08-26-2012, 12:33 PM
I believe that bubber coated solid wire would have been easier to strip, wrap and solder, and probably was cheaper to produce, so that's why. Nobody in their right mind then thought about or cared whether it would last 75 years. Even today a box of medical latex (rubber) gloves will turn into slime in about 5 years, and tires rot after 10 years or so.