Letters to the Editor
Reprinted from "INSULATORS - Crown Jewels of the Wire", July 1983, page 27
Dear Dora,
My Dad collects C.D. Pilgrim hat insulators
only. That's the only insulators that the Merck Telegraph Company can use. My
Dad had been walking in Wyoming since 1966.
I am 7 years old and will be in the
second grade. My Dad took me to Wyoming on May 31, for my first insulator trip.
Because it rained, we only found an old bottle, threadless insulator peg, and
tie wires from the old U.P.R.R. I walked 6 miles that day along the old U.P.R.R.
grade. I would like to go walking in Wyoming again soon.
Aaron D. Merck
Vice
President
Merck Tel. Co.
Dear Don & Dora,
I have just returned from Italy
with a suitcase full of Italian power glass. I believe all are new finds as far
as C.D. numbers. Two of the bigger glass insulators are marked M.I.V.A. I do not
know what it stands for, but they can be seen all over Toscana. Porcelain on
high voltage is almost unknown in this region of Italy (Toscana). The one in the
picture that I took (Sorry the picture isn't clear enough for reproduction.)
comes in clear, blue, purple, and olive green. It is very similar to C.D. 377,
except it is made in three parts and cemented together. Also found one similar
to C.D. 375. It, too, is marked M.I.V.A. ACQUI M312. It is also cemented
together.
I went to the electric yard in Viareggio and saw hundreds of them in
salvage. I went and talked to the man on duty. He told me that he could not give
me any from there. Instead, he said I could have any I wanted from the back
room. I took some and thanked him and left. In truth, I would say Italian
insulators are very hard to obtain. If you are caught taking them, god bye Jack.
The reason I was able to find these is that I have many relatives there, and I
speak the language. Without both of these together, finding Italian insulators
is almost impossible.
Best regards,
Robert Chiantelli
Dear Crown Jewels,
I enjoy
your magazine very much and eagerly await its arrival. I am sending a few
drawings that I hope you can use.
One of the drawings is of a cross-arm I found
while exploring an old railroad bed. I thought it was interesting because of the
old style double lag screw construction.
I was overjoyed at finding an item such
as this and thought it would be of interest to your readers.
Sincerely,
Steve
Kella
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