Richard During says Bob Fredrickson, now 81 and retired from Pacific Tel and Tel Company, owns the original photo found on this month's cover. The black-and-white picture was taken around 1960 when Bob was construction foreman for the demolition of a line in the Fort Lewis, Washington area.
                                                                                                                                                        

Cover Photo

When asked what happened to the insulators, Bob said, "Oh, we found some way to get rid of them. One day, when our office was at 92nd and South Tacoma Way, we had a whole truckload of insulators and other junk to get rid of." 

"Junk?", Richard protested. "You're calling those crown jewels junk?" 

"Well that's what we called them back then. I still can't believe people pay a lot of money for insulators", Bob replied. 

"Ok, so what did you and your crew do with that truckload of crown jewels?", Richard asked.

"Of what? Oh, the insulators. Why, we dug a big hole behind the office building and buried them. The old office building is now gone, replaced by another building, and the rest of the area is covered with a large, paved parking lot," Bob concluded.

Richard borrowed the photo from Bob to colorize it. Richard says he occasionally drives past 92nd and South Tacoma Way. He notes that thoughts of digging there have long gone, but admits he gets a warm feeling to think that under the pavement there could be crown jewels like the ones in his "collector's fantasy" on the cover photo.