Every once in a while I take a hike down the Mississippi River in the southern portion of Saint Louis County looking for washed up pieces of old glass. There are usually hundreds of shards in this area, ranging from old aqua bottles from the 1800s to last night's smashed up 40 ounce Natty Light bottle haphazardly tossed onto the rocks by some yawbrick high on meth.

A rail line also runs adjacent to the river here, and on the river side was three generations of pole line. First, there was the threadless line, which at least used CD 723.3s and perhaps others. That was superseded by a 6 pin, 2 and 3 arm telegraph line that used CD 133 Cauvet's Brookfields and CD 126 Brookfields, possibly among others. Third, there was the last incarnation of pole line, which was your standard 10 pin, 3 arm line containing the usual suspects, CREB 145s, Hemi 40s, Hemi 42s, HG Beehives, and similar pieces. A fourth pole line, which was on the other side, still exists along the tracks, though much has been cut down and left along the side. This line was more porcelain than anything, with power being insulated with Hemingray 660s and Pyrex 63s.

Along the river bottom I often find the 40s and 42s. Sometimes there is a 126 piece here and there. Today I found a Cauvet's 133 dome. I have yet to find any threadless pieces near this place, and given the floor is all exposed bedrock, chances are that if I ever do find threadless, it will indeed just be a piece. The side of the ROW has been rip rapped, so that pretty much wipes out chances of finding something sticking out of the bank. In time, I will probably get back and look around some more. This is a picture of today's finds, a mix of insulators, bottles, and signal lenses. I am trying to fill a 5 gallon pickle jar with these pieces. I have a long way to go.