had the crew read their way bills they would have seen that the cattle were travelling with attendants and that there was feed and water in the car so they were exempt from
the law requiring periodic unloading, feeding and watering.
Jim