RE: Grim Safety Reminder

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "David Thomson by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dave-at-volantis-dot-org>

Hi Ed,

>When I was going to Caltech in the late 40's we took a field trip to some
of the SCE high sierras hydro plants.  At the first of those, built in 1913
as I remember, there's a 220 kV line going out toward LA.

I didn't know anybody was on this list from that era.  My grandfather, Cyril
Thomson, was a lineman who installed the first transmission lines from New
Mexico to Los Angeles.  He was installing the lines around 1917 when he was
abducted by Poncho Villa's men and taken to Mexico for questioning.  After
they found my grandfather wasn't a spy for Sam Houston, Poncho Villa asked
my grandfather why he didn't have a weapon.  He told Poncho that his rifle
had been stolen by one of his men.  So Poncho Villa gave my grandfather his
personal jewel studded pistol, which is still in our family today.

Ed, are you familiar with a movement called Technocracy?  My grandfather was
a member of this group.  From what I have heard from my father, Technocracy
was a movement from the 20's through the 50's where scholars believed
technology was the answer to all social problems.  I haven't seen anything
about this anywhere.  If you were around LA during the 40s and 50s, then
maybe you have heard about this?  I'd like to learn more.

Dave