Re: Why a "pig"?

[frdan <frdan@ctol.net>]

Al Castellane wrote: 
> I was recently asked by a lab tech why we call lead storage containers "pigs"?
>
If my memory severs me correctly the term "pig" came as a result of the
following story.
Back in the old days a lab was set up and one of the persons was
somewhat suprised at the weight of the shielded canister they needed to
count their samples in. A day or two had past when someone entered the
lab a stating the he had a sample to be counted. He had then ask "where
should I put the sample?" One of the lab techs being brought up on a
farm and remembering the weight of pigs and how much the canister
weighted stated, "put it in that "pig" over there". 

Regards, 
Fred Dannibale 
Electric Boat