Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-01-11
RATES OF ADVERTISING.
One inch constitutes a square.
Professional cards from $500 10 $500.
MATCHMAKING IN AMERICA.
Testimony of the swiss Commissioners.

Testimony OF the cWfee tommte@fonef-
American Superior TO Fore ign Watches
i NJ. Fdouard Favre Perret, Swiss Com
missioner to the Centennial Exhibition
and member of the international yurJ
on watches, has given the results of hi
observations on American Matchmaking
in a public address at Chaux-de- Fonds
L,cle, and Eeuchatel. Being himself q
large watch manufacturer, his statement'
made a profound impression in Switzer
land, and will be read with the hvehes'
interest in this country. After sketch
ing the growth of Matchmaking In Bes-
ancon, by which the French market foi
watches was lost to Switzerland, ne
spoke substantially as follows:
| For q long time America has been the priD-
cipal market for eur Watches. To-day emuss
earnestly prepare to struggle with the Aneri-
| cans on the fiel6s where hitherto We have been
the masters- Mr.. Dennison, the father OF
American Matchmaking, travelled through The
canton of Neuchs.sl Studying our mode OF
everything, and carefully noting the weak
points in our iodustry. After his return to
the United States, in 1854. he founded . fac
tory at Boston" The Boston Watch Gem
pany." The capital scarcely fl00.0o0, vac
sub.cribed by capitalists more than by prac.
psny turned out only the rough skeleton move
ment and attended to the finishing all other
paris such as trains. balances, jewels. etc,
were imported from Switzerland. Little by
little. however, the factory extended its OPERA
tiors and produced other parts But as the
profits we're small, the capitalists abandoned Il
and it fsiled in 1856.
Another American. Mr.. Robbins. ecc-ted
go,3 speculation and bought the factory and
tools for ZOO. new company, The
American Wsfch Company" was formed, with
q capital OF SOD, ,00c, which wa increased to
s3gO 600 before the war which put on foot .
milion OF ssldiers, and, as every one wanted
ws.ch, there was great animation in the watch
business. At this juncture. which might have
been lucky one for our industry, We failed TO
connprehend our resl interests. Instead OF
sending good watches to the Americans, the
worst trash was sent. The Americans how
ever went to work on an entirely different plan.
out better ordiuary watch than the swiss
watch. AT the end on several years the Amer1-
can watch enjoyed q good reputation, while
ours were discredited everywhere. In 1866.
the capital vas increased to $50. 600. and the
operations OF the comlany grew TO immense
plosment 10 e0o vorkmer and make abe ut
425msvements per day. They have sesin m
crehs. their capital, till IL amounts to $l 5o0,-
OOd. bts.de tS00. 600 as = reserve fund This
watch factory is q real power I; Hse1e Is nosse
Ike IL in Europe. We have reen 10 in all i'm
details, and we have admired its splendid Or
gan zation.
Last Nav, On the eve OF the Exhibition we
stiil seemed MASTERS of the situation One
event, however, dealt DC mortal blow. The
Walthsm Company announced reduction OF
from 40 to so per cent ON prices alre<dy lower
than their rivals, the reduction 70 date back to
Jan l. 1876 II is unnecessary TO tell you,
sl.~~. 1.r,1U AL. II IN
the Swiss watch. Still another and more in-
portsnt reason explains the growing prosperity
of tie American Company. Their tools work
80 regularly that all parts Of the watch may
be interchsneed. by . sicple order on postal
care, without necessitsting the forwarding Of
the adjoiniDg piece.
TIE Question has often been ssked. can the
Ame leans sufficiently suppl the demand Of
Their markets.! Yes. they can we are driven
out q the American mnket In 1S00 the
Amtrican companies produced only 1900
Watches To-day they produce 25o. 900. which
can be easily doubled. We sent 10 the United
States in 1872 S66, coo watches. In 1876 We
shall barely send them 1900 Watches The
Amer leans have already begun 10 send their
10 Europe. In England they
sell annually from 20. 600 70 80. 90 witches.
The American watch Commences to drive
from the English market the Swiss
The Americans began by creating .
demand for their goods in the Indies and in
Auskxalia and tben-thanks 10 some rover
full importing houses-tsey Invaded In
gland At Moscow and st. Petersburg they
have already established important trsnch
Offices. Their aim is TO drive us fret out OF
their own country, and then to coupefe with
us On our own scil. 1 sincerely confess that
personaly have doubted that con petition.
But now have seen-I have felt it-And l am
terrified by the danger to which our industry
is expoeed. Besides, am not the only one 70
think 90. The Scciete lntercantonsle have
sent delegate to make inquiries. and his ra- :
port perfectly sgrees with mine Up to this
yery dsy we have believed America TO be de-
pendent upon Europe We have been mle-
taken. The Americans viii send M their
products sirce We cannot send them ou1 own-
Their importation is not copfine3 10 watches
alone. Already America hss commenced 70
send cotton gods to England, which hitherto
inonopolz. d that article IN the markets Of the
world.
Can the Americans maintain their pricee
Yea they can, for IN they obtain . good psoft
on their superior quality goods, they can afford
TO be satrfied with smaller profit on the lower
q made by mschinery here we mske Everything
by hand In Switzerland about 40 0o0 work
men make, ON sn average, each forty watches
per aunum In the United StAtte. the average
K sbnut $50 watches. Therefore the machine
nv produces three and half 10 four times more
than the worknen-
Had the Pniisdelphia Exhibition taken place
6ve years later, We should have been totally
snnihlated without knowing whence nor how
we received tie terrible blow. Ne have believed
ourselves masters OF the situation. when We
really have been on q volcano. And, TO-DAY.
We must actusly struggle n We do not want
10 encounter, IN ell the nukets, that rivd
manufacture. For long time We have hoped
dat the customs duties. amounting 20 70 Per
cent. might tc reduced. We cannot count
upon Il America needs all her Ie-ourcs :. ana,
whether Democrats or Reputl cans be m
power we esnnot hope for reduction OF M
p1t dut e. We ms. therefore, mrke mp
our mind 20 loee the Amerlcan msrtet lt has
bstn complac -sitiy said that tie Americsns 90
nQ mike & Q entL watch. tut are %. ndent
upon swifzeriand for several parts OF TIE
wofch. This il q mis- axe. The Nsltbnu
Company make tle entire watch ffcm the first
ecn " to the csee and dIs. liz would Even be
n sult for them to use our products, go grest
u the regularity, 90 minute the precsrion with
which theii machines work.
They STRIVE at the regulation Of the watches
80 TO tAy-withort having seen H. When
tno watch is given 10 the sdjusier, the foreman
delivers 10 him the CORE spending hxir spring,
and the watch II regulated fsensstion among
.ne au hence Heie is Whist have steD- gcD-
uenen, 1 asked from tlse director OF tbe
wai.i.sm Company q watch OF the fifth grade.
isree safe wss opt ned before me AZ random
itook watch out OF n and fastened IL 70 nv
chan The director having asked me 10 let
inm have the watch sor too or three dave. 60
= q Deserve lite mot on. answered, ..On the
ocn,rsry. persist IN vesrng it juzt ss it TO
o. asn an easc: idea Of your manufacture" At
rsr n ret my watch by regulater on the
nou evafd, and on tie sixth dsy obse rived Il st
had varied 80 seconds Ani this watch is
OF Tie nftn American grade IL cosl IS france
!nosenseiit without easel On nv arrival st
Loele showed the watch 10 one OF our frst
s'lasterr. who asked permireion 10 take Il
oo~h-that is. to take il 10 pieces L however,
"trhed tfst 10 Observe l.. and here is the recruit
"hca 1 noted: Hanging. daily ynrisiion. ~
sc ne; vaiistion in difereut positions from
TO seconds; IN the heated room the vsri-
Sucn wac very eight. Having thus observed Il,
hsided the watch over to the sdjuster Who
tock II down. After fes dsys he came 10 me
and sad word for wcrd, = am completely
ootfsche'Dsed. hs result is Incredible; one
1oud NOT had one such tcdich among tffp
tho',sd'sd of our ,aosss.facfsr. = 1slis watch,
sentiemen, repeat O. you. 1 took at hszsri--
cut of = Leap, as We say. YJu understand
from this sxaml le, that the Amencsn watch
may be preferrtd q TO the Swiss. Ii,ave finished.
gentlemen. and have told you o. things Hnch
rs have seen them IL remains for us 10
profit from this sad txper eacs. and 10 improve