Gerald Brown (Colorado) didn't believe me when I said my crystal ball indicated he'd better take a big supply (a very big supply) of his new book to the Denver N.I.A. Convention. He had people waiting in line to obtain the book until he sold out the "big" supply he took with him, and then he just started taking addresses to mail copies to those who weren't nimble enough to get in line quick enough. 

I doubt that the book will be reprinted when the supply is exhausted. If you miss out getting a copy of the book, don't say I didn't warn you! 

Jack 

Jerry Turner of Goshen, Ohio (Past Pres., N.I.A.) sent a newsy letter to bring us up to date. Both Jerry and Marilyn have changed positions in the fall of 1978. Jerry is now with Durocraft Products Inc., Cincinnati (Manufacturing, V.P. of Sales). Marilyn is chief of quality control section of a machine shop only two miles from the Goshen homestead. The rest of the family are all doing fine. 

Jerry mentioned a list of goodies he's obtained in the past year, and it makes one drool. 

He acquired another U-709A Pittsburg with an incuse hand-stamp marking, but this one has a type face resembling a fancy Old English, something like we've sketched above -- uite different from the other marked Pittsburgs reported in the past. I'm sure this was a welcome addition for Jerry, since he's always been a real collecting fan of Pittsburg porcelains.

Another interesting item Jerry got at the Friendship, Indiana flea market is a pottery canning jar with the marking shown at the right (jar bottom). 

Gerald Brown told me about eight years ago that when he was researching Illinois Electric Porcelain Co., Macomb, Ill. he had learned there had been at least two other "potteries" there in the past. Here's proof of the pudding. Although not connected in any way (that we know of!) with insulators, this jar is a nice shelf item for anyone interested in Macomb items.

Jerry also said that it was hard to believe, but he counted six porcelain U-407 Jumbos in the exhibits and on sales tables at the 10th N.I.A. National Convention in Denver (July 1979). This U-407 is not a rare item still, but it does show how many goodies do make their appearance at the annual N.I.A. National.

Jerry also acquired another U-407 with the LOCKE handstamp marking at the Washington Court House (Ohio) flea market. This came from a friend there who had obtained it in a collection he bought in Pennsylvania. Trying to corner the market, Jerry? 

Jerry got a brown U-944 at the Denver show. This is an early classic glazeweld by THOMAS. It's a rare item in white glaze, and even rarer with brown glaze. 

Then there was a cute little U-442 made by Pittsburg (specimen unmarked). This was a big surprise to both Jerry and me. We've collected Pittsburg items for a long time, not to mention many weekends of digging in the old Pittsburg factory dumpage, but this is really something different for Ptsbg. We never dreamed they made small cables such as this one. 

These are probably just the goodies Jerry told me about. No telling what else he's holding back on us!

Jack

Two more Pittsburg "date control" markings have been reported since our request in July 1979 CJ for help in trying to solve the date coding puzzle. Both markings were on P.R. "hat" distribution insulators. 

Jack Gooden, Jr. (Medford, N.Y.) has one with a marking of "JUL 26 ANS'D" on the dome. 

Ben Kirsten (Grand Junction, Colo.) has a similar one with "AUG 12 REC'D" on the dome. 

We're getting very close to having enough of these date stamps to crack the year coding used by Pittsburg. If just several of you can jot down on a postcard the datestamp marking on your Pittsburg specimen, we may have success in this venture. Please?? 

Jack

Dear Jack: 

The enclosed picture is of an item I found a while back. I thought it might be of interest to CJ readers who collect the insulator go-with item. 

It was described to me as a "choke coil". The idea was to mount it on the crossarm and connect it in series with the primary wire so the line current would flow through the coil (normal current up to the nameplate rating of 50 amps). When the current exceeded the rating (as with lightning), the current flowing through the coil produced a field which opposed this flaw, thereby "choking" or reducing the transient current peak. 

I am not positive that this was the correct way in which these units were used., but I have never seen any in service anywhere, so I can't disagree. If you have any more information (correct use, date of use, value, or whatever), I would be interested in finding out. 

The whole assembly is constructed on a piece of 3" channel iron 17" long. The large coil is 3" outside diameter and made of AWG #2 copper wire. The husky terminals are cemented into the pin holes of a pair of ordinary pin type porcelains attached inverted to the base. Riveted to the side of the channel iron base is a nameplate reading as follows:

ELECTRIC SERVICE SUPPLIES CO. 
PHILADELPHIA - NEW YORK - CHICAGO 
TYPE LU No.50457 VOLTS 3000 AMP 50 

Frank Shore 
Tucson, Arizona 

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Dear Frank: 

I don't have an answer for what this very interesting "gismo" is, but maybe one of our elder linemen or electrical engineers out there can write and tell us. One thing for sure is that it must be a real eye-catcher sitting there with your insulator collection. I can't make a guess as to "value" of any such oddball items that turn up out of the blue. Their value depends on the combined thoughts of both seller and buyer -- if a transaction does take place. 

I can't guess its vintage, but E.S.S. Co. was in business from 1906 until at least the 1930's. Woodward didn't have in his book data on this company, but I have at least some and will give it below for the benefit of collectors of both glass and porcelain insulators.

Electric Service Supplies Co. was established in 1906: President, Charles G. Mayer; V.P. & Treasurer, A. H, Englund -- both formerly of Mayer & Englund Co. (1901-1906, also of Philadelphia). I always just assumed this was the same company with merely a corporate name change. 

Knowles cable insulators were jobbed with an embossed M. & E. Co. marking, and then later with the E. S. S. Co. marking after 1906. The company probably jobbed porcelain pin types of one or more companies throughout the years, but a 1928 catalog shows they were then jobbing the complete line of Franklin Porcelain Co. insulators. Franklin was located in Norristown near Philadelphia, and there may have been more than a supplier-dealer relationship between the companies. 

E.S.S. Co. used the word "KEYSTONE" as a trademark (registered #65,586, 10/8/07) and also later a keystone symbolic logo (registered #80,769, 1/31/11; reregistered #266,285, 1/14/30). Of very special interest is the trademark tie-in with the former Mayer & Englund Co., since the registration showed "used since" dates from 1906 thru 1926 for various equipment, plus the conspicuous date of 1901 for "Trolley Insulators etc." [Was the M &, E Co. address also at 17th & Cambria Sts. in Philadelphia??] 

The E.S.S. Co. main office and factory was located at 17th & Cambria Streets, Philadelphia, Pa. (Don't all you dump diggers get there the same weekend!). They had sales offices in six other U.S. cities plus three in Canada. 

Other than that, I know nothing more about the company. 

Jack

HELP! 

Does anyone have an old catalog of Virginia Pottery Co., New Lexington, Ohio?? I know they exist, because someone told me a number of years ago they'd seen one in the hands of another collector. If so, can we merely borrow it to make prints. If you don't trust to mail it, then I'll pay your costs in making Xerox prints of the pages and mailing them. 

I am also very anxious to locate any copies of catalogs issued by THOMAS before 1900, and especially any pre-1896. 

I would very much like to hear from anyone who has catalogs or access to trade journals with drawings, photos, sketches or descriptions of pin type insulators made before 1900 by either of the following: Electrical Porcelain & Manufacturing Co. (Trenton, NJ); Peru Electric Manufacturing Co. (Peru, Ind.); General Electric Co. (Schenectady, NY). I will reimburse you for print and mailing costs if you have any such information. 

Jack

Dear Jack: 

Enclosed are pictures of several insulators. The first (at right) seems to be a U-38 and has the Fred M. Locke marking an the crown. It looks like it was machine made. The other one of similar style is a light tan and very crudely made. The top is partially sunk in, the wire groove is not uniform in depth or width, its base has been "ground off" so it sits crooked, and it is 1/4" shorter than the other one. This insulator is so crude you would think it was made by hand. I got it at a flea market for $.25. 

The other insulator (at right) seems to be a U-239 [No. it's a U-236, JHT]. I found six of these in as many shades of brown including one light buff and one olive drab. 

These insulators were on an old telephone line that ran from the old Headlight Mine on the Trinity River in Trinity, Cal. to the Altoona Mine some 16 miles to the east in steep country. Both mines were operating in the 1870's and later. The telephone line was put in about 1916. 

Can you give me any info on these insulators? I don't collect porcelains, but I pick up every insulator I see when I am out looking for the McLaughlin glass insulators I do collect. I'm a native Californian, and I think the McLaughlin glass is the prettiest of the West Coast glass. 
Royce Hensley 
Redding, Cal. 

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Dear Royce: 

Your first two insulators, the Fred M. Locke ponies, are both generally U-39 styles; the U-38 style is a distinctively more dainty variety of the same catalog number. There is a wide variation in quality and manufacturing methods of these, just as your specimens indicate. 

Regarding the bases (& heights), it was general practice then to dip the whole insulator in glaze slip and then after drying and before firing, to prepare the base firing surface by either fettling off the unwanted rim glaze with a course rag or a belt sander (which removed considerable body clay). Your photos show a specimen each of both methods.

Regarding the wire groove, these insulators were plunged (press formed) without the groove, and thus avoiding the necessity for parting-type dies. Before the clay completely dried, the wire groove was then cut in with a "green trimming" machine. Wire grooves thus differ in size and depth. If the insulator didn't fit squarely on the spindle of the trimming machine, the wire groove can be tilted or very irregular in size around the insulator. 

These U-39 specimens were made approximately 1902-04, and they have a collector value in the area of $5 each. 

The U-239 with "G" marking is a fairly good item also, $3 or so. This "G" marking is our mystery marking in porcelain insulators. We have some reasonable guesses as to the manufacturer, but it remains on the unattributed list at this time. All of the styles with "G" marking are dry press styles, and their vintage appears to be 1910-1925. 

Jack

Dear Jack: 

Thanks very much for the information on the Hewletts [See Sept 1979 CJ]. In glancing again at the May 1979 issue, I noticed the top picture on page 40 shows a "Guy Wire Breaker". I found 6 of these in that dismal swamp, and they were being used as normal power insulators. In the middle of one side, each one has the O-B marking. They are called "Elephant Ears" out here and are hard to find. What is their value? 

Also, the bird in the picture at the bottom of the same page may be called a "chicken hawk" on Staten Island, but I am afraid it is what we call a "Turkey Buzzard" down here in Virginia. 
David Turner 
Virginia Beach, VA 

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Dear David: 

Those "Elephant Ears" are actually "link strain" insulators. As opposed to regular gay strain insulators, they are normally used as insulating breaks when there is a large voltage potential between conductors on opposite sides of the insulator -- as in many deadending situations. Ohio Brass Co. made them from about 1909 up until relatively modern times. There was a very early version with a flat rim all the way around instead of the "ball" edge as in the rest of them. The early version is a very rare classic (only couple known at most), whereas the common variety has a collector value of about $6 to $10 depending on area of the country. 

I am afraid the O-B catalog (plus most collectors) call these "elephant ears" by the name "pork livers" or "hog livers" for nicknames. But then, I'm also afraid we call those "chicken hawks" and "turkey buzzards" vultures out here. I'm fairly good at attributing porcelain insulators, but only if they don't have feathers. 

Jack

Dear Jack: 

Enclosed is a photograph of 3 Missouri Pacific (MP) insulators. The only one not in the photo is the white U-153. I recently completed a trade for 6 dome-marked U-153's and 2 U-610A cables. The interesting thing is that there is a noticeable difference between the beehives with the skirt marking or dome marking. The one with skirt marking (center in photo) appears to be a pure U-153, but the dome-marked one (right in photo) has a much wider wire groove and appears to be a design all by itself. I believe the dome-marked is more common, but the skirt-marked may be scarcer than the U-610A cable style. 

I was wondering if the white beehive is skirt-marked or dome-marked and if you know if it came in both varieties. By the way, I've been trying to locate some "SOO" beehives and wonder if anyone has reported any finds of them?
Jim Woods 
Galesburg, Ill. 

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Dear Jim: 

Thanks for the photo and info. I agree with you that the two beehives are different in overall shape. Don't necessarily consider wire groove differences, since the insulators are pressed without the grooves, and the groove is later added by trimming the insulator before the clay, dries. Although the grooves on yours are purposely different (different specifications and/or use), there is normally quite a large tolerance on groove height above rim, size and depth. 

I think it's a mistake to rank scarcity of the various MP insulators -- style, glaze, marking position, etc. Not enough have ever been found from diversified areas to rank them. All are scarce. I once had about a dozen of the skinny version (the typical U-153) all from one trade, so that shoots down one of your conjectures. Some were marked on the dome, others on the skirt, so that shoots down another one. I also once had a couple of white ones, and I think they were the skinny version, but I can't recall the positioning of their markings. I never paid much attention to location or positioning of handstamp markings on porcelains. 

Don't know of anyone at present with some "SOO" beehives to swap, but hopefully one of our readers will have an extra one and will get in touch with you. 

Jack

Dear Jack: 

The photo shows an insulator sent to me by a friend in central New York state. Details are slim, since he can't remember where or how he came by it. 

I have your book "Porcelain Insulators", but can find no mention of Fargo or a G.S. company. By chance are you familiar with either of these names? Any information would be appreciated. 

I really enjoy your new book and find it a wealth of knowledge and a pleasure. 
Roger L. Berger 
P.O. Box 812, Albany, OR 97321 

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Dear Roger: 

Your insulator is a "hanger insulator" and is used to suspend a three-conductor line from an overhead messenger cable. The small notches are for tie wires to retain the three cables in the three large grooves. These and similar hanger insulators are a relatively modern concept (and currently produced), and their use was spurred by the development of high strength alumina-porcelain some years ago. They are popularly used in urban and industrial areas where trees and structures severely limit the space needed to run lines by conventional crossarm methods. I've seen these in use in numerous cities, but mostly in eastern areas -- notably N.Y. state. Their popularity should continue to increase, since this type of line construction can be much more tidy and less costly than regular crossarm construction. 

"Fargo" is a manufacturer of all forms of poleline hardware equipment, but especially items related to brass or bronze as with the metal fitting on your item. The "G.S." doesn't ring a bell with me, and I'm horribly unlucky at matching initials to companies which merely fit the initials. 

This certainly is a spectacular insulator specimen, and you have it beautifully mounted. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful as to manufacturer or exact vintage. It certainly is modern -- and possibly a current product. 

Jack

Dennis McHenry (Iowa) has specialized for some time in all the insulators made by Illinois Electric Porcelain Co., Macomb, Ill. He has recently commenced an intensive research of all these insulators and hopes to compile a comprehensive checklist of all the combinations of marking vs. styles, glaze colors, etc. Once again, I say this will be possible only with the help of all collectors reporting to Dennis data on their Illinois insulators. The results of his survey will benefit all of us. 

Of particular interest are the Triangle-M markings on wet process items and the Illinois "map" markings with year dates. For each one, record the U- number and glaze color. On the Triangle-M markings, indicate the number and arrangement of the year-coding dots near the top of the triangle, plus the catalog number (if any) shown underneath the triangle. For the Map markings, record the year date at the top of the map and the insulator catalog number (if any) inside the map.

For all other ILLINOIS marking types record the marking, U- number of the insulator, glaze color. Either refer to the marking reference numbers in "Porcelain Insulators" book, or make a simple sketch of the marking.

This is a very worthwhile research project, and I hope all collectors will take just a little time out to get this data into Dennis' mail box. If you have any old Illinois catalogs, Dennis would like to know the date of the catalog together with a quickie list of the U- numbers shown in the catalog. Address: Dennis McHenry, Trexend, Rt. 1, Bettendorf, IA 52722.

Jack

I missed attending the N.I.A. National Convention this year in Denver, July 20-22, and that was certainly a great letdown for me. We spend most of each summer at our mountain home in Arizona, usually alternating two weeks there with one week at Phoenix from mid-May thru September. The back-and-forth schedule just didn't work out to make it easy to get to Denver without stranding the family in hot Phoenix. 

Each time we return to Phoenix from the mountains, I'm greeted with a big stack of mail, some of which are your insulator questions. My apologies for any delays in answers to questions received during my absence. Getting out the monthly camera-ready porcelain column copy is a tight fit in the summer schedule, but I try to get it out regularly.

Jack