Port Neches, Texas, is the site of our interview this time, and Elton Gish is the interviewee. (Port Neches is located near Beaumont, east of Houston). To describe Elton in just one word, that word would have to be "nice". Along with that, you could add "quiet", "intelligent", and "polite". Then there's "friendly", "helpful", and "hospitable". So I guess if you rolled all of these words into just one, it would come out "nice" anyway.

Even if you have never had the pleasure of meeting Elton, you have seen his name in Crown Jewels, because he is the editor of "Porcelain Insulator News", a column that appears in every other issue. He has done this job beautifully since 1984, when Jack Tod asked Elton if he would continue it for him. Elton's column is so well written and informative that even collectors who are not interested in porcelain read it. And because of the neat and interesting presentation, many have developed an interest in porcelain insulators through "Porcelain Insulator News".

Elton was born December 29, 1948, in Port Neches, but he lived in Nederland, Texas, until moving back to Port Neches in 1970. He has always lived in that area. He graduated from Lamar University in 1972 with a B. S. in chemical engineering. He's a senior project chemical engineer at the Texaco refinery in Port Arthur.

As for his hobby achievements, Elton is a charter member of the NIA (#41), and he received the Sterling Finch Memorial Award in 1987 for dedication to the hobby. He's president of the Lone Star Insulator Club in Houston, and he co-hosted the Houston national in 1988. He's also a member of the Southeast Texas Collector's Club and he has hosted all three of the club's antique collectables shows in Port Arthur. He's also presently serving as ethics committee chairman for the NIA, and received this organization's highest honor, the outstanding Service Award, at the Allentown, Pennsylvania, national this past July. Along with these awards and activities, Elton is also an accomplished author, having written Multipart Porcelain Insulators in 1988, as well as contributing to Jack Tod's Porcelain Insulators Guide Book that same year. And then there's "Porcelain Insulator News" and occasional "Patent Pages" articles which appear in Crown Jewels. So it is plain to see that Elton's contributions to this hobby are many and varied, and always of the best quality.

Elton holding a large brown M-3740 Thomas, 
with porcelains in the background.

It's time now to hear from Elton. "I started collecting insulators in 1970. I never noticed insulators on poles until visiting a retired friend who had several dozen. I became instantly interested, and he showed me several copies of Crown Jewels. I started subscribing, and was soon buying insulators through the mail, as well as searching for them locally. My first national was in Kansas City in 1972.

"I started out specializing in Brookfields, of which I now have over two hundred ninety different ones. A couple of years later, after doing research in old trade journals for Jack Tod between classes at Lamar University, I became interested in the history of insulators. That naturally led to a specialty in early porcelain, as most of the old trade journal articles were about Fred Locke, Imperial, and other porcelain manufacturing companies. I still pick up a few Brookfields, but my main specialty is the early porcelain from 1890 to 1920. This includes Fred Locke, Imperial, Thomas, Lima, New Lexington, Peru, GE, Macomb, and early multiparts. I have over seven hundred pintype insulators, both glass and porcelain, with another two hundred fifty specialty porcelain (knobs, spools, cleats, and tree insulators).

"Collecting porcelain insulators could be considered a sub-specialty. My major interest is the history of Insulators. I have compiled hundreds of trade journal articles and advertisements from 1879 to 1935, as well as many book references from 1853 to the present. Other interests are manufacturer's catalogs and patents pertaining to insulators. I have just completed compiling copies of all of the patents relating to insulators, over 1,000 in all. So, you can see that my main specialty is actually insulator history." Elton's other hobbies include photography, Texaco cans and porcelain signs, traveling, and hiking.

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Part of Elton's collection, with 
the Brookfields in the center row.

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More of the porcelain collection.

Elton says that it is difficult to pick out a few favorite insulators, but they could be narrowed down to: an unmarked U-146 made by Pass & Seymour circa 1892, U-938 Imperial, U-945 Mershon Type, U-939C Fred Locke, the Locke model, U-928 Boch patent in brown, U-182 Prenzel patent, M-2335 Fred Locke 2-spout, M-2795 Fred Locke with white porcelain top and glass bottom, M-3740 Thomas with matching brown and white miniatures, and the Brooks ramshorn with metal case and side pin for mounting in a tree. In glass, it would be the amber Brookfields.

A few favorites. 
Left to right: M-2335, Locke model, U-928, U-939C, U-938.

What is Elton's main "want"? He says, "My main 'want' is a brown U-966 made by Imperial Porcelain Works. This insulator was pictured in Frances Terrill's book on porcelain insulators in the early 1970s. I know who has it, but cannot talk them out of it. Just knowing who has this rare goodie is some consolation."

One unique item in Elton's collection is the Locke pigs. According to Elton, "The best conjecture as to the story behind the Locke pigs goes as follows. Fred Locke's company was incorporated in September, 1902, and a board of directors was established with Fred as president (this is fact). It has been speculated that the directors were not satisfied with how Fred managed the insulator plant or how he was conducting business. In late 1903 Fred left the company. It is speculated that a good friend, probably one of the ceramists at the Victor plant, made the pigs to represent the nine directors, each sitting around the board table deciding Fred's fate, as pigs sitting around the feed trough (business card holder), waiting to be fed. Perhaps the maker felt that the directors were more concerned with money than with the contributions that Fred had made. Each pig (director) was hand-sculptured in porcelain and painted with brown and white glaze to make them individualistic in size, shape, color, and character. The base was glazed brown with 'Fred M. Locke Victor, N.Y.' scratched on the front of the base. There is only one 'Locke pigs' and, from the nature of the piece, there could have only been one made. It was surely used on Fred Locke's personal desk.

"Rodney wing found the pigs in an antique store in Michigan. Gerald Brown acquired them in 1972, Edgar Smith in 1976, Paul Ickes circa 1980, and I purchased them from Paul at the time that he was selling his Fred Locke collection. I have not regretted buying them... they remain one of my favorite Fred Locke items."

A unique Locke go-with; 9 pigs around a trough.

Some concluding words from Elton... "There is more to the hobby than just collecting insulators. The many fine people make insulator collecting truly unique. The many friends that one makes over the years make the hobby very rewarding. Where else could you have friends all over the country who would welcome you into their home and share their collection and tales with you.

"There is a wealth of undocumented information that should be made available to all collectors. It should be preserved for current and future collectors who would like to learn more about our wonderful hobby. Many collectors have done research and/or could write stories of their insulator digs and hunts. Most of us will never have the opportunity to experience the excitement of finding good insulators on lines, or digging in the old dump sites.

All porcelain Fred Lockes.

Elton at the desk where "porcelain Insulator News"
is written, holding a U-945 Mershon Type.

I hope that these collectors will share these experiences and information with the rest of us.

"It is also my hope and goal to make available, to those interested, all of the research information that I have available. All they have to do is to let me know the topic that they are interested in, and I will be glad to check to see if I have anything that could help them. The more that we can learn about our hobby, and the more information that we can share, the more enjoyable it will be for all of us."

This collector is certainly generous with his time, his knowledge, and his talent. Our hobby would be nothing without the contributions of people like Elton Gish. For all you've done, Elton, and for all you continue to do, we thank you most sincerely. We're surely glad we've got you!