Saturday, October 23, 2010
RANDOM 341 OBJECTS
ESTATE Pennsylvania RR CONDUCTOR Log BUTTONS STOCK +NYC-$23
The man went to work for the railroad just after WWII, and I’ve been trying to organize the WWII GI stuff and the railroad stuff. If I find more from his days at the railroad, I guess I’ll just have to make up another auction lot.
There are three stock certificates, and all three are in crisp, pristine condition. We also have his “conductor’s log,” rulebook, lapel insignia and a full set of brass buttons from his uniform. Let’s have a close look.
The two “BIG FOUR” buttons refer to the north-south line running between Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and St. Louis. It later became part of the New York Central system, which probably explains the interloper of a stock certificate; the NYCRR certificate in with all this PRR stuff.
The lapel insignia are marked “EBY Co.” The large buttons, including the two “Big Four” are marked “Superior Quality,” but the small buttons say “Scovill Mf’g Co.” I don’t think I even need to comment on condition. That’s evident.
Someone else in the family must also have worked for the PRR because the orange “50 share” certificate is dated 1936. Each of the three certificates was issued to someone with a different last name, but it’s “all in the family.” The green PRR certificate for 100 shares was issued in 1962, and the 10 shares of NYC in 1955.
Like a lot of old journals, logs and diaries, this ledger book was used for personal household notes rather than as the sticker on the front stated its intent: “Conductor’s Memoranda – Pennsylvania Lines West of Pittsburgh.” Instead of RR notes, we find the first 8 or 9 pages (the rest are blank) filled with notes such as:
Stove - $29.68
Tapestry Rug - $14.74
Davenport - $24.20
Toilet Jar – 60 cents
¼ lb. pepper – 15 cents
Finally: “Rules for Conducting Transportation, 1968.” It’s now “Penn Central.
Do you reckon we’ll ever live to see high speed rail in the U.S.? Man, that ticks me off, so don’t get me started.
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Friday, October 22, 2010
RANDOM 341 OBJECT
Mellow OLD Brass CENSER - 3 ELEPHANTS - Incense Burner-$139
The elephants are very nicely done, and the piece has substantial weight (2 ½ lbs.), but what I like most is the most unusual shape of the bottom. A rounded and very organic body tapers down to form three graceful feet. You’ll see.
I just discovered it yesterday. It was in a home not three miles from our little dirt farm here in southern Ohio. Whatcha think? Tibet? China? I’m betting on Tibet.
There is no damage, and it stands 7” tall.
Speaking of the Dalai Lama; He will be giving a talk just down the road apiece from us in about three weeks. The topic is “Ethics in the Modern World.” That’ll be worth hearing.
