MARCH 23 ISSUE ANSWERS (photo to right): This lamp is made by the John Simmons Company, manufacturers of the Baldwin and Zar carbide miner’s lamps. With all of Michigan’s iron and copper mines, there must be a lot of these old lamps in collections. The Romeo Historical Society has just had this lamp restored by the Americana Foundation. When Mark was conserving it he found a white power still in it. This powder was carbide. The lamp had a controlled drip of water on top that when it dropped on the carbide powder it created a flammable gas that was ignited by the miner for illuminating his underground work. The lamp was able to burn for six or more hours. The company produced many versions of the lamps for different purposes. Some had a hook in back so the miner could attach it to his hat. The museum’s lamp has handles on the back so it could be held like a flashlight. It was called a supervisor’s lamp. The lamps had a removable reflector on the front. Ours is missing. Which dark mine in Michigan was illuminated with this one? I wonder? Visit the Church Street museum and see it on a Tuesday evening. R. Beringer, Romeo Historical Society staff