Found another history lesson

[407floyd]

Found this at an old Victorian Era home in Palestine, Tx. The front of the railroad cars says "40 men 8 horses" in French. The man in foreground is a soldier. None of this meant anything to me until I finally sat down to do some research. Turns out this is a ca.1920 badge introduced through the American Legion for the fraternity of American soldiers who fought on the French Front during WWI. These men were taken by train to the front in crowded cars packed with 40 men and 8 horses each. Too many of the things I have dug are war related.

 

[BusDigger]

http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/2010/07/do-40-men-equal-8-horses.html

 

[1859large]

I would take that to mean 8 horses or 40 men. I would not want to be 40 men jammed in with 8 horses if the train stopped suddenly or worse. My guess would be that either way you rode in a cattle car and not a normal RR car. Hence the fraternity of cattle car riders.

HH

1859