Thanks for everybody's input ... Looks like mechanical pencil is the 
general consensus.  I was guessing some sort of desk equipment, but I 
did not know about the early mechanical pencils.

Mark
-- 

Mark C. Branstner, RPA
Historic Archaeologist

Illinois State Archaeological Survey
Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
209 Nuclear Physics Lab, MC-571
23 East Stadium Drive
Champaign, IL 61820

Phone: 217.244.0892
Fax: 217.244.7458
Cell: 517.927.4556
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"There's absolutely nothing wrong with Marxism, so long as you stop 
at "A Day At The Races." If you keep on with "At the Circus," etc., 
suddenly, Marxism doesn't seem all that interesting and you start to 
look for something a bit more competent, like Chaplinism or 
Stoogeism"  - Anonymous

"I hope there's pudding" - Luna Lovegood (HP5)