h
together that day. The Jew smiled assent. He had scored a point--Armour
had come to him.

So they lunched together. The Jew ate very little. Both men talked, but
said nothing. They were waiting. The Jew ate little, but he drank three
cups of tea.

Armour insisted on paying the check, excused himself somewhat abruptly,
and hurried to his office. He sent for his lieutenants. They came
quickly, and Armour said: "Boys, I've just lunched with Nelson Morris. I
think we'd better come to an understanding with him as to a few things
we shall do and a few we shall not do--he drinks nothing but tea."

* * * * *

Prior to the invention of the refrigerator-car, the business of the
packer was to cure salt meats and pack them for transportation. Besides
this, he supplied the local market with fresh meats.

Up to the early Eighties fresh meat was not shipped any distance except
in midwinter, and then as frozen meat. Surplus Western cattle were
shipped East alive--and subject to heavy risks, shrinkage and expense.
About fifty per cent of the live weight was dressed beef--balance
non-edible--so double freight was paid on the edible portion. Could this
freight be saved? About this time Hammond, of Detroit, mounted a
refrigerator on car-wheels, loaded it with dressed beef and headed it
for New York, where the condition of the meat on arrival satisfied every
one in the trade except the local slaughterer.

The car was crude--but it turned the trick--a new era had arrived. The
corn-belt came into its own. "Corn was King"--the steer, the heir
apparent.

Phil Armour saw the point. Pay freight on edible portions only. Save the
waste. Make more out of the critter than the competitor can. Pay more
for him--get him. Sell the meat for less. Get the business--grow. And he
got busy perfecting the refrigerator-car.

Armour called together railroadmen and laid the project before them.
They objected that a car, for instance, sent from Chicago to New York
would require to be iced several times during the journey, otherwise
there might be the loss of the entire load. A car of beef was worth
fifteen hundred dollars. The freight was two hundred dollars or less.
The railroadmen raised their hands in horror. Besides transporting goods
they would have to turn insurance company. Armour still insisted that
they could and should provide suitable cars for their patrons.

The railroadmen then came back with this rejoinder: