Tom Handley wrote:

>   Bob, my house was built in 1906. It's a two story house with an attic
>and basement. A lot of the wiring is `knob and tube'. There was an update
>with wire that I can't identify other than to say that I'm glad I don't
>have rats...

  Without seeing it, I'd guess "non-metallic sheathed cable", a precursor
to Romex. It had rubber or plastic insulated conductors, separated by a
hard paper wrap, inside a fabric outer envelope, with (usually) aluminum
paint or ink on the outside. Kind of looked like duct tape-sheathed Romex.

Dave