The weekend of August 28-29, 1987 was anticipated like the coming of Christmas is by children. It was to be the second overnight insulator field trip of the Western Telegraph Research Association (WTRA). At about 5:30 a.m. a caravan of about seven vehicles had assembled at researcher Ron Sousa's home in Sacramento for the two hour drive to the high Sierra Nevada's below the old mining town of Downieville. 

Our prey (and pray!) for the weekend was sort of potpourri. In years past, Ron's treks to this area have yielded insulators from three distinct periods of telegraph in the area. The oldest finds were the iron cap-sulfur Batchelder Patent hooks. The second generation consisted of wood block ramshorns and the third generation was cobalt E.C.&M.'s. 

After a dusty drive up and down a dirt road we reached the first search zone. It took just a short time for Ron to find his familiar landmarks: a pile of rocks here, an ancient downed white tree snag there, and we were off! As we picked our way across huge piles of boulders, remnants of the hydraulic mining days, I had visions of hundreds of miners scurrying about looking for a different type of treasure. Today, however, our party of treasure hunters had other "gold" in mind.

Ron's memory was incredible. At the spot of nearly every span, Ron related what had been discovered during previous trips to the area. Several of the downed and rotted trees still contained square spikes, evidence of mounting brackets from the ramshorn and E.C.&M. periods. Years before, on one single decaying giant, Ron found specimens of each of the three insulator types used on this route.

We tracked the line route to where Ron lost it previously. We spent more than an hour with compass and binoculars trying to find the alignment and remnants of the line. Unfortunately, the area had been logged about 40 years earlier and any remnants of the telegraph line were seemingly lost forever. After a morning of fruitless trudging up and down the steep mountains we decided to try a different section of line.

Another dusty drive led us to the crest of a ridge which was in the same alignment but miles away from the first section. It was a magnificent view from the ridge across a deep valley of sometimes heavy forest. At our first stopping point was an abandoned power pole where an old line had dead ended. Several strings of early Westinghouse single petticoat porcelain suspension insulators were still hanging. This was quite a surprise in view of the fact that all other poles in the alignment were cut down and gone. Bart Magoffin, tree and pole climber without peer, ultimately scaled the shaky pole removing several specimens for those party members who were not ashamed of being seen in public in possession of baked "M-M-M-M-M-M-U-D-D-D-D-D-D! 

M-M-M-M-U-D-D-D-D!

Shortly after our arrival, Ron called me over to a clear spot in a trail along the ridge. His intent was to introduce me to a fresh deposit of that which bears are rumored to do in the woods. Yes, friends, it was apparent that bears do do "it" in the woods! While admiring the bear's handiwork (and wondering if he was studying us) my eye was attracted to a fragment of dark SCA glass. The piece was clearly quite old and had contours consistent with an old medicinal bottle. While showing the glass to Ron he began glancing around the area and saw a short segment of wire protruding from the ground. Upon pulling it up, the short section was found to contain a very old splice which gave firm evidence that it was a telegraph wire. Eureka! At last some indication that we were on the right track. 

At once the excitement was restored to the lackluster crew. Most members of the party began to follow an old trail searching for more evidence. For some reason, however, I chose to go nearly directly downslope. About 30 feet from the original wire discovery I was surveying the manzanita scrub, checking for insulators, wires, and that bear! About 10 minutes after the wire was found, BINGO! Lying right on top of some decomposed granite near a manzanita bush was a Goodyear's Patent rubber covered ramshorn of the type used in wooden blocks.

After yelling, "I found one!" the other members of the party came running to inspect the discovery which, by now, included remnants of an old square pole hiding beneath the brush. Here was my first excavation and metal detecting in the vicinity yielded a few of the square nail spikes used to mount the original wood block which was long since disintegrated by the elements. 

Goodyear Patent Rubber Ramshorn

After evaluating my find, the pack of hunters changed direction and down hill they ran. A short time later another find. This time it was a backer plate about 40 feet up a 5 foot diameter tree, with no way to get to it. These backer plates were approximately 2x6x14" rough sawn boards anchored to the tree with four large square spikes. Either the wood block containing the ramshorn or, in some areas, the threaded bracket for E.C.&M.'s or Cal. Electrics were nailed to the backing plate. The plates would normally be pushed outward by the tree bark preventing the bark from actually growing completely around the insulator, bracket and wire. The principle was quite effective as many backer plates are still found on the surface of trees after over 120 years!! 

Square nail spikes used to mount the original
wood block and pieces of the disintegrated block.

About this time a normal summer afternoon high altitude phenomena was witnessed ---a thunderstorm. I have seen these from a distance before but have never been in the middle of one. After a brief rain and many lightning strikes, it was gone --- almost. Directly across the valley from our search a small plume of smoke began rising skyward. In the next hour it grew larger and larger until Forest Service spotting planes began to monitor its progress. Not long after, two ancient bombers converted to fire fighting made passes at the fire dropping long red plumes of fire retardant directly over the center. The blaze was instantly reduced in size and was kept in check until ground crews could reach the site the next morning. The forest around us wasn't as lucky. As we left the area the next day the surrounding area was ablaze from the storm which registered nearly one thousand lightning strikes that one afternoon and evening. Fires from this storm ultimately burned several hundred thousand acres in the worst fires in California in decades. 

Forest fire ignited by the storms

The new fires, however, did not even slow the dedicated insulator hunters. After an evening on the "town" of Downieville, we returned to the alignment for another day. After several hours of searching, the only traces found were many sections of telegraph line wire. This area, too, had been logged many years ago making line location very difficult. As a result, no other insulators or pieces could he found.

For all of the other members of the group, the rewards of this trip were limited to the thrill of the hunt. As for me, the thrill of my first find is one which will remain in my memory forever. Just knowing that this little ramshorn had been lying on the ground for over 100 years made it something special. Now, if I can just figure out how to recapture the messages it once carried, the story will be complete......