A few years ago I had planned to write a series of articles for Crown Jewels on Luther Tillotson, L. G. Tillotson & Co., and the insulators marked with that name. I guess I kept putting it off, in hopes of some day making a trip to New York and Washington D. C. to do further research. A couple years ago I was fortunate to purchase an original "Smith's Manual of Telegraphy" which was published by L. G. Tillotson & Co. The first section of the book deals more with the principles of telegraphs, the Morse Code and an explanation of the various instruments used on telegraph lines. The remaining 200 pages consists of an illustrated catalogue and price list of telegraph and telephone machinery and supplies manufactured and supplied by L. G. Tillotson & Co.

Although I don't yet have enough information to write the series of articles, I felt it would be of interest to collectors to show a few of the pages form the catalogue. Luther Tillotson was involved with the telegraph from the very early years. In the 1850's he became a superintendent on the telegraph lines of the New York & Erie Railroad. At some point during the early 1860's he formed a telegraph and railway supply house in New York City under the name of "Tillotson & Co." He advertised during 1864 in the Telegrapher under that name. In December, 1964, his ad was under the name of "L. G. Tillotson & Co." I haven't yet found the reason for the change in the name. The firm operated as L. G. Tillotson & Co. until the early or mid 1980's when E. S. Greeley & Co. took over. I have an L G. Tillotson & Co. trade card and also a Greeley letterhead and envelope (illustrated with a Tillotson key) which makes a nice group of Tillotson material.

The catalogue mentioned appears to be from the early 1890's and is the eighteenth edition. There is a large assortment of telegraph instruments illustrated including registers, relays, sounders and keys. Some of the insulators shown include the glass block, or "square glass" as it is described, a CD133, CD102, CD126, CD131, CD138 and others. There is also a large assortment of wire, tools and other items. At some point in the future I plan to write some more detailed information, but this should be of interest for now.