Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1846-03-21


on 10 different premises, and often in
different towns, and is mostly done by
females, and costs from FIVE to eight
cents completed. The upper or face
glass costs by the box two cents-ma-
king the whole case with glass cost on
an average, say seventy-eight cents
The making Of the bells or sounding
wire, is another distinct business which
lis also subdivided into three parts, the
drawing the wire, the castiug the
stand, as it is called, upon which the
wire i; fastened by sc:ccss;' screw, end end lastly
the tempering and bending the wire.
Each of these branches is an entirely
distinct business, and never done on
the same premises, or in the same town
the steel wire being imported from
England. The finished bell costs three
and one half cents. The making OF
the screws is still another business by
itself We now come to the DIAL
This too constitutes different branch
of bushes. and after getting out the
plate Of the right size and thickness,
is painted and figured mostly by fe-
males. The plain dials cost five cents
each. The weights are cast and de-
livered at ten cents pair, the casting
of which is also business by itself
We now come to the brass running
part or movements as it is usually cali
ed. The brass is made by melting to-
gether copper and zinc in certain pro-
portions, and casting them in bars, af-
ter which it is rolled down to proper
thickness for the different parts. This
is done by the brass manufacturers
from whom the clock maker pur-
chases. The back and front brass frame
work of the movement is struck out in
the form you see by a machine which
is moved by steam with great rapidity,
striking out one at every blow,
The wheels arc struck out in the
same way. The turning the iron
shafts on pinions Of the wheels, and
the putting together of the parts when
completed, are branches allotted to diff
ferent hands who work constantly on
some particular part. though under the
same roof. The steel verge which is
moved by the teeth of the crown
wheel on the front of the movement,
and to which verge the pendulum is
attached, constitutes a branch of the
business by itself, and is carried on
upon other premises, often miles dis
tant. The making Of the pointers and
OF the brass pendulum balls, is each a
distinct business. The movements
completed, including the cords, point
ers, pendulum, &C., are sold to the
dealers who put them in cases for sew
eral cents. The cost OF putting the
into the case and putting
the whole in complete ticking order is
say three and half cents, making the
whole cost of the clock, completed,
one dollar and seventy cents. The
clocks were formerly sold at twenty
five dollars each, and are now usually
sold at about one dollar and eighty
seven and half cents, not boxed, or
two dollars boxed, six in box. 1t
might be argued, that SO great improve
ments in machienry and the reduction
in the prices of clocks would reduce
the price of labor, to a very low stand
ard and throw many wcrkmen out of
employ Such is not the fact. The
reduction in price has increased the
sale hundred fold, and consequent
ly given employment to still greater
number of workmen without reducing
their wages. They are now exported
to Norway, Sweden, Russia, England,
France, Calcutta, China, the Sandwich
Islands, Canada, and, in fact, to every
part Of the earth where there is civili-
cation enough to tell the time of day
by clock. In giving you this state
ment, have left out Of the account
the making Of the paint, yarnish, &c,
which constitutes still further snbdivis-
ions of labor. Like the making of
books and newspapers, the price is re-
duced proportionably to the quantity
made. fact which mere theorists in
political economy almost universally
overlook and yet to the practical man,
nothing is more obvious, not only in
this, but 10 every other branch Of man
ufactures. The cheapness will de-
pend in a great degree upon the guam
tity TO be made and the size Of the
market we have to supply. This il
true in theory and true in fact, as
could easily prove BY personal knowl
edge of many different branches o
manufacture. As one example, pin
of a quality superior to the English
are now sold in this market thirty pc