| Everyone has objects in their attics and | | | | beveled plate glass window provided access to |
| cellars that are wonderful reminders of the | | | | a blued steel floating compass. A rear glass |
| past. True antiques are at least one hundred | | | | window offered additional viewing, lit by a |
| years old, but often these treasures are | | | | built-in oil lamp on the side. Someone had |
| valuable in their very existence if not quite | | | | painted the whole thing with dark green |
| making the century mark. Dusty, broken, | | | | shutter paint which by this time had half |
| missing parts, we still have not the heart to | | | | peeled off. The cracked and peeling white |
| relegate them to the dump. So we hang on to | | | | paint inside did not deter the family of |
| them, tenderly wrapping them in newspaper and | | | | spiders living there. One week later, my |
| marking the box in large crooked letters.Then | | | | hard earned scuffed knuckles produced a |
| one day, someone comes along who offers to | | | | shining new boat compass. The widow almost |
| make your precious object like new, raising | | | | cried when she saw it and immediately found a |
| its stature to a beautiful objet d' art and | | | | place of honor in the living room.Buoyed by |
| creating a vision of hidden spot lights and | | | | this success, the lady supplied me with a new |
| alabaster pedestals in your living room. I | | | | and exciting project in the shape of an |
| am such a person. I have rescued neglected | | | | nineteen twenty two original wall telephone. |
| mandolins, violins, near-Tiffany lamps from | | | | Complete with speaker microphone and ear |
| the teens, rare wind-up toys from Japan, | | | | piece, this Western Electric gem even |
| delicate three-tiered bird houses from China, | | | | retained it's original matching telephone |
| and a nineteen thirty nine rich child's | | | | book shelf. The metal parts are made of |
| tricycle. Some things have been found in a | | | | nickel plated brass, the speaker and ear |
| garage sale, others entrusted to me by | | | | piece of Bakelite and the case and shelf |
| friends or neighbors.My most recent project | | | | carved from durable oak. Pictured in my mind |
| involved the dismantling and restoring a | | | | were the pre-electricity folks chatting on |
| nineteen thirties Japanese boat compass. | | | | this Early American Party Line invention. I |
| This sixteen pound relic was personally | | | | plan to spend three weeks enjoying the |
| carried home by a neighbor's husband who was | | | | restoration of this beauty and collecting the |
| killed in World War II in a plane crash. | | | | reward for my hard labor -- the huge smile |
| Made of solid brass so as not to rust on the | | | | on the face of the owner.The satisfaction may |
| high seas, no expense was spared in the | | | | not be instant, but it's real. |
| hand-made manufacture of this compass. A | | | | |