Re: [ihc] Interesting mineral with an automotive history link

[John Hofstetter <hofs@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks, Jim, for the web site. Dates on that web site, and information 
at the museum in Lovelock are in conflict. Museum says that Champion 
quit mining Dumortorite in 1929, but the web site for that mine says 
that it ran from 1925 to 1945.

Looking again at exactly what the web site says, there may not be a 
conflict. Maybe, what the museum said, or meant, was that Champion quit 
using the Dumortorite for plug insulators in 1929.

Following up on the subject, I found the following history interesting. 
Albert Champion started the Champion Ignition company, but was rather 
quickly forced out by investors. He then started the AC spark plug 
company. Guess where the AC name came from?

Funny thing, on one of the history sites, they have an animated plug 
firing. Guess what? It's a Splitfire.

John

On Nov 8, 2004, at 8:43 AM, Jim Grammer wrote:


> This looks to be the mine:
>
> http://www.mindat.org/loc-3925.html
John Hofstetter
Ol' Saline
www.goldrush.com/~hofs