There have been several unusual items uncovered over the last several months that we have not had a chance to report in the Porcelain News.

Arthur Jones wrote quite some time ago about an old two-piece multipart. [I waited to make this report until we had an adequate way of describing multipart styles. M-numbers are from my new book Multipart Porcelain Insulators.] Arthur's insulator is M-2435. He explains:

"The color is a reddish brown, mottled like a Pittsburg glaze. The incuse mark "WSTO" is clear, then a "C" or an "O" that is very faint. It looks like it should be "WSTO CO", but the last part is only a guess. Do you have any information on such a marking?"

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This marking is unknown to me. Can any of you shed some light on this marking? Do any of you have an insulator with this marking?

Another unusual marking is that shown in the photo on the next page. It is on a U-171. Until now, there has been only one embossed marking found on a wet process pin type, namely, the common O-B trademark of Ohio Brass Company. The monogram was engraved into the mold at a location so the marking would not be removed by the trimmer operation. The O-B monogram is usually found on the upper crown edge of the insulator.

The U-171 is a wet process pin type with an embossed ".M" on the top flat firing rest surface. The height of the "M" is one-half inch. The mold was apparently engraved with the period to the right of the "M", but it naturally produced a reverse of the engraving on the insulator. The glaze color is dark rusty brown. We have no clues as to the meaning of the marking. Do any of you have insulators with similar markings?

If you have Jack Tod's new book, Porcelain Insulator Guide Book, 1988 edition, turn to the "Pricing Guide" on pages 48-52. You will find no fewer than 30 styles that are unknown. These were styles shown in manufacturer's catalogs where specimens have not been located. There is now one less in the unknown category.

Mike Guthrie has discovered a U-922 and he proudly added it to his collection (see the photo top of next page). This style appeared in the 1912 Thomas catalog. It has an unusual tan glaze and the center glazeweld section is a little different in that the petticoat is bell-shaped instead of having straight sides.

Some of you may have an "unknown" item sitting on your shelf. Just 29 more styles to find.

Another unusual item is a most curious one. Jack made a drawing of it from a shadow profile that I sent him in hopes that one of you could identify the intended purpose of this insulator. It does not have a wire groove. The glaze is mottled black quite similar to Thomas glazes. The size of the pin hole is 1-5/8 inch. The threads have been cut vertically on opposite sides to form segmented threads. The purpose of the segmented threads is to aid in holding the insulator in place when cemented on a pin. The insulator appears to be some sort of cap. Any ideas out there? The purpose may be very obvious to one of you. I would rather receive ten answers to this riddle than none. Help!

The following article appeared in "The Electrical Engineer" dated July 16, 1890.

DESTRUCTION OF INSULATORS AND WIRES BY COWBOYS.

Every telegraph wire on the Union Pacific Railway near Sydney. Neb., was interrupted on July 10, and all communication with the West and Pacific coast by this, the main route of the Western Union Telegraph Company, was completely severed from daylight until late in the afternoon.

A lot of cowboys who had been working on a round-up near Sydney visited that town at night, and, when they had exhausted all the pleasures of the metropolis of Cheyenne county, at daylight they mounted their ponies and proceeded a few miles west of the town, where they set up a target against a telegraph pole. They spent some time in hitting it from various distances, but, the mark proving too easy for their skill, they turned their attention to the insulators and wires, and only desisted when they had knocked off all the insulators and cut every wire with their bullets. The Western Union Telegraph Company sent repairers to the scene, but it took them all day to repair the damage.