My Dad, Jack Reinhart, would have been 100 year old next month if he were alive today.  In May of 1948 he completed the requirements for a B.S. degree in both Geological Engineering and Mining Engineering at the New Mexico School of Mines in Socorro, New Mexico (now called New Mexico School of Technology).  Due to a school rule only allowing the granting of one degree to a candidate at each commencement, he only received one in 1948 and so the second it 1949.

Between the months of August 1951 to December 1953, Jack worked as a senior geologist for American Smelting and Refining Company in charge of the company’s subsidiary office in Silver City, New Mexico.  During those years he mapped, evaluated, and made recommendations regarding both individual metallic mines and entire mining districts in Arizona and New Mexico.  He also assisted small mine operators producing copper fluxing ore for the company’s El Paso smelter.  He was also successful in finding new deposits of ore for the company at the Drunzer Mine near Pastura and at Atwood Mine near Lordsburg, New Mexico.

While working for American Smelting and Refining Company, he purchased this Wild T12 Pocket Theodolite.  Because of its exceptionally trim and miniature design, it was very useful packing it into remote mines located in the deserts and mountains of the Southwest.  The serial number of this particular model is 30741 indicating that it was produced between the years of 1951 to 1953 by Henry (Heinrich) Wild Surveying Instrument Supply Company in Heerbrugg, Switzerland.

The Wild T12 Pocket Theodolite has 5x magnification and is accurate to the nearest minute.  The instrument fits in a can measuring only 7.5 inches in height and 2.8 inches in diameter -- about the size of a large, 12 ounce can of beer.  The instrument itself measures 7 inches in height and at most 2.5 inches in diameter.  Both the instrument and container weight only 2.9 pounds.  

The wooden tripod with sliding legs weighs only 3.5 pounds.  This is a central feature of the T12's lightweight design.  Also important in the instrument's compact design is the vertical telescope.  The user peers down into the telescope into an optical prism projecting the line of sight out horizontally.  For more information about the Wild T12 Pocket Theodolite, click here to view the view the original brochure.