The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-01-13
BIDDEFORD, Me- FRIDAY MORNING, JAN UARY 13, 1850

miracles, under careful sentinel's superin-
tending eye. 1t is the novelty Of tho Wal
than factory that this is so-machinery doing
the hundred little dcxteritics which have
hitherto been done only by tho variable hand
OF the workman. With the machinery once
regulated, therefore, any number Of watches
oil the same sizc and pattern are made with
invariablc exactness-all equally sure to
keep time whereas, formerly, each watch
was only probability by itself.
The minutcncss of very essential parts OF
the watch astonishes the visitor. A small
heap of grains was shown to us, looking like
iron filings, or grains Of pepper from pepper
castor, apparently the mere dust OF the
machine which turned them out-and these
when examined with microscope, were seen
to be perfect screws, each to DO driven to its
place with screw driver. IL is one OF the
Waltham statistics, which is worth remeni-
b,ring, that ga single pound Of steel, costing
but fifty cents, is thus manufactured into one
hundred thousand screws, which arc worth
eleven hundred dollars"
The poetic part of watch, OF course, "a
what the truth in woman's heart has been
30 often compared to-thc jewel upon which
all its movements are piyoted and which
knows no wearing away nor variation-and
to see these precious truth jewels and their
adjustment was one of my main points oi
curiosity. The aid OF the microscope was
again to be called in, to see thcse-the pre-
cious stones. rs we first saw them in the glass
phial, resembling grlins Of brilliant sand.
They arc rubics, sappires or chrysolites, in.
ferior only to the diamond in hardness, and
to be drilled by the diamonds point into
piyoted relianccs. The process is thus des.
cribed in the article 70 which am indebted
for my statistics:
"rhe jewels are first drilled with q dia.
mond and then opened out with the diamond
dust, on hair like iron wire, their perfora.
tions having certain microscopic differences,
In like manner the pivots OF steel that are to
run in these jewels, without wearing out in
the least, must be cxquisitely polished. by
thi. operation their size is slightly reduced
The Jewels and pivots after being thus finish.
cd, are classified by means of guage, sc
dclicately graduated as to detect difference
of the ten thousandth part Of an inch. The
Jewels are classified by means of the pvots
the Jewels and piyots of the same number
fitting each other exactly. The sizes. OF the
several pivots and jewels in each watch are
carefully recorded under its number, so thai
If any one of either shall fail in any part oI
the world, by sending the number of the
watch to Waltham, the part desired may bt
readily and chcaply replaced with unerrinl
certainty
On this, and all other operations, too mi
mute for detailed descriptiOns-thc first, cut
ting of tho stamps and dies from sheets o
brass, hardening and forming the barrels ant
chambers, coiling and fastening the mair
springs, gearing wheels and cutting theil
teeth, shaping of pinions and axles, cutting
of escape wheels, burning and marking tn
porcelain dials, and final putting togcthe
and adjusting oltho various parts-the super
intendcnt, Mr.. Dcnison, distOursed to u
most interestingly. Icould not but think
us listened to this philosopher Of mechanic
art, telling us these Beautiful secrets with hi
quiet conccntratyeness of voice, his brief OK
pressivc language, how much better it wa
than the "sceing of play" or the reading
of q novel. My two hours of following hin
and listening to his "discousc with illustra
tions, ''lwere like tho passing of dream.