The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-07-12

come Of the matchmaker when the sys.
tenn Is inaugurated would be difficult to
tell. When II Is introduced into this
country the Yankee clock peddler must
become a thing. OF the past. Together
with his eight day clock-so called be-
cause 1t answers all the promises of its
guarantee by running exactly eight days
and then will stand any amount OF
winding up, without uttering as much
as complaint, until the head OF the
/ family announces that 1t has wound
up" It's usefulness. The blow will be
terribly felt by this class of people, rs
well as those who make 1t their special
business 10 do the repairing OF tick
ers," and charge, as rule, exactly the
actual value OF watch, to pertor N
some mysterious work upon 1t. the cost
OF which Is regulated in proportion to
the length OF time 1t is kept at the
watchmaker's. Ruin, ruin, nothing but
ruin is what this enormity OF the French
| Government signifies to many other
classes of indnstriels Among them
might be included the pawnbroker, the
| bulk OF whose revenue Is derived from
the soaking" of young bloods', sports
| or the poor widows watch. In this in
stance the blade is double edged it de-
moIishes young Americas prospects for
u
mayhaps; and there Is little resource
left them but to "put up wornout
pair OF Monogram sleeve buttons,
or dilapidated bracelet, the latter OF
| which may have been the companion OF
its owners many'joys rs its golden rays
shimmered in the brilliantly Illuminated
ball room. What, world of woes does
not the subject suggest? SO many, in
deed, that the diverse OF the picture
should be sought to drive them away as
they rush In phalanxes to the thought.
No more individual watches or clocksl
no more differences in time. In New
Orleans 1t will all be worked from one
piece of mechanism located in the base
ment OF the City Hall, and every street
lamp, every room in every house will be
provided with an electric dial connected
with it, No more keys that wind
up any watch" another industry
busted" No more apologies for the
cook or the household keeper for not
having dinner ready at the precise hour,
because the children have handled the
clock, or that it is too fast or too slow
There the dial stares at the cook in her
kitchen. the housekeeper in the nursery
and the lazy schoolboy in his bedroom.
Time time! timel shrieks the dial at
every hour Of the day or night-the
same time everywherel Mr.. Phrolicker
used to come home late in the morning
to find Mrs. P. sitting up In bed. "What
do you mean, Mr.. F., by coming home
at this time ?" Its only one o'clock,
my dear" would say Mr.. r. "One
O'Clock you drunken sot; the clock Is
striking four4" Just as said; ! heard
it myself; it struck one O'Clock four
times, that's (hicD ALL But
the dial will henceforth be there,
silent, yet eloquent, to prevent any wit
ticism from Phrolicker. Phrolicker
may not even plead the precipitation OF
the driver of the last car, who himself
will be checked by the ''even time" dial.
And when p. staggers homewards after
q hard days work, he must certainly
run against few lamp-posts, every one
a time-teller, fearful phantom, that
will drive him to his local habitation at
comparatively Early, early b hour i, Sdooahs Of the
as impertinent a question as now TO ask u
newspaper man to lend you ten dollars
until you can see "Sullivan" or Tom
Collins" Thieves will run mad with
desperation when the inutility OF carry
ing a watch becomes apparent to the
most ambitious youth who now sports
two chains, to show his wealth, or
vanity, or both. Watches as prizes at
fairs, to young ladies who sell the most
tickets, will become as common as
trash, and all that will be valu-
able Of them tof the watches)
will be thrown into the crucible TO
be hammered or moulded into some
other trinkets Connection at Hum
boldt will be regulated by the electric
clock, which eventually may extend its
influence even to that incomprehensi-
ble railroad junction, and lastly, but
not least, .he factory employee Will be
enable to say, with what prospect OF
redress, it is yet too early to conjecture)
how many fifteen minutes day
are stolen from them by their rich EN-
ployers, just by looking out Of the win
dow and casting glance at the dial on
the corner street lamp.
And yet this Is not all. What
splendid field for legal quibbling it will
disturb In the matter or alibis, which
false swearing alone will In the majority
Of cases be enabled to establish-and
false swearing is such rare thing here,
that it will always be an easy matter TO
prove whether an alleged thief or mur-
derer was or was not on the spot when
the crime was committed.
But this is extending the subject too
far-although it can stand any amount
OF stretching-but as far as we have
gone we are satisfied that the publicity
which it has received is enough to re-
duce the price of watches and clocks
fifty per cent. Already we can see
people flocking to the secondhand
stores, offering their time keepers for d
trifie, and watch-makers themselves
closing out their business and opening
chronometer shops, for ships which go
to sea and steamers that ply the bosom
Of rivers will be their only Gus
toners. They may, however, keep
on hand few chronographers
for the use OF time keepers on the race
tracks, for it is doubtful whether this
class of customers will not maintain
keepers ana agamstvnU Of the old time
such as time" that can be saednaH
everybody for themselves. Timei And
SO it Is tune to go to press.