# Western Union Telegraph Company



## bottlenutboy (May 23, 2007)

anyone know what this was for? i have my own ideas but was looking for something a little more definite

 it looks like a gold bar same size and shape but its solid lead its marked W. U. TEL. CO. on the top

 it was found while cutting someones grass at work i gave 5 clams to my uncle for it since he found it


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## capsoda (May 23, 2007)

Put up a pic so I can see which one it is......GAAAAAA!!!!!


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## bottlenutboy (May 23, 2007)

was hoping i wouldnt have to go through all the trouble...but here it is


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## bottlenutboy (May 23, 2007)

little closer


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## bottlenutboy (May 23, 2007)

camera wigged out on this one


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## bottlenutboy (May 23, 2007)

got screw holes in the back... what are those about? something that happened later?


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## zanes_antiques (May 23, 2007)

I'd say it's a weight used on a scale of some type. I would think the hole were drilled to make it exact. Just a guess.


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## bottlenutboy (May 23, 2007)

> I would think the hole were drilled to make it exact


 
 possibly...but they are threaded on the inside like someone had it screwed to something

 as is it weighs 3 3/4 lbs


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## capsoda (May 24, 2007)

Zane is prolly right. It weighed 4lbs and was used to weigh mail. Back when telegrahms were popular many small towns had the Post Office and the telegraph office in the same building and only one or two people working in it. Western Union also shipped mail.


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## c.m. arrington (May 26, 2007)

Looks like an ingot of babbit metal or nickle. I've got a couple of bars of nickle that are very similar to that one.


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## bottlenutboy (May 27, 2007)

this one is definately lead


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## Brains (May 27, 2007)

i'll bet some insulator collector would go crazy for that but dont send it here. I've allready got my share of insulators with stuff in the pinhole or made of stuff that would give me cancer


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